As part of the second High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries, I had the privilege of moderating a panel discussion on Strengthening Global and Regional South-South Cooperation.
A question from the audience stuck with me: How could we sustain transregional cooperation platforms?
As for any big question, it is helpful to turn to practical evidence for answers. Here, the experience of Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regions offer valuable examples of targeted, practical interregional cooperation that other regions can learn from.
What are some features that make the partnership between the two regions strong and promising?
1. Countries in these regions want a shared vision for global development
According to the World Bank’s 2025-2026 list, based GNI per capita, only two Asia-Pacific countries are classified as low-income. The rest are middle-income countries (MICs) or high-income economies.
Especially, MICs in both regions have emphasised the unique value of their experience as both recipients and providers of technical assistance and their commitment to cooperation and multilateralism.
A strong presence of MICs enables the regions to have a shared vision for international development partnerships. For example, Thailand International Cooperation Agency has partnership agreements with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico and Peru and an active development cooperation programme with Colombia.
Importantly, the two regions have the highest number of Small Island Developing States globally—countries that benefit greatly from knowledge-sharing and regional solidarity.
2. Both regions have South-South Cooperation “champion countries”
Indonesia initiated the Emerging Development Partners (EDP) Network in 2024, gaining traction from Asia and other regions. The Network has since agreed on a strategic vision and a capacity development agenda for EDPs.
APC-Colombia hosted the second EDP meeting in 2025 as a clear sign of co-ownership. At this meeting, EDPs asked for greater emphasis on knowledge sharing and cross-regional learning. The participation of countries from Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and Africa in the recent EDP capacity development workshops were testimony to the shared desire for cross-regional learning.
3. Both regions have strong traditions in South-South Cooperation (SSC)
Both regions practise SSC internally while championing global agendas. The 1955 Bandung Conference was undoubtedly a turning point for SSC in Asia and the Pacific and beyond.
Similarly, in LAC, the 1989 Buenos Aires Action Plan reaffirmed the concept of Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries. Its follow-up, BAPA+40 which recognised the contribution of South-South and triangular cooperation to the achievement of the SDGs and acknowledged that SSC leads to more diverse opportunities for development.
At the regional level, an indication for the intensity of SSC is the existence of active intergovernmental mechanisms. The Asia-Pacific region is rich in cooperation bodies (e.g., ASEAN, CIS, SAARC, PIF) and the UN regional commission, ESCAP, offers the most inclusive intergovernmental platform with 53 member States.
In the lead-up to BAPA +40, Thailand, UNOSSC and ESCAP inaugurated the annual Asia-Pacific Directors General Forum for South-South and Triangular Cooperation. The DG Forum has increasingly become the go-to forum for countries of the region and those that would like to cooperate with Asia-Pacific countries. At the seventh DG Forum, a Roundtable on opportunities for enhanced SSC between Asia and Latin America showcased existing cooperation between the regions as well as potential areas.
LAC, a region that is culturally and historically tightly connected, also has strong mechanisms supporting regional integration such as CELAC, OAS, ACS and CARICOM. For development cooperation, ECLAC organises the Regional Conference on South-South Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean—the precursor of which was established in 1981.
4. Interregional platforms sustain cooperation
Countries across the Pacific Ocean have long recognised the value of interregional cooperation, which has led to the creation of mechanisms spanning various compositions and areas of work.
APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), founded in 1989, became the first regional body to bring Asia-Pacific and LAC countries together when Mexico, Chile and Peru joined in its early years. Its vision for 2040 focuses on trade, digital innovation, and sustainable, inclusive growth.
Under the Republic of Korea’s 2025 chairmanship, priorities included people‑to‑people exchanges in science and technology, responsible use of new technologies such as AI, clean energy transitions, and addressing demographic change. The People’s Republic of China, as the 2026 Chair of APEC have indicated openness, innovation and cooperation as the three priorities.
FEALAC (Forum for East Asia–Latin America Cooperation) was initiated by Singapore and Chile in 1998. FEALAC’s work spans economic, social, cultural and environmental issues for its 36 members. FEALAC has an inclusive governance structure with regional coordinators and the troika meetings involving the previous, current and incoming regional coordinators.
Since 2018, ECLAC and ESCAP have been jointly managing the FEALAC Trust Fund established to support FEALAC‑wide projects. Projects to date have addressed capacity needs for value chains, reducing inequality, MSMEs and digital trade, with a new project on critical minerals underway.
As the world looks for more sustainable and resilient ways to accelerate sustainable development, South-South and triangular cooperation has become an indispensable part of the puzzle. The shared experiences of Asia and the Pacific and LAC offer proven cooperation models, lessons learned, and practical examples of how to coordinate across regions. These models can help countries and regions collaborate more strategically and achieve more together.
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