The United Nations is hosting a conference in Argentina this week for developing countries. South-South Cooperation, or SSC, allows developing nations to share experiences on a range of issues, in order to improve people's lives. The meeting is taking place on the 40th anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. CGTN's Joel Richards reports from Buenos Aires.  

Leaders of developing nations are meeting in Buenos Aires this week at the United Nations South-South Cooperation Conference: their aim- to agree on a shared path for development goals.

JORGE CHEDIEK, DIRECTOR UN OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION "At the political level, our objective is to have South-South Cooperation and triangular cooperation validated as a central pillar of the global partnership we have to build to have a sustainable world."

South-South Cooperation began as a show of solidarity among developing countries primarily in the Southern Hemisphere in the 1950s, sharing development policy ideas. But for many years, participants opted for solutions and proposals from developed nations.

JORGE CHEDIEK, DIRECTOR UN OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION "This has changed significantly this century. It has changed because many countries of the south, China is a paramount example, have shown they can develop their own path for development and achieve extraordinary results."

This week the head of the Chinese delegation, Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, met with Argentine President Mauricio Macri.

The bilateral trade relationship between China and Argentina continues to expand in areas ranging from infrastructure and agriculture. Since 2008, China has financed more than 18 billion dollars in projects, just one example of South-South Cooperation.

According to the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, China is a primary investor leading by example.

JORGE CHEDIEK, DIRECTOR UN OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION "What China has done in the context of the opening up and reform process in the last 40 years is one of the most extraordinary achievements in the history of development. Taking 700 million people out of poverty, turning the economy from basic substance agrarian economy into one of the most advanced economies is an extraordinary example."

But the challenge remains how experiences of one developing nation can be translated to others.

JORGE CHEDIEK, DIRECTOR UN OFFICE FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION "China started its development reform process 40 years ago with a level of GPD capita similar to many counties in Africa today or even lower. So in a way, you can't replicate some of those factors. Then the lessons of policy that were taken from China can be applied. Also specific sectoral initiatives, technical initiatives are very valuable and highly sought after by many other developing countries. So in spite of the fact that China, because of its size and because the nature of its system is a unique country, many of the examples of China can be utilized by developing world as a whole."

For South-South Cooperation to succeed, developing countries acknowledge they need to work together, exchange technologies and find solutions to common development challenges. At the same time, the U.N. says the SSC is not a substitute but is complementary to North-South cooperation. Joel Richards, CGTN, Buenos Aires.