South-South Cooperation a Key to SDGs Success, Says G77

By an IPS Correspondent Reprint | | Print |

H.E. Komate Kamalanavin, Amb of the Kingdom of Thailand to UAE, on behalf of G77 and China, receives award from #UAE & Zayed F @ #GSSD2016

DUBAI, Nov 4 2016 - The Global South-South Development Expo 2016 (GSSD), which took place in Dubai, was one of the major international events showcasing some of the achievements and best practices of both South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

The solutions, presented within the framework of the overarching theme of the Expo, covered several areas, including the environment, development, youth employment, health, trade, investment, labour and agriculture, as well as fiscal and economic policies.

The ultimate goal of the four-day Expo 2016, which concluded November 3, was to help shape the UN’s post 2015 development agenda, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring universal education and health care, a cleaner global environment, gender empowerment and the elimination of economic inequalities, among several others.

Speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, Ambassador Komate Kamalanavin of Thailand, said the GSSD Expo comes at a crucial point in time as “we embark on our collective journey towards a sustainable future” following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as other development-related global frameworks during the course of 2015, namely the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the recently adopted New Urban Agenda.

“It is critical that we increase our efforts to maximize the potentials of South-South and Triangular Cooperation towards this regard so that no one and no developing country will be left behind at the end of our journey,” he declared.

He pointed out that the Group of 77 and China are of the view that “in our collective efforts to implement and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as other commitments, the growing importance of South-South and Triangular Cooperation must be recognised but at the same time must not be overemphasized considering its role as a complement to and not a substitute of North-South Cooperation.”

“And through South-South Cooperation, we, the developing countries, can manifest our solidarity among one another,” he added

As a platform for systematic showcasing of development solutions, this GSSD Expo under the theme “Enhancing Innovation towards Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” has proven to be able immensely contribute to the networking among developing countries for address common development challenges by bringing together result-based solutions and evidence-based initiatives along with various stakeholders during the course of the past four days, the ambassador said.

“Discussions during the course of this Expo had revolved around how we could enhance and implement effective capacity-building initiatives in developing countries to support national development objectives geared towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda as well as how to facilitate the application of science, technology and innovation to development through enhanced South-South knowledge sharing in these areas”, he noted.

“Following this Expo, we should be strengthening our focus on how all of us can take those discussions forward and bring action, cooperation and collaboration with meaningful results,” he said.

One example of such cooperation, he pointed out, was demonstrated during the course of Thailand’s chairmanship of the Group of 77 this year in sharing with member countries of the Group the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, guided by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as one of the homegrown approaches that can contribute to the implementation and achievement of the 2030 Agenda with a balance between the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

“Thailand stands ready in providing technical cooperation on the application of the Philosophy through South-South and triangular cooperation framework,” he said.

Ambassador Komate said another key milestone in the evolution of South-South Cooperation will be reached in 2018 when developing countries will yet once again celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries, the very basis of the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation which defined the underlying principles of South-South Cooperation.

He said the 38-year of work on South-South Cooperation has laid a strong basis for the Group of 77 “to leap forward.”

“In this regard, we look forward to engaging constructively in this upcoming event to bring about fruitful outcome that will concretize and strengthen the solidarity among developing countries,” he added.

Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, said 38 years ago, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Member States entrusted the United Nations to support technical cooperation among developing countries though BAPA – the Buenos Aires Plan of Action.

This year, Member States called for the commemoration of BAPA+40 in 2018, where we will focus South-South efforts toward achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“This Expo is a collective response to Member States demand for all partners to engage in and support South-South and Triangular Cooperation towards achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the SDGs.”

“Since we launched the Expo in 2008 together with UNDP at UN headquarters in New York, the Expo has grown to become a global and United Nations system-wide platform. For this, we are indebted to the World Bank, ILO, FAO, UNIDO, UNEP, and OAS for hosting annual Expos drawing attention to South-South successes within their respective focus areas.”

The GSSD Expo has proved effective in bringing together development partners to establish inclusive and innovative partnerships—South-South, North-South, triangular and public-private partnerships, he noted.

“This year, for the first time the Expo is being hosted by a country of the South,” he declared.

He said South-South cooperation has gained a new centrality with respect to the 2030 Agenda. “We have a new global commitment that requires a broad global partnership to achieve.”

The event, organized by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, was hosted by the Zayed International Foundation for the Environment on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in his report on South-South cooperation, has called on the international development community, including the United Nations system, to help to scale up the impact of South-South cooperation by: (a) optimizing the use of South-South approaches in achieving the internationally agreed development goals; (b) intensifying multilateral support for South-South initiatives to address common development challenges; (c) fostering inclusive partnerships for South-South cooperation, including triangular and public-private partnerships; (d) enhancing the coherence of United Nations system support for South-South cooperation; and (e) continuing to develop innovative mechanisms to mobilize resources for South-South and triangular initiatives.