Baku: The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) has recently highlighted the Global South NGO Platform (GSNP) on its official website, recognizing it as an exemplary model of new cooperation.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, this initiative, founded in Baku in April 2025 by NGOs from 116 countries, has been assessed by UNOSSC as one of the most inclusive civil society mobilizations in recent years.

This marks the first instance where the UN Office for South-South Cooperation has evaluated and disseminated a global initiative spearheaded by Azerbaijani NGOs. The Global South, which includes regions such as Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Australia, is home to 80% of the world’s population but often finds itself marginalized in global decision-making processes. The establishment of cooperation formats based on mutual trust, benefit, equality, consultation, and respect for cultural diversity is increasingly relevant, especially amidst current global disintegration processes. The Global South NGO Platform emerges as a crucial initiative, symbolizing the need for unity against global isolation.

Historically, there has been no single network uniting NGOs within the Non-Aligned Movement region. This initiative by Azerbaijani civil society has garnered international support from a region encompassing two-thirds of the world’s countries, with NGOs from 116 countries coming together in Baku to form a joint platform. This unprecedented inclusion of civil society representatives from 116 out of 120 countries in the Non-Aligned Movement is significant, not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire Global South. While the Non-Aligned Movement had existing youth and parliamentary networks, it lacked an NGO network, which the Global South NGO Platform now fulfills. The platform’s creation aligns with the historical “Bandung Principles,” promoting a peaceful, just world order, respect for sovereignty, and mobilization for mutual interest and cooperation.

Azerbaijan’s commitment to non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, as well as its respect for various political systems, cultural, ethnic, and religious differences, underscores its support for interreligious, intercivilizational, and intercultural dialogue.

In May, Dima Al-Khatib, Director of UNOSSC, expressed support for the Global South NGO Platform, emphasizing the UN’s interest in collaborating closely with the initiative. The information shared by UNOSSC on its official website further underscores the global recognition and attention the platform has garnered in a short period.