Azernews.Az

The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) has published information on the Global South NGO Platform (GSNP), which was established in Baku in April 2025 by NGOs from 116 countries, on its official website as an example of a new model of cooperation.

According to Azernews, UNOSSC has described the GSNP as one of the most inclusive civil society mobilisations of recent years.

This marks the first time that the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation has highlighted a global initiative proposed by Azerbaijani NGOs and disseminated it through its official profile.

It should be noted that concern has long existed over the fact that the Global South—encompassing Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Australia, where 80 percent of the world’s population lives—is often excluded from international decision-making processes and unable to determine its own destiny at critical moments. Against the backdrop of ongoing processes of disintegration, the creation of cooperation formats based on the principles of mutual trust, benefit, equality, consultation and respect for cultural diversity has become more relevant than ever. The Global South NGO Platform, established at a time when a new world order is taking shape and dividing lines are being redrawn, is of particular importance as a clear manifestation of the necessity to unite against global marginalisation.

Until now, there has been no single network bringing together NGOs within the Non-Aligned Movement region. For the first time, an initiative put forward by Azerbaijani civil society has received international support from a vast region encompassing two-thirds of the world’s countries, with NGOs from 116 countries gathering in Baku to establish a joint platform. The participation of civil society representatives from 116 of the 120 countries represented in the Non-Aligned Movement is an unprecedented development not only for Azerbaijan, but also on a Global South scale. While the Non-Aligned Movement has youth and parliamentary networks, it previously lacked an NGO network. The Global South NGO Platform is well suited to serve as the NGO network of the Non-Aligned Movement. The founding spirit of this platform fully aligns with the historic “Bandung Principles” adopted in Indonesia 70 years ago. These principles reject interference in the internal affairs of states, promote the creation of a peaceful and just world order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, ensure equality among peoples, and call for mobilisation to strengthen mutual interests, cooperation and economic prosperity.

Azerbaijan is a country that adheres to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, respects the political systems as well as the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of peoples, and consistently promotes interfaith, intercivilisational and intercultural dialogue.

It should also be noted that in May this year in New York, UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib issued a statement welcoming the establishment of the Global South NGO Platform in Baku. She emphasised that the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation is interested in close cooperation with the Global South NGO Platform.

The publication of information about the GSNP on UNOSSC’s official website once again demonstrates that the activities of this Platform have attracted global attention within a short period of time.