As 2025 wraps up, China and the United Nations are joining forces to turbocharge South-South cooperation 🌍! From agriculture breakthroughs to green energy megaprojects, a new $10 million facility is setting the stage for a stronger Global South.
Launching the Global South-South Development Facility
In September at the United Nations, China announced the China–UN Global South-South Development Facility, pledging $10 million in seed funding. This facility supports small-scale, replicable projects—think tech cooperation and capacity building—and prioritizes least developed countries, landlocked economies and small island states. It aligns with China’s Global Development Initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Seeds of Growth: Agriculture in Action 🌱
Since 2021, under the China–UN FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund:
- Over 200,000 people reached in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Burundi, Dominica and Tonga
- 29 improved crop varieties introduced, from rice to maize
- Nearly 5,000 new agri-technologies adopted, including livestock management and freshwater aquaculture
- 20,000+ agricultural professionals trained
Fairness & Global Governance ⚖️
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus meeting in September, President Xi Jinping called for sovereign equality, multilateralism and a people-centered approach. He urged nations to narrow the North-South gap and safeguard common interests—a reminder that cooperation should be fair, inclusive and action-oriented.
Tech & Green Energy: Powering the Future ⚡
In June, China and the UNIDO kicked off phase four of the Centre for South-South Industrial Cooperation project, focusing on green technology transfer, digital transformation and resilient supply chains. Chinese enterprises are also at work building Tunisia’s largest ground-mounted solar power station near Kairouan—spanning 200 hectares of desert and saving 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year (that’s like planting 12 million trees!). 🚀
As we look ahead to 2026, this deepening partnership shows how collective action can spark real change, proving that when the Global South comes together, big wins are possible.
Reference(s):
How China works with the UN to drive South-South cooperation
cgtn.com
