KIGALI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural Convention on South-South and Triangular Cooperation on Monday commenced in Rwanda, where policymakers, diplomats and development partners called for a fundamental shift in how global development partnerships are structured.
Opening the convention, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe said Rwanda, through the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), is committed to sharing lessons from its development journey with partner countries through knowledge exchange, technical assistance and capacity building.
Kigali is being positioned as a hub for South-South and triangular cooperation where countries engage as equals, Nduhungirehe said, adding that peer learning should be structured and solutions adapted rather than simply admired.
He noted that the traditional North-South model of development cooperation no longer reflects today's realities, citing the growing emergence of innovation from the Global South and pointing to examples such as Rwanda's community-based health insurance and Kenya's mobile money system.
RCI Chief Executive Officer Richard Niwenshuti said the convention builds on a long-standing vision of African self-driven development cooperation rooted in solidarity and shared learning.
"We are taking another step toward the dream that generations before us imagined, a world where countries of the global South are not merely participants in the development, but architects," he said.
Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, resident representative of the United Nations Development Program in Rwanda, highlighted initiatives such as YouthConnekt Africa and community health worker models, while stressing the need to invest in youth, women and communities.
Sesay pointed to Rwanda's digital public services and drone-based medical deliveries as examples of improving access to essential services, noting that innovations should be shared and scaled across countries.
The convention, which runs through Tuesday, focuses on strengthening collaboration, financing for development, climate resilience, gender equality and digital transformation across the Global South. ■