South–South security cooperation and the (re)making of global security governance

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Abstract This article introduces the Special Issue ‘South–South Security Cooperation and the (Re)making of Global Security Governance’. The contributions explore security-driven South–South interactions across the globe, assessing empirical, theoretical, and normative aspects. Our aim is to decentre debates on global security governance, traditionally focused on Northern-led cooperation, and to move beyond simplistic and simplifying assessments of South–South engagements. The Special Issue particularly highlights the ambiguities of South–South security cooperation, including varying degrees of global North involvement and differing interpretations of ‘security’ and ‘South–South’ among the involved actors. The contributions examine the practical outlook, normative consequences, and embeddedness of these cooperations within global hierarchies, and their implications for global security governance. This article sets the stage for this endeavor. Unpacking the categories ‘South’, ‘security’, and ‘cooperation’, we first provide a working definition of South–South security cooperation. Next, we offer a historical perspective, emphasising the role of legacy effects, institutional structures, geopolitical junctures, and international hierarchies in shaping South–South security cooperation. The concluding section presents the contributions to the special issue and discusses the implications of South–South security cooperation for understanding contemporary changes in global security governance.