Hilale: The Royal Vision for South–South cooperation is an act of constant solidarity with the Global South

Speaking at the opening of the expanded meeting of the Bureau of the United Nations High-level Committee on South–South Cooperation, chaired by Morocco, Hilale reaffirmed the Kingdom’s strong and enduring commitment to South–South and triangular cooperation, which he described as an essential component of Royal diplomacy.

“Morocco has long advocated an action-oriented South–South cooperation strategy, grounded in solidarity—particularly with its African brothers and with countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific—through, among other channels, the proactive work of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation,” he specified.

In this regard, the ambassador stressed the centrality of South–South and triangular cooperation four years ahead of the 2030 Agenda deadline for sustainable development, in a global context marked by geopolitical tensions, increasing climate risks, and a decline in official development assistance.

Highlighting the structural transformations of the global economy, Hilale noted that South–South trade now accounts for more than one third of global trade and is growing faster than North–South exchanges.

He also underlined the continuous increase in investment, development finance flows, and exchanges of knowledge, technologies and public solutions among countries of the Global South in key sectors such as climate action, digital transformation, agriculture, and public health—thereby strengthening leadership and ownership by Southern countries over their development trajectories.

This three-day meeting, convened at the invitation of Colombia’s Presidential Agency for Cooperation, the United Nations Office for South–South Cooperation, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in this Latin American country, represents an important opportunity to strengthen the role of South–South and triangular cooperation within the global development architecture.

It brings together representatives of the various United Nations regional groups, the private sector, multilateral development banks, as well as cooperation agencies from several Latin American countries.

The conference proceedings will notably examine the proposal for a Global Alliance for South–South and Triangular Cooperation, under the auspices of the United Nations Office for South–South Cooperation, presented as an important step towards strengthening international coordination.

This alliance aims to more effectively mobilise partnerships, knowledge and resources among Member States, United Nations agencies, development banks and regional organisations, while remaining firmly grounded in the priorities and needs expressed by the countries concerned.