Enhancing South-South co-operation

The Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and increasing tensions between the US and China are still complicated and show no sign of ending.

This situation, including its grave humanitarian crisis, cyber-attacks and economic hardships, as well as disinformation and propaganda campaigns, geopolitical tensions about energy supply and the threat of a nuclear war, will have far-reaching consequences. It raises questions about the structure of global security.

These overwhelming impacts have fundamentally changed the world and will never be limited to the countries involved in these conflicts due to the globalised world we live in.

They pose challenges across the globe and promote the formation of a new world order.

These challenges also encourage us to think big of our roles in the international system. They make it necessary for us to rewrite the rules of engagement with this potential new world order.

The question now is how can we save our continent during this global transformation?

The answer is simple: we must enhance South-South co-operation and give a chance to the global financial system to rise above its shortcomings.

Enhancing South-South co-operation can introduce balance to the chaotic and unjust world in which we live and generate both new ideas and concrete projects. It can also enable voices from the Global South to drive innovation and promote development.

To address these challenges, the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) organised an inaugural Agricultural and Food Systems Summit which took place in San Jose, Cost Rica.

This high-level meeting convened under the theme ‘Building Bridges for Co-operation in Agrifood Systems Transformation’. It was the first of its kind, having outlined the role Africa and the Americas could play in global food and environmental security.

The summit also provided opportunities for bi-regional co-operation in science, technology and innovation, with a view to building resilient and sustainable food systems.

The ministerial meeting brought together ministers of agriculture, senior officials in the fields of environment, science and technology, heads of international organisations and private sector representatives to discuss means of enhancing co-operation between the two continents.

They agreed that both continents face common challenges in advancing agrifood system transformation and that they would benefit from sharing experiences to foster collaboration within the framework of South-South Co-operation.

The summit came at a time when a partnership between Africa and the Americas is more important than ever.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has destabilised world commodity markets and global trade flows, leading to an increase in global food and input prices.

The conflict has also negatively impacted recovery from Covid-19 in many countries in Africa and the Americas where food security is threatened.

“I am confident that this exchange will contribute to enhancing the quality, relevance and appropriateness of the individual and collective interventions for the desired transformative impact on the agricultural and food systems,” Bekele-Thomas, chief executive officer of AUDA-NEPAD, said.

“I think we have a vision of what needs to be done,” she added.

She noted that implementation should be the focus now.

“How do we deliver the impact and transformation that is needed so that there is capacity and systems to deliver solutions against shocks as well as ensure the necessary levels and extent of economic growth our peoples need,” Thomas said.

The hybrid summit is the most important event within the framework of joint efforts between African and American leaders to align their priorities based on production, environmental, cultural and historical similarities and common challenges with respect to agrifood systems.

At the summit, ministers and officials identified areas of joint work and co-operation between the two regions, as well as the operational and financial mechanisms required to mobilise the necessary resources to increase the productivity, inclusion, and sustainability of agrifood systems.

Fostering a fairer, more transparent food trade system

However, the UN Office for South-South co-operation published a document that contains over 100 successful experiences that have contributed to the development of countries around the world.

The publication contains examples from all regions that demonstrate the potential success of South-South co-operation, such as Cuba’s support in the fight against Ebola in West Africa, Mexico’s experience in diversifying corn products to improve health and nutrition in Kenya, the knowledge of strategies to reduce hunger shared by Colombia to Mesoamerican countries, and lessons from Chile to Caribbean countries on product labelling as a measure to end obesity, among many others.

Facts speak for themselves. The countries of the South have contributed to more than half of the world’s growth in recent years. Intra-south trade is higher than ever, accounting for more than a quarter of all world trade. The outflow of foreign direct investments from the South represents a third of global flows. Remittances from migrant workers to low and middle income countries helped lift millions of families out of poverty.

Furthermore, South-South co-operation has been able to better support countries’ priorities for infrastructure development and productive sector development. This co-operation is also based on mutual respect and equal partnerships.

With political dialogue and financial co-operation, I think, South-South co-operation can become an opportunity to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the globally-agreed blueprint for peace and prosperity for peoples and the planet.