The Digital and Institutional Evolution of South-South Cooperation

The Evolution of Morocco's South-South Strategy

Morocco has established South-South cooperation as a core element of its foreign policy, even enshrining it in the preamble of its national constitution. This commitment is steered by the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, which was established in 1986 to coordinate international efforts alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates. The country's approach has shifted from historical joint commissions set up in the 1970s to modern strategic alliances. For instance, following a proposal for membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council in winter 2011, Morocco entered a five-year strategic partnership with the council from 2012 to 2017. This agreement, signed in Manama on November 7, 2012, after King Mohammed VI toured Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar in October 2012, secured nearly five billion dollars in funding for agricultural and infrastructure initiatives.

King Mohammed VI articulated this philosophy during the 2016 Crans-Montana Forum, stating that Morocco pursues measurable outcomes for the well-being of Southern populations. Later that year, during the 63rd anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, the King emphasized that Morocco views the continent not as a market for quick profits, but as a forum for joint action and human development.

Global Frameworks and the Drive for Digital Transformation

On a global level, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation plays a central role in guiding collaborative development, utilizing principles of national sovereignty and non-conditionality. At the 22nd Session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, scheduled for May 28, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters, policymakers will address critical gaps in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Currently, only 17 percent of Sustainable Development Goals targets are on track due to structural barriers, climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and mounting debt. To accelerate these targets, the committee is highlighting the role of science, technology, and innovation, alongside artificial intelligence, as key drivers for inclusive economic transformation.

However, significant hurdles persist, as over 2.6 billion people, primarily women, remain offline, highlighting a stark digital divide that hinders the equitable adoption of technology across the Global South. To better understand these challenges, analytical initiatives like the July 2021 feasibility study by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation have worked on designing surveys to map the institutional architecture of these cooperative networks.

Knowledge Hubs and the New South Narrative

Complementing these governmental and multilateral actions are independent intellectual institutions that foster regional expertise. The Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan think tank, actively works to improve social and economic public policies across Africa and the wider Global South. By hosting major annual forums such as the Atlantic Dialogues, the African Peace and Security Annual Conference, and the Africa Economic Symposium, the think tank aims to cultivate local solutions for global challenges. Through its Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program, which now connects more than 490 young decision-makers across government, civil society, and business, the center is building a network of future leaders dedicated to rewriting the geopolitical narrative of the Mediterranean and South Atlantic basins.

As developing nations attempt to salvage the remaining targets of the 2030 Agenda, the transition of South-South cooperation from traditional infrastructure funding to high-tech digital and artificial intelligence initiatives will test whether regional alliances can successfully bridge the massive digital divide currently leaving billions offline.