Introduction
 

South-South Cooperation (SSC) is a framework in which developing countries and their people unite as one and conduct extensive cooperation in politics, economy, society, culture, ecological environment and science and technology. These countries share knowledge, skills, expertise and resources and join hands to achieve development goals and enhance people’s well-being. The advancement of SSC is conducive to achieving international development goals including The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and an important promoter of human rights development in these countries as well.

 

In 1978, UN General Assembly adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (resolution 33/134), which set the basic goals of SSC. As the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Plan of Action approaches, it is of great significance to explore new opportunities for South-South human rights development from the perspective of building a community of common destiny.

 

SSC can be conducted at bilateral, regional, intra-regional and inter-regional levels, with two or more developing countries involved. After the Bandung Conference in the 1950s, many multilateral cooperation mechanisms for SSC came into existence, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77, Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the BRICS Summit. As a member of developing countries and also the largest developing country, China has always been a promoter and builder of SSC. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in recent years is undoubtedly a new impetus and highlight of SSC. The initiative also provides a new opportunity for building SSC mechanism. Cooperation and exchanges in disability affairs under the Belt and Road will become a new platform and new practice for human rights development in the context of SSC.

In September, 2017, the first Belt and Road High-level Event on Disability Cooperation was held in Beijing, China. The reason for organizing this event is that we have seen the historical opportunities brought by inclusive development advocated by Belt and Road Initiative on strengthening international cooperation in disability affairs and enhancing the well-being of disabled people in countries along the Belt and Road. As people have witnessed, Belt and Road is carving out a path of development featuring sharing, co-construction and win-win cooperation. Strengthening pragmatic cooperation in the social security, medical rehabilitation, assistive devices, public education, culture and sports of the disabled in countries along the Belt and Road enables this initiative to benefit a vast number of people with disabilities and writes a new chapter in humanistic exchanges and mutual trust.