With September 12 marking the UN Day for South-South Cooperation, Bangladesh must recognize the importance of cooperation among developing countries and actively work to strengthen its ties.
Indeed, it would not be a mistake to argue that most meaningful development partnerships increasingly lie within the Global South.
This day reflects a shift in global power, knowledge, and innovation. Developing nations now generate a substantial share of global growth, and their collective experience offers solutions far more relevant to our realities than traditional models originating in the developed North.
Bangladesh has repeatedly benefited from exchanges with fellow developing nations, be they agricultural techniques, disaster‑management expertise, digital‑governance models, renewable‑energy solutions, or public health innovations.
It goes without saying that solutions have greater odds of success when there is an exchange of context‑appropriate tools shaped by countries that have confronted similar constraints and pressures.
It must also be stated that Bangladesh is not merely a recipient, and its achievements in community‑based health systems, microfinance, disaster preparedness, and social‑protection programs have become global references for other nations in the Global South.
South-South cooperation allows Bangladesh to share these strengths while gaining new approaches to emerging challenges such as climate shocks, rapid urbanization, food insecurity, and digital transformation.
Given the importance, it is imperative that we deepen this engagement. Too often, cooperation remains limited to conferences, pilot projects, or symbolic agreements.
Bangladesh needs long‑term partnerships, ones that expand joint research, strengthen climate resilience, and reduce dependence on external models that do not align with our local realities.
The Global South’s collective future depends on how effectively its members learn from one another and build systems rooted in solidarity rather than hierarchy.
This cooperation could be a central pillar of a fairer, more resilient future for all of us.
