"On this Day, let us reaffirm the value of South-South cooperation. When countries, multilateral agencies and other partners work together throughout the South to pool know-how, exchange ideas and coordinate policies, they unleash a creative force that furthers our development efforts and helps us build the future we want."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the UN Day of South-South Cooperation
19 December 2011
South-South cooperation, as an important element of international cooperation for development, offers viable opportunities for
developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their individual and collective pursuit of sustained economic growth and sustainable development.
Developing countries have the primary responsibility for promoting and implementing South-South cooperation, not as a substitute for but rather as a complement to North-South cooperation, and in this context reiterating the need for the international community to support the efforts of the developing countries to expand South-South cooperation.
By resolution 58/220 of 23 December 2003, the General Assembly decided to declare 19 December, United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation. This was the date on which the General Assembly endorsed the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries 
.
The Assembly also urged all relevant United Nations organizations and multilateral institutions to intensify their efforts to effectively mainstream the use of South-South cooperation in the design, formulation and implementation of their regular programmes and to consider increasing allocations of human, technical and financial resources for supporting South-South cooperation initiatives.