Publications

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Launched in 2008, the Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo is a global event organized by UNOSSC, in collaboration with Member States, United Nations agencies, private sector enterprises, civil society organizations and academic institutions. It is the only worldwide multi-stakeholder platform offered by the United Nations for systematic showcasing of development solutions at national, regional and global levels – as a direct response to the expressed interest and needs of stakeholders from the global South. It enables all development actors and stakeholders to showcase and scale up southern development solutions, celebrate South-South and triangular cooperation successes, share knowledge and lessons learned, and explore new avenues for collaboration, while contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This document summarises the findings of the first phase of this project to promote an innovative EU-Latin America Triangular Cooperation concept and model, which effectively helps move towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in a globalised world which, faced with homogeneous views and formulas, requires diverse responses and a high capacity for horizontal political dialogue able to find consensus based on often divergent options. The objective of the EU-SEGIB project is to help build a technical-political consensus around an innovative definition of Triangular Cooperation, measurable and acceptable to all the actors involved, which can be used as an instrument to strengthen the EU-LAC bi-regional relationship and that offers practical TC management tools.

The rapidly changing circumstances and practices of international cooperation are currently facing further challenges against the backdrop of the impact caused by the covid-19 pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine. Interconnected global crises require a rethinking of partnerships and innovative solutions. Inclusive and comprehensive learning processes need to be promoted through an intensive exchange of experiences and dialogue between various perspectives using different tools. As an integral part of the development architecture, triangular cooperation (trc) is a flexible tool for creating and scaling up international partnerships by fostering dialogues between multiple actors from several sectors and regions in the world. trc brings together North-South and South-South cooperation and fills the gap between Official Development Assistance (oda) and South-South Cooperation (ssc). By working together to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals (sdgs), strengthening partnerships in the sense of sdg 17, and addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges inclusively, trc is a powerful and effective tool contributing to the 2030 Agenda.

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South-South and triangular cooperation is at the heart of SDG4 implementation on Quality Education. As demonstrated in the last few years, this kind of cooperation can mobilize action, ambition, solidarity and solutions to transform education in a rapidly changing world. From the inclusive approach to digital learning in Lao People’s Democratic Republic to distance learning and teacher training strategies in Caribbean SIDS, South-South cooperation is a key modality of collaboration for transforming education and supporting internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda.

Countries of the South, with the support of partners, must enhance South-South and triangular cooperation to exchange resources, technology, skills and knowledge to realize the promise of making inclusive, quality education available to all. This publication presents forty innovative solutions from around the world which showcase how South-South and triangular cooperation can support the development of more efficient, equitable and resilient education systems that are adapted to the challenges of the 21st century.

Publication only available in Spanish

Complex, intractable, and persistent development challenges worldwide disproportionately affect the lives of millions in the South. It has become increasingly evident that despite political will and national ownership, developing countries can not tackle these challenges independently. Among other factors, they require resources and know-how provided through revamped knowledge-partnerships that transcend boundaries.

The COVID-19 pandemic response demonstrated how countries, through international solidarity and coordinated action, can generate transformative change at a scale and speed previously unimaginable. It also highlighted the necessity for context-specific development approaches and broader partnerships to assist governments and national institutions in finding the best-fitting solutions for their local needs.

In this context, triangular cooperation is gaining recognition as an essential modality in the evolving development cooperation architecture, complementing South-South cooperation.

As articulated in the Outcome Document of the second High-Level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation in 2019 (BAPA+40), triangular cooperation “provides added value by leveraging and mobilizing additional technical and financial resources, sharing a broader range of experiences, promoting new areas of cooperation, and combining affordable and context-based development solutions under flexible arrangements and agreed shared modalities.” The document also urged Member States to “increase the use” of this modality under the leadership of the beneficiary country. However, due to the diversity of approaches, interpretations, policy frameworks, as well as institutional and part- nership arrangements, the BAPA+40 Outcome Document acknowledged “the need to better understand triangular cooperation and provide more evidence and rigorous information on its scale, scope, and impact.”

The European Union (EU) is a leading facilitating partner for triangular cooperation (TrC). The first technical cooperation initiatives that resemble triangular co-operation models and tactics date back to the late 1990s. The EU has reported its TrC initiatives to the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 2017 (2016 data). The EU institutions disbursed the largest volume of TrC funding between 2016-2020, amounting to USD 131 million, followed by Germany and Canada (OECD, 2022).

The world is marked by multiple crises and challenges that transcend borders and require not only local but global solutions. Only by working together and bridging divides and differences can countries address these challenges and drive a sustainable development future for all. This report by the OECD and the Islamic Development Bank demonstrates triangular co-operation’s relevance for delivering progress on sustainable development. In particular, it stresses its innovative approach to diplomacy, and its ability to bring together different stakeholders from across the global south and north in trusting partnerships that leverage the expertise, knowledge and resources of all partners. The report also examines the current global trends in the use of triangular co-operation, explores how to strengthen national ecosystems to support its effective delivery, and highlights how triangular co-operation can contribute to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, with a specific focus on small island developing states.

During the occasion of the 21st session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly, the UNIDO delegation presented it's newly published 11 impact stories about South-South and Triangular Industrial Cooperation (SSTIC) to the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). The publications highlight just some of the 145 current UNIDO projects embracing the SSTIC approach.

These stories shed light on specific UNIDO initiatives, illustrating the effective implementation of SSTIC at the heart of their design. In doing so, they provide incentives to Member States and other stakeholders to replicate successful initiatives.

South-South and triangular industrial cooperation (SSTIC) is a process whereby two or more developing countries pursue their individual and/or shared national capacity development objectives through exchanges of knowledge, skills, resources and technical know-how, and through regional and interregional collective action.

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South-South and triangular cooperation are a valuable catalyst in galvanizing political will and in enhancing knowhow to implement the much needed economic and social reforms to rescue the SDGs. Recognizing this, countries are increasingly integrating South-South and triangular cooperation in the preparation and presentation of their voluntary national reviews (VNRs).

The integration of South-South and triangular cooperation perspectives in the VNRs helps in tracking progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda more comprehensively and inclusively, and generating valuable evidence of South- South and triangular cooperation contributions toward achieving the SDGs.

The Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of VNRs and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) are committed to supporting developing countries in integrating South-South and triangular cooperation perspectives into the preparation and presentation of their VNRs. With this handbook, the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of VNRs and UNOSSC are jointly responding to the 2022 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Ministerial Declaration and the latest intergovernmental resolutions on South-South cooperation. The handbook provides step-by- step guidance, drawing from good practices, and examples, on integrating South-South and triangular cooperation in the preparation and presentation of VNRs. It was developed in close collaboration with Member States, UN Entities and relevant stakeholders. The handbook also complements the existing proposal of the Secretary-General for voluntary common reporting guidelines for VNRs at the High-Level Political Forum, the UN DESA Handbook for the Preparation of VNRs, and other VNR resource packages.

The year 2022 marks the fifth anniversary of the India-UN Partnership Development Fund, a landmark moment to reflect on how the vision for South-South collaboration ingrained in the ambition and design of the Fund gained reach across the Global South and became transformational for partnering countries and communities.

The Fund not only made progress in achieving its bold agenda, meaningfully contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by and in support of developing countries, but it also rose to the occasion in the face of new and intensifying challenges: a pandemic lasting over two years; the enormous socioeconomic aftermath of lockdowns and supply-chain disruptions; a rapidly worsening climate crisis; and increased frequency of extreme weather events resulting in much devastation.

Publication only available in Spanish.

This paper offers a comparative analysis of Brazilian and Chinese partnerships with the United Nations (UN) as a mechanism and channel for policy transfer. In international policy travel flows, China and Brazil currently hold privileged places as hubs from which development-related policies travel and through which they circulate. Both countries have invested in systematising their development experience and transferring development policies within their regions and beyond – often through triangular cooperation, i.e. South–South cooperation supported by third actors such as UN entities. So far, however, this variegated engagement has remained under the radar of scholarly attention. To address this gap, we examine 35 policy transfer partnerships – 17 for Brazil and 18 for China – forged with different parts of the UN system over the last two decades. In order to offer a first systematic account of partnership trajectories, we provide an overview of partnership types (namely projects, programmes and policy centres) and transfer dimensions (including the policies themselves, transfer agents and governance arrangements).

Publication only available in Spanish.

Publication only available in Spanish.

Brazil has a long history of public policies to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty, promote research and innovation in agriculture and strengthen the institutional framework for rural and urban development. The Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Programme has been one of the most successful initiatives in this regard, allowing the exchange of experiences, the improvement of public policies, and technical and financial support to promote sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The BAPA+40 Outcome Document was a milestone for triangular co-operation (TrC). The GPI has identified 53 recommendations related to the modality. Among those, four dimensions stand out: (i) triangular co-operation system, (ii) working methods and cross-cutting issues, (iii) partnerships, and (iv) sectoral focus.
The GPI Spotlight series are short, and informative, publications. It is an analytical exercise to identify how its members are using triangular co-operation to implement the BAPA+40 recommendations.

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From Germany's point of view, it is vital that each partner make substantial contributions to the thematic aspects of the cooperation effort and that the facilitating role not be limited to the mere financing of South-South cooperation. Germany views its role in triangular cooperation as that of a learning partner, too, and wants to further strengthen that aspect in the future. There are several federal government ministries in Germany that want to benefit from exchange and mutual learning in this field.

Unprecedented challenges have arisen in the first years of the Decade of Action for the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030: the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crises and war in the Ukraine are among other hardships threatening progress. In these crucial times, South-South and triangular cooperation can be fundamental for ensuring we continue to move ahead in recovering losses and furthering the global commitment of leaving no one behind.

At the core of South-South and triangular cooperation is the understanding that exchanging knowledge, skills, experiences and lessons learned between and among countries of the global South serves as a powerful catalyst for development. These exchanges complement and may even improve traditional North-South cooperation and are a fundamental tool for inclusive global partnerships towards sustainable development.

Fulfilling its mandate and the commitments expressed in the BAPA+40 Outcome Document, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation works to record, systematize and facilitate access to development knowledge from and for the global South. The Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development publication series is the culmination of that mission and documents the incredible work that is currently happening in the global South.

ADELANTE's good practice is described in page 270.

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Publication only available in Spanish.

Rapporteur's report of the first Momento ADELANTE, led together with the Ibero-American General Secretariat - SEGIB.

Triangular co-operation is on the rise in Africa. At the time of finalising this paper (February 2022), one third of the 921 triangular co-operation projects in the OECD online triangular co-operation project repository involve countries on the African continent, in comparison to 21% in 2016 (OECD, 2017[1]). African countries participate widely in triangular partnerships with the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Americas – both as beneficiaries and pivotal partners sharing their experiences and innovations. These partnerships are unique because they enable intra-Africa exchanges, as more countries are building ecosystems to engage in South-South and triangular co-operation.

With their shared mandate of ensuring food security for all people, the United Nations Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) – have joined forces to support one of the most impactful evidence-based interventions to positively transform global food systems: national Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programmes.

In line with the UN Food Systems Summit outcome and the Global School Meals Coalition, the RBAs will work together to strengthen country capacities to design and implement national HGSF programmes by facilitating South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC). These efforts build on a long-standing collaboration in SSTC between the RBAs which was consolidated in the Joint RBA Roadmap Towards BAPA+40. By leveraging each agency’s comparative advantage, RBA-facilitated SSTC can play a pivotal role in enabling countries of the Global South to share their knowledge and experience to strengthen national food systems to reach the most vulnerable individuals and groups.

The 2021–2022 Overview of WFP’s initiatives on South-South Cooperation presents an outline of WFP’s work as a broker and facilitator of knowledge exchanges.

WFP’s flagship publication in SSTC presents a glimpse of WFP’s global work as a South-South broker to support countries in the achievement of SDG 2 on Zero Hunger.

Across the countries where WFP operates, 345 million people are currently estimated to be acutely food insecure or at high risk given this unprecedented global food crisis. SSTC is one of the key avenues to bring more partners from the Global South on board to support the leap forward toward the achievement of the ambitious goals set in the 2030 Agenda.

In response to rising country demands, WFP has been stepping up its efforts to support countries tap into SSTC in 2021 and 2022, as consolidated in the overview. In 2021, WFP has been recognized among the United Nations entities that have made the most progress towards mainstreaming SSTC, reaching 1.11 million people and mobilizing US$2.7 million for SSTC field projects.

Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages (SDG 3) is not only a fundamental right and a crucial development goal, but it is also front and centre of the global COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve sustainable development, ensuring health is critical, with the understanding that most of the SDGs either directly relate to health, or health indirectly contributes to their advancement. Given the current situation, reaching universal health coverage continues to be a fundamental objective for all Member States so that no one is indeed left behind on the journey towards achieving Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. We, in UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOSSC and PAHO/WHO, acknowledge the unique value and comparative advantages of South-South and triangular cooperation in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in contributing to building forward better. In view of this, documenting and sharing good practices in South-South and triangular cooperation for SDG 3 is of paramount importance. South-South and triangular cooperation strengthens ownership and ingenuity by Southern countries and creates mechanisms for sustainable horizontal partnerships. This publication seeks to highlight success stories and solutions from the global South and how, through South-South and triangular cooperation, these initiatives were shared and scaled-up, or demonstrated readiness for adaptation and replication.

This publication on “Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation in LDCs: From the Istanbul Programme of Action to Achieving Sustainable and Resilient Development” is a prime reflection of effective South-South and triangular collaboration practices that have bred innovative development solutions. It emphasizes the importance of mobilizing all types of partnerships, and resources, to support least developed countries (LDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS) in overcoming shared challenges towards a greener, more inclusive, and more sustainable future.

This Report is authored by Dr. Hany Besada, Senior Research and Programme Advisor & Senior Research Coordinator, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC); Dr. Xiaolin Wang, Professor and Deputy Dean, Institute for Six-Sector Economy, Fudan University and Dr. Qianqian Liu, Deputy Director General, Finance Centre for South-South Cooperation.

On 19 March 2019, the South-South Cooperation in the Digital World Conference was held in Argentina alongside the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation and the 40th Anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA+40). The 2018 South-South Cooperation report South-South Cooperation in a Digital World, jointly prepared by the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation (FCSSC) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), was released at the conference. Thereafter, numerous partners initiated various initiatives to help advance this agenda. Therefore, FCSSC and UNOSSC continued to focus on the topic, and to dig even deeper, and chose South- South and Triangular Cooperation in a Digital World: New Impetus and New Approaches as the theme for our 2020/2021 report.

South-South cooperation – usually understood as referring to collaboration among developing countries – has become an increasingly visible part of international development processes. Together with the expansion of Triangular Cooperation – that is, South-South efforts supported by a traditional donor or a multilateral organisation – the growing clout of South-South schemes reflects shifts in the global distribution of power and wealth. Against this backdrop, United Nations (UN) entities have repeatedly been asked to mainstream their support for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), but there is hardly any systematic comparative evidence on whether and how they have done so, and what the broader SSTC support landscape looks like across the UN. 

The challenges posed by COVID-19 are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. In 2020, the global community suffered a severe setback in the progress made towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Millions of people lost their incomes, and the SDGs financing gap, already significant before the pandemic, may increase by 70%. The challenges related to COVID-19 are numerous, the resources available to both developed and developing countries are stressed, and financing for sustainable development is on edge. 

Several countries, especially emerging economies and developing countries, share similar socio-economic conditions and face the same type of challenges related to sustainable socioeconomic development. Different countries often face common hazards and similar vulnerabilities. The diversity of development experiences and initiatives allows us to draw lessons, identify successful practices and assess their potential for replication. South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) is a partnership between equals that involves a process of learning or sharing knowledge from effective development initiatives that have been implemented in countries of the Global South. As reflected in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, SSTC has become a key modality of international development cooperation and an essential instrument for the United Nations Development System. SSTC, by promoting networking, the exchange of successful experiences and technical knowledge among countries, plays a crucial role in achieving the mission of the ILO: decent work for all! 

The development cooperation system is currently under pressure to change and demonstrate its usefulness for addressing more complex development challenges. Triangular Cooperation constitutes a modality of cooperation that can contribute to this change, opening space to more inclusive formulas of partnership. However, such results are neither guaranteed nor automatic, as TC can also contribute to reinforcing vertical relationships that characterize traditional aid. It is therefore important to identify the factors that contribute to tipping this balance in one direction or another. This article aims to investigate these aspects, offering an analytical framework by which to identify the main elements that contribute to giving TC its transformative role. The analysis suggests that this result depends on the relationships established among the actors involved, which are conditioned not only by structural factors associated with the countries’ diverse conditions (economic, technological, geostrategic position) but also by other ideational and strategic factors.

Rapporteur's report of the first Momento ADELANTE, led together with the Regional Fund for Triangular Cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean Partners of the German Cooperation Agency - GIZ.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, an integrated and coordinated international response has increasingly gained its necessity in confronting this crisis at country, regional and global levels, as well as in overcoming the challenges facing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2021 UN World Economic Situation and Prospects report underscored that sustained recovery from the pandemic will depend not only on the size of the stimulus measures, and the quick roll-out of vaccines, but also on the quality of these measures to build resilience against future shocks. Appropriate policy and institutional reforms, including human resources capacities, will undoubtedly accelerate the mobilisation of resources and encourage international and regional partners to finance development efforts.

Publication only available in Spanish.

The ideal of cooperation among developing countries was born in the 1950s as an attempt to establish new patterns of collaboration which addressed the limitations of a world order influenced by imperialism and colonialism, and caught up on the dynamic of the Cold War. However, some developing countries like, India and China had initiated their efforts in development cooperation well before, in the late 1940s, through provision of opportunities in training and knowledge sharing. The 1955 Afro-Asian Bandung Conference became a landmark event, in which major developing countries committed to the principles of the charter of the United Nations, and called for an international order in which the interests and rights of developing countries were to be fully considered.

Publication only available in Spanish.

The WFP policy on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) issued in 2015, has been evaluated in the sixth year of implementation, in line with the WFP Evaluation Policy 2016-2021.

The evaluation assessed the relevance, effectiveness, coherence and sustainability of the Policy and its implementation from 2015 to 2020. The WFP Strategic Plan (2014-2017) highlighted the role of SSTC as a tool to strengthen local capacity especially in relation to social safety nets and school feeding.  The Policy provides a brief overview of SSTC in the WFP programme of work at the time of policy development and describes several examples of WFP-supported South-South cooperation, including the work of the Centre of Excellence in Brazil.

The evaluation findings are largely positive with regard to the quality of the SSTC policy, the results of its implementation and WFP's management of internal and external factors influencing support for SSTC during the review period of 2015‒2020.

This publication attests to the innovative ways different models of international cooperation can support SIDS to overcome shared challenges and accelerate progress towards sustainable development, including recovery from COVID-19. This publication showcases some effective South-South and triangular practices and innovative development solutions, in areas such as climate change, sustainable energy, sustainable transport and disaster risk reduction. Although at their innovative stages, many of these emerging practices will benefit from continued practice and adoption, as they are scaled-up in different island countries. But it is the ability to create these home-grown and South-South solutions that must be protected and encouraged. The extent to which these efforts catalyse transformational change will depend in part on how enabling the environment is at the local, regional, and global levels.

This assessment framework document was developed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) based on its concept on National Ecosystems for South-South and Triangular Cooperation. The document was authored by Riad Ragueb, Ahmed Faruk Diken, Abdelhakim Yessouf, Abdul Majid Khan, Aminuddin Matt Ariff, Faquaruddin Mehmood, Moncef Soudani, and Sameh Hussein of the Reverse Linkage Section of the Islamic Development Bank.

This publication was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and partners from Member States, UN entities, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and other development partners. It contains 195 good practices in South-South and triangular cooperation grouped according to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ADELANTE's good practices are described in pages 337 and 339.

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Multipolarity is casting doubt on the notion of responsibility, and diffused reciprocity of the multilateral system of international development cooperation is falling short. In midst of this crisis, what are possible mechanisms to foster the implementation of the 2030 Agenda? I argue that Triangular Cooperation, through specific reciprocity, presents opportunity for nurturing partnerships and enhancing models to share responsibilities toward international development cooperation. Looking into recent trends of TrC, I argue that through this modality, DAC countries push for greater involvement of the South, and Southern providers share responsibility towards international development.

In development cooperation, trilateral cooperation (TrC) is increasingly seen as having potential not only to achieve impacts in the beneficiary countries, but also to contribute to improved cooperation relationships and partnerships on the strategic level – especially between DAC donors and emerging countries. This evaluation of TrC in German development cooperation examines the extent to which the objectives and expectations of the stakeholders are being achieved. Alongside an analysis of the German TrC portfolio and the relevant literature, extensive case studies in Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa serve as the data base.

Publication only available in Spanish.

Publication only available in Spanish.

Publication only available in Spanish

SYSTEMATISATION OF THE ADELANTE PROGRAMME • 2016-2020 The purpose of this document is to compile and analyse the lessons learned from ADELANTE, the European Union’s flagship programme for Triangular Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean. The experiences gathered in it are the result of the implementation of eight projects co-financed by the programme during the period 2016 to 2020. These projects have been characterised by addressing different thematic areas, taking place in several countries and with a wide variety of actors, building on different forms of collaboration among one another and with different action strategies. However, ADELANTE has touched on many other important areas of work these past four years: the added value of Triangular Cooperation as a development modality, the contribution to the 2030 Agenda, knowledge management, strategic relationships and an active role in Triangular Cooperation, communication and visibility.

This paper is the result of a joint pilot exercise of the “Toolkit for identifying, monitoring and evaluating the value added of triangular co-operation” among the EU-LAC Facility for Triangular Co-operation (ADELANTE) and the OECD. The eight projects of the ADELANTE Facility worked with the questionnaire of the evaluation tool to assess the value added of working in a trilateral partnership. The EU team and the projects agreed that the six areas identified as potential value added of triangular co-operation are valid for ADELANTE. The joint pilot exercise was insightful and inspiring for all of the partners involved as an instrument for mutual learning. The recommendations arising from this joint exercise will contribute to the design of future EU triangular co-operation initiatives, aiming to make good use of the value added of the modality and addressing the challenges in a constructive, forward-looking way.

Publication only available en Spanish

New forms of co-operation are emerging as the global community works towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this context, triangular co-operation is increasing as governments and non-state actors pursue North-South-South partnerships to realize sustainable development outcomes. While triangular co-operation was traditionally the remit of governments, recent efforts have opened space for a more contemporary understanding that includes all development actors, such as civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector and regional organizations. In this context, government and non-state actors work as facilitators of North-South-South co-operation, where pivotal partners provide technical expertise and capacity in delivering on sustainable development outcomes in beneficiary countries.

More than 1,000 initiatives stand out, in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, dedicated to capacity strengthening in key areas to face the crisis, such as health, emergency management, support for vulnerable populations, ICTs, entrepreneurship, among others.

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For developing countries to realize the full potential of SouthSouth and Triangular Cooperation (SSTrC) for achieving their national sustainable development objectives, it is important to formulate national SSTrC strategies as part of their national SSTrC ecosystems. Such national strategies would serve as guidance for a country’s SSTrC activities, initiatives and institutional framework, both as provider and beneficiary of SSTrC. This policy brief highlights the importance of developing national SSTrC strategies for achieving national development objectives and lays out the main elements that can be taken into consideration by developing countries for designing their national SSTrC strategies. While many developing countries do not have an explicit SSTrC strategy in place yet, the state of play shows that its elements can be found in various policies, institutional guidance and national development strategies. The absence of a holistic approach and a nationally acknowledged strategy carries the risk of fragmentation and incoherence in undertaking SSTrC activities. The potential of national SSTrC strategies for enabling effective responses to crises (such as COVID-19) is also explored.

Cooperation beyond ODA overcomes traditional role concepts in development politics. The conventional ascriptions of the North providing and the South re-ceiving assistance are being contested and increasingly replaced by new modalities that enable countries to engage with each other on a more equal footing. The Second UN High-level Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40), held in March 2019 in Buenos Aires, empowered the Global South and consolidated South-South cooperation as a key element of the 2030 Agenda. At the same time, Triangular Cooperation between northern and southern countries is gaining momentum and starting to trigger ministries and implementing agencies to rethink the role of former donors in a setting beyond ODA. With our discussants we debate the current prospects and challenges for South-South and triangular cooperation and set them in relation to ODA graduation. Are these modes suitable alternatives for graduating countries, especially regarding their demand for technical cooperation and knowledge ex-change? How can South-South and triangular cooperation be further promoted, more recognised and improved?

The Outcome Document of the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation reaffirmed the key role of United Nations system entities in leveraging South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, such cooperation is playing a vital role in the global response and recovery. This first United Nations System-wide Strategy on South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development points the way toward even greater use of this invaluable vehicle. Developed through an inclusive inter-agency process, the Strategy aims to ensure more coordinated and coherent support to Member States in driving forward the 2030 Agenda and the Decade of Action to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Triangular Cooperation has existed as a cooperation mechanism for about 40 years. The first implicit reference was made to it in 1978 in the United Nations Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA). Reacting to the increased complexity of international development cooperation, and going beyond the North–South divide, TriCo aims to (i) foster relations between DAC donors and emerging economies, (ii) strengthen southern providers’ capacity in international cooperation for development and (iii) promote international development. Since 1978, TriCo has become broader, more dynamic and flexible, has increased the number of projects and stakeholders involved, and incorporated different processes and approaches (e.g. South–South–South cooperation), including larger partnership strategies. It is now perceived of as key to the sharing of costs, responsibilities and solutions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 15 April 2019

The Second High-Level United Nations Conference on South-South Co-operation (BAPA +40) is a great opportunity to provide more visibility for the different, and often innovative, trilateral partnerships around the globe. To do so, the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) on Effective Triangular Co-operation has embarked on a journey of collecting case stories, operational tools, experiences and lessons learned from its members. The result is this report which provides inputs specific to triangular co-operation1 into the overall theme of BAPA +40 “The Role of South-South Co-operation and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities” as well as its four sub-themes, which will be elaborated in the following.

Publication only available in Spanish

The Report on South-South Cooperation in Ibero-America 2019 is the most comprehensive intergovernmental systematization of South-South Cooperation in a developing region.

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The idea for this toolkit was born out of the experiences that many practitioners face in having to justify working in a triangular co-operation arrangement rather than through bilateral or regional co-operation activities. Participants at an international meeting on triangular co-operation in Lisbon in 2016 stressed that while practitioners commonly discuss the value added of triangular co-operation, it is rarely captured in analyses and assessments, such as evaluations.