BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 15. The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) has put out the word on its official website regarding the Global South NGO Platform (GSNP), which was born in Baku when NGOs from 116 countries came together in April 2025, showcasing a fresh approach to collaboration, Trend reports.
UNOSSC has described the GSNP as one of the most inclusive civil society mobilizations in recent years.
This marks the first time that the UN Office for South-South Cooperation has highlighted a global initiative led by Azerbaijani NGOs on its official profile.
To note, the Global South, covering Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Australia and home to 80% of the world’s population, has often been excluded from international decision-making and deprived of agency at critical moments. Against the backdrop of ongoing disintegration processes, the creation of cooperation formats based on mutual trust, benefit, equality, consultation, and respect for cultural diversity has never been more relevant. Established at a time when a new world order is emerging and dividing lines are being redrawn, the Global South NGO Platform is a significant manifestation of the need to unite against global isolation.
Until now, there had been no unified network bringing together NGOs across the Non-Aligned Movement region. For the first time, an initiative put forward by Azerbaijani civil society has gained international support from a vast region comprising 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 of the Non-Aligned Movement in this format is an unprecedented event not only for Azerbaijan but also for the Global South as a whole. While the Non-Aligned Movement has youth and parliamentary networks, it previously lacked an NGO network. The Global South NGO Platform is well positioned to serve as the NGO network of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The founding spirit of the Platform fully aligns with the historic “Bandung Principles” adopted in Indonesia 70 years ago. These principles reject interference in the internal affairs of states and promote the creation of a peaceful and just world order, respect for countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality of peoples, and mobilization to strengthen mutual interests, cooperation, and economic prosperity. Azerbaijan adheres to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, respects the political systems and cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity of peoples, and consistently promotes interfaith, intercivilizational, and intercultural dialogue.
In May this year in New York, UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib welcomed the establishment of the Global South NGO Platform in Baku, stating that the office is interested in close cooperation with the GSNP.
UNOSSC’s publication of information about the GSNP on its official website once again demonstrates that the platform’s activities have attracted global attention in a short period of time.
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