The document provides an overview of South-South cooperation (SSC), including its history, key concepts, principles, and UNFPA's role and strategies related to SSC. Some key points: - SSC originated in the 1950s-60s as developing countries promoted economic cooperation and collective self-reliance. The UN has supported SSC through mechanisms like the High-Level Committee on SSC. - SSC involves developing countries working together through knowledge sharing, skills/resources to pursue development goals. It is based on solidarity and non-conditionality. - Triangular cooperation involves developed countries/orgs providing support to developing country partnerships upon request. - UNFPA supports SSC

1. E-learning for UNFPA staff
South-South Cooperation

2. Agenda
1.Overview
2.Key Concepts
3.Guidelines for Action
4.Monitoring and Evaluation

3. 1.1 Brief History of South-South Cooperation
1955
The Bandung Conference,
held in Indonesia, called
for promoting economic
cooperation among Afro-
Asian nations.
1964
The founding of the Group of 77
(G-77) accelerated the
developing countries’ drive for
collective self-reliance.
1972
The UN General
Assembly created a
Working Group on
technical cooperation
among developing
countries (TCDC).
1978
The Buenos Aires Plan of Action
(BAPA) for Promoting and
Implementing TCDC was the
first formal step to promoting
such cooperation, as a
complement to the North-South
technological transfer
previously favored by the
developed world.
2005
The High-level
Committee (HLC)
was established to
monitor the
implementation of
BAPA
The G-8 meeting at Scotland
underscored the new
geography of trade,
investment and intellectual
relations that involved such
fast-track performers as
Brazil, China, India,
Malaysia, the Republic of
Korea, South Africa and
Thailand.
2009
The UN General Assembly adopted, as a
result of the High-level UN Conference on
South-South Cooperation, the Nairobi
Outcome Document, underlining SSC as an
important element of international
cooperation for economic growth and
sustainable development.
2015
The Sustainable Development
Goals are underpinned by a
goal on global partnerships
for the means of
implementation in which
enhanced South-South,
triangular, regional and
international cooperation are
firmly positioned as a concrete
means of implementation.

4. 1.2 Multilateral Framework for South-South Cooperation
The Nairobi Outcome Document of
the High-level United Nations
Conference on South-South
Cooperation endorsed by GA
Resolution 64/222:
๏ Urged the United Nations funds,
programmes and specialized agencies
to take concrete measures to
mainstream support for SSTC to help
developing countries.
๏ Called upon the United Nations
funds and programmes and invited
the specialized agencies to continue
to enhance the capacities of
developing countries to develop and
formulate development cooperation
programmes
๏ Emphasized that SSC needs adequate
support from the United Nations
funds, programmes and specialized
agencies
GA Resolutions on SSC especially
69/239:
๏ Funds, programmes, specialized
agencies and other entities of the
United Nations system are requested
to take further concrete measures and
effectively mainstream support to
SSTC in their policy and regular
programming work.
๏ The United Nations development
system to accord a high priority to
facilitating programmes and projects
of SSTC and to assist countries of the
South.
๏ The United Nations Development
system is requested to present
comprehensive reports on the state of
SSC within the context of the
implementation of resolution 69/239.
The Secretary-General Framework of
operational guidelines on United
Nations Support to South-South and
triangular cooperation (SSC/17/3):
๏ For SSC as well as triangular
cooperation to have its intended
impact, it is necessary to improve
overall system-wide policy
frameworks, governance,
coordination, structures, mechanisms
and dedicated resources.
๏ Some specific actions need to help to
bolster the mainstreaming of SSC in
United Nations policies and
programmes.

5. 1.2 Multilateral Framework for South-South Cooperation
In decision 18/1, the UNDG established an inter-agency
mechanism to promote South-South and Triangular
Cooperation requiring UN specialized agencies, funds and
programmes to take concrete measures further:
๏ Lead efforts in the area of SSTC.
๏ Focus on mainstreaming South-South and Triangular
Cooperation into United Nations system operational
activities.
๏ Further strengthening and aligning United Nations South-
South policy instruments, collaborative frameworks and
institutional arrangements with measures taken through the
different UNDG coordination mechanisms.
๏ The Chair of UNDG will, through the United Nations
Development Operations Coordination Office, call on the
resident coordinators to capture, in their annual reports,
initiatives that have used SSC as a means of
implementation.
South-South Cooperation and the Sustainable Development
Goals:
๏ SDG 17 emphasizes the importance of strengthening the
means of implementation and revitalizing the global
partnership for sustainable development. It includes targets
pertaining to finance, technology, trade and capacity
building notably through South-South and Triangular
Cooperation.
๏ The Secretary General’s Report explicitly requested the
“United Nations Development System to support Member
States by ensuring that they take every opportunity to
identify the entry points in their respective national
strategies for the implementation of the post-2015 agenda
and to recognize South-South Cooperation as a vital means
of implementation with which to complement North-South
Cooperation”.

6. 1.3 UN Mechanisms Dedicated to South-South Cooperation
High-Level Committee
(HLC)
The main policymaking body on South-South cooperation (SSC)
in the United Nations system.
Report to the General Assembly
The secretariat for the General Assembly High-level Committee
on South-South Cooperation, formerly the Special United for
South-South Cooperation
❖ Reviewing the progress made in implementing the tasks
entrusted to the United Nations development system in the
Buenos Aires Plan of Action;
❖ Ensuring that efforts to strengthen TCDC are sustained within
the United Nations development system;
❖ Supporting new policies and innovative approaches to further
the development of TCDC;
❖ Considering the availability of financial resources and their
effective use by the United Nations development system,
❖ Ensuring coordination of the promotional and operational
TCDC activities of the United Nations development system.
❖ Mainstream South-South cooperation across the UN system
and throughout the international development community;
❖ Engage a wide range of partners in order to provide the most
efficient, effective and comprehensive support for South-South
cooperation;
❖ Innovate by continually seeking, showcasing and transferring
forward-thinking Southern development solutions to
development partners to meet the critical development
challenges of today;
❖ Enable countries of the South – emerging, middle income and
least developed – to work together to use their wealth of
resources, tangible and intangible, in support of national,
regional and global development efforts;
❖ Monitor trends in South-South cooperation among UN
agencies as well as globally, and
❖ Manage the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation and the
Pérez-Guerrero Trust Fund for Economic and Technical
Cooperation among Developing Countries.

7. 1.3 UN Mechanisms Dedicated to South-South Cooperation
UNDG South-South Task Team
❖ Strengthening and aligning United Nations South-South policy instruments, collaborative frameworks and institutional
arrangements with measures taken through the different UNDG coordination mechanisms to better equip United Nations
country teams and resident coordinators to support national counterparts in implementing and following up on the
post-2015 development agenda.
It will work under the UNDG Sustainable Development Working
Group

8. 1.4 UNFPA Mandate on South-South Cooperation
ICPD Programme of Action
The Key Actions for Further Implementation
of the Programme of Action of the ICPD
The Framework of Actions for Follow-
up to the Programme of Action of the
ICPD beyond 2104
๏ “to increase international financial
assistance to direct South-South
cooperation and to facilitate financing
procedures for direct South-South
cooperation”. (para.14.10)
๏ “In devising the appropriate balance
between funding sources, more
attention should be given to South-
South cooperation as well as to new
ways of mobilizing private
contributions, particularly in
partnership with nongovernmental
organizations.(14.16)
๏ “South-South cooperation at all levels is
an important instrument of
development. (16.19)
๏ “Multilateral collaboration and effective
partnership building has proven
essential for the implementation of the
ICPD Programme of Action, and is
critical to ensuring effective global
development processes.
๏ “External funding and support, from donor
countries as well as the private sector, should
be provided to promote and sustain the full
potential of South-South cooperation,
including the South-South initiative "(para.
88).
๏ Developing and developed countries and
countries with economies in transition are
urged to promote international cooperation
and to increase technical cooperation and
transfer of technology through South-South
cooperation, in order to implement fully the
Programme of Action”. (para.93)
๏ “Donor countries and international funding
agencies are urged to support the inclusion
of South-South components in development
cooperation programmes and projects so as
to promote cost-effectiveness and
sustainability”. (para. 94)
๏ The document reinforces that SSTC are
“important instruments for
development and resource
mobilization”
๏ Point out the “key role that United
Nations organizations can play in
improving South-South knowledge
sharing, policy analysis and
coordinated actions on major issues of
concern”.
๏ The Framework of Actions explicitly
highlights that SSTC are “important
instruments for development and
resource mobilization” and point out
the “key role that United Nations
organizations can play in improving
South-South knowledge sharing,
policy analysis and coordinated
actions on major issues of concern”.

9. UNFPA’s SSC strategies from 2011 to 2013 was
aimed at helping organization to understand the
importance of South-South Cooperation and
provides in a fast-changing environment, learning
from experience. The strategy’s full
implementation was affected by the lack of an
institutional unit dedicated to SSC.
1.5 UNFPA Previous Work/Strategy
Previous Strategies Recent Developments
12%
53%
22%
13%
SSTC by Type
Policy dialogue
Technical Cooperation
Programme
Institutional
Collaboration
73%
16%
9%
2%
SSTC by format
Bilateral
Regional
Global
Triangular
14%
25%
24%
16%
7%
7%
4%
3%
SSTC by ICPD issues
ICPD
SRH
PD
Gender
Youth
RHCS
Work with FBOs
HIV prevention
A recent assessment on UNFPA activities related to
South-South Cooperation has shown that UNFPA is
actively supporting South-South and Triangular
Cooperation

10. 2.1 Who is the south?
In 1997, at the request of the High-level Committee on the Review
of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, the Special
Unit for South-South Cooperation convened a meeting of 25 such
pivotal countries, each with technical capacity and political will, an
explicit national technical cooperation policy, a well-established focal
point, a database of available capabilities, and adequate budgetary
resources.

11. 2.1 Who is the south?
The rise of the South that has been the focus of
international attention in recent years has resulted in
a range of qualitatively new realities with important
implications for the world order. The very definition
of global south is broad, but it can be assumed that it
encompasses the developing countries in all regions
of the world.
Rise of the South

12. 2.2 What is South-South Cooperation?
Initially, the High-level Committee on Technical Cooperation
among Developing Countries (TCDC) described such
cooperation as a process whereby two or more developing
countries pursue their individual or collective development
through cooperative exchanges of knowledge, skills, resources
and technical know-how.
South-South cooperation is a common endeavor of peoples and
countries of the South, born out of shared experiences and
sympathies, based on their common objectives and solidarity, and
guided by, inter alia, the principles of respect for national
sovereignty and ownership, free from any conditionalities. South-
South cooperation should not be seen as official development
assistance. It is a partnership among equals based on solidarity
Nairobi Outcome Document, 2009
South-South cooperation embraces a multi-stakeholder
approach, including non-governmental organizations, the
private sector, civil society, academia and other actors that
contribute to meeting development challenges and
objectives in line with national development strategies
and plans.
Nairobi Outcome Document, 2009
Recent UN definitions of SSC:
South-South is defined as “a process whereby two or
more developing countries pursue their individual
and/or shared national capacity development
objectives through regional and interregional collective
actions, including partnerships involving
governments, regional organizations, civil society,
academia and the private sector, for their individual
and/or mutual benefit within and across regions.”

13. ❖ Triangular Cooperation is the modality recognized by the Nairobi Outcome Document (2009) through
which developed countries, international organizations and civil society provide support to developing
countries, “upon their request, in improving their expertise and national capacities through triangular
cooperation mechanisms, including direct support or cost-sharing arrangements, joint research and
development projects, third-country training programmes and support for South-South centres, as well as
by providing the necessary knowledge, experience and resources, so as to assist other developing countries,
in accordance with their national development priorities and strategies”
2.3 What is Triangular Cooperation?

14. ❖ Key Principles on SSTC that applies to UNFPA
3.1 Principles for Action
• SSTC is a demand-driven, reciprocal, democratic, participative and
ownership oriented model for designing and implementing horizontal
initiatives between developing countries.
• A strategy based on the premise that some countries have similar
environments, face common problems and seek to achieve common goals.
• A cooperation model between national institutions, mainly governmental,
but also broad-partnership approaches with the involvement of other
institutions in the global south possessing comparative advantages,
including: universities, research institutes, centers of excellence, CSOs,
state-owned companies, and private sector.
• A bridge for introducing new approaches, technologies and fundraising
alternatives.

15. Strengthen
national leadership
3.Comparative Advantages of UNFPA
Multilateral Partner Wide Network
Deeply
understanding the
reality of
countries
Enhance capacity
of potential
partners
Provide strategic
advice to Member
States
Build bridges and
synergies at the
policy and program
levels
Provide a
multilateral basis
to cooperation
initiatives
Actively
engagement
Facilitator
Ensure
coherence and
convergence
between Global
and Regional
initiatives

16. 3.3.1 SSTC with two partner countries facilitated and supported by UNFPA:
3.3 Modalities for implementing SSTC
In essence, it involves two partner countries from the global south to be, upon their request, supported by UNFPA
in a typical bilateral cooperation arrangement between countries through their national institutions which can
comprise: ministries, institutes, academia, centers of excellence, CSOs and private sector to implement activities
based on mutual benefits, including: knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, technical assistance, infrastructure and
even the procurement of commodities.

17. Proposing a horizontal approach based on the principle
that every country has something to share and to learn
regardless of their development status and has singular
knowledge and experience to offer and the potential to
benefit through policy and technical exchange.
Conducting matchmaking exercises:
identifying through regional and country
offices national needs and institutions capable
of addressing gaps and challenges in the
implementation of the ICPD and the SDGs.
Designing legal frameworks: supporting the appropriate
arrangements including a South-South Work Plan
containing a justification of how the planned SSC links
and responds to the Country Programme, the rationale
behind choosing particular outputs, activities, partner
institutions and estimated budget including potential in-
kind contribution.
Providing operational support for the
activities outlined on the agreement/Work
Plan including in some cases the preparation
of cost-sharing agreements.
Monitoring of activities in light of existing
agreements and work plans.
Supporting the design of evaluation
including both process and impact
components.
The role of UNFPA

18. This modality of triangular cooperation involves three partners, including two developing countries and UNFPA. The
Fund can act as a facilitator, fostering collaboration between the two developing countries with funding and technical
contribution from a particular donor or even a combination of donor countries and third party institutions (i.e.
foundations).
3.3 Strategic Vision: New Approaches and
modalities for implementing SSTC
3.3.2 Triangular cooperation with two partner countries facilitated and supported by UNFPA:

19. The role of UNFPA
Facilitating a multilateral dialogue between the three
concerned parts to put in place a horizontal approach
from the inception to the implementation and
completion of the agreement/SSTC project.
Conducting a matching exercise:
identifying through regional and country
offices national needs, strengths and
institutions capable of addressing gaps
and challenges in the implementation of
the ICPD agenda and the SDGs.
Designing legal frameworks: Supporting the appropriate
arrangements, including a South-South Work Plan containing a
justification on how the planned SSC links and responds to the
Country Programme, the rationale behind choosing particular outputs,
activities, partner institutions and an estimated budget including
potential in-kind contributions from participating institutions.
Providing operational support for the
activities outlined in the agreement/Work
Plan including in some cases cost-sharing
agreements.
Mobilizing support and funding from
traditional and non-traditional donors for a
SSTC Agreement/Plan.
Monitoring of activities in light of existing
agreements and work plans.
Supporting the evaluation including both
process and impact components.

20. The alliance of two or more developing countries in
benefit of a third country (or even in benefit of a group
of developing countries) has not been fully utilized yet
and, despite of the complexities involved, represents a
great use of multilateral approaches combining efforts
and proximity of experiences of different countries. The
principle for this particular modality involves a
Southern-driven partnership between two or more
developing countries supported by a multilateral
organization to implement development cooperation
programmes and projects.
3.3 Strategic Vision: New Approaches and
modalities for implementing SSTC
3.3.3 South-South and Triangular Cooperation with multiple partner countries

21. Facilitating a multilateral
dialogue between all parts
concerned to put in place a
horizontal approach from the
inception to the
implementation and
completion of the agreement/
SSTC project.
Conducting matchmaking
exercises: identifying through
regional and country offices
national needs, strengths and
institutions capable of
addressing gaps and challenges
in the implementation of the
ICPD and the SDGs.
Assessing the feasibility of
mobilizing a group of countries
to address the needs of a
particular country or group of
countries upon the country(ies)
requests.
Designing legal frameworks:
Supporting the appropriate
arrangements, including a South-South
Work Plan containing a justification of
how the planned SSC links and responds
to the Country Programme, the rationale
behind choosing particular outputs,
activities, partner institutions and an
estimated budget including potential in-
kind contributions.
Providing operational support
for the activities outlined in
the agreement/Work Plan
including in some cases cost-
sharing agreements.
Mobilizing support and
funding from traditional and
non-traditional donors for a
SSTC Agreement/Plan.
Monitoring of activities in light
of existing agreements and
work plans.
Supporting the evaluation including
both process and impact components.
The role of UNFPA

22. 3.3.4 SSTC umbrella operation with multiple recipient countries
3.3 Strategic Vision: New Approaches and
modalities for implementing SSTC
Under this proposed modality, multiple
countries can engage in a horizontal scheme
through which institutions can cooperate on
strategic commonly selected issues consolidating
national, regional and inter-regional capacity
and collective commitment around the ICPD
agenda and the SDGs. The collaboration may
involve southern countries but also developed
countries in the spirit of the universality of the
SDGs.

23. The role of UNFPA
๏ Facilitating a multilateral participatory dialogue between all parts
concerned to put in place a horizontal approach from the design to
the completion of the agreement/SSTC project based on the
principle that every country has something to share and to learn
regardless of their development status and has singular knowledge
and experience to offer and potential to benefit through policy and
technical exchange.
๏ Conducting matchmaking exercises: identifying through
regional and country offices national needs, strengths and
institutions capable of addressing gaps and challenges in
the implementation of the ICPD and the SDGs.
๏ Assess the feasibility of mobilizing a group of countries to
address the needs a particular country or group of
countries upon the country(ies) requests.
๏ Designing legal frameworks: Supporting the
appropriate arrangements including a South-South
Work Plan containing a justification of how the
planned SSC links and responds to the Country
Programme, the rationale behind choosing
particular outputs, activities, partner institutions
and an estimated budget including potential in-
kind contributions.
๏ Working with countries to build the capacities of their
national institutions to enable them to engage in SSTC.
๏ Providing operational support for the activities
outlined on the agreement/Work Plan including in
some cases cost-sharing agreements.
๏ Monitoring of activities in light of
existing agreements and work
plans.
๏ Mobilizing support and funding from
traditional and non-traditional donors for
a SSTC Agreement/Plan.
๏ Supporting evaluation including
both process and impact
components.

24. 3.5. Potential roles for UNFPA
3.5.1 Technical Cooperation to upscale technical capacities at the national level for the
implementation of the ICPD agenda through SSTC.
♣ Exchange of promising experiences to reap the benefits of
the demographic dividend, including integrated strategies
on empowerment of girls and women, access to high quality
education and employment.
♣ Horizontal cooperation to build capacity on census, civil
registration and dissemination of disaggregated data on
population by key characteristics relevant to development, in
order to monitor progress, address gaps in implementation
and assure public accountability.
♣ Sharing between national institutions successful
strategies for preventing maternal mortality and morbidity,
strengthening health systems, including by training
midwives and other skilled providers experienced in
delivering sexual and reproductive health services closer to
where people live, especially in rural, remote and
impoverished urban areas.
♣ Training and peer-exchange, recruiting and rewarding
health care workers, including sexual and reproductive
health service providers, midwives and other skilled birth
attendants.
♣ Technical exchange of innovative policies and services
related to school dropout among boys and girls as well as to
keep girls in school, including married or pregnant girls, and
ensuring admission or re-entry to school after delivery.
♣ Use of clean technology and innovation, and
development of sustainable production and consumption
patterns through research on clean technologies.
♣ Experiences with the active participation of all people,
including CSO actors, in the development, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes, and
in the quality delivery of basic social and health services to
all.

25. 3.5. Potential role of UNFPA units
3.5.2 Policy dialogue to explore the potential of
SSTC to renew commitments to the ICPD and
the SDGS.
SSTC possess the potential of building bridges and creating
the environment through which sound agreements and
projects between developing countries can be formalized
upscaling commitment with the ICPD unfinished agenda,
which represents a continuous effort to be varied out and
be facilitated by UNFPA. By working with partners at the
national level and help building their capacity through
SSTC, UNFPA can be able to renew support to the ICPD
Beyond 2014 integrated to national agendas, preventing
countries from falling back on their previous commitments,
reducing eventual sensitiveness around the ICPD agenda
and the SDGs and at the same time facilitating the
emergence of new implementation modalities.
3.5.3 Programme delivery to mainstream SSTC
in UNFPA’s programme design and
implementation.
There is increasing international momentum in the use of
SSTC as a new partnership for effective development that
provides a window for utilizing Southern solutions,
knowledge and social-context specific innovative models,
which are complementary with and are an important
addition to traditional assistance modalities.
The renewed emphasis on SSTC is an instrument to broaden
the range and scope of contributions, and to leverage their
effect through an impact oriented new way of doing
programming, mobilizing additional resources (financial
and human), putting in place innovative models such as co-
investment schemes with the private sector, and shaping
SSTC initiatives that are structured to achieve scaled and
longer term objectives.

26. 3.6. Designing SSTC cooperation initiatives
The modes of engagement proposed by UNFPA
assume that a country can play a pivotal role in
some areas where it possesses particular
comparative advantages as the figure below
shows, but can become a recipient in other areas,
depending on its needs. Nevertheless their
relationship will be horizontal in terms of the
mutual benefit, ownership and solidarity.

27. 3.6.1. Key steps of the country interested in playing a pivotal role and UNFPA’s contribution.

28. 3.6.2. Key steps of the country interested in requesting support via SSC

29. 4. Monitoring and Evaluation
Each SSTC initiative should have as a criteria for project evaluation the following basic steps:
A basic logical framework with appropriate
indicators to measure progress containing a
baseline scenario and description of an initial
assessment.
Mid-term monitoring assessment should be
conducted documenting progress and
accomplishments, proposing any necessary
adjustments.
Ex-post evaluation to assess results through
interviews, feedback from concerned partners
and visits, if necessary.

30. 4. Monitoring and Evaluation
Two groups of indicators should be selected to assess an initiative’s performance
Process Indicators Impact Indicators
• SSTC Initiatives promoted or facilitated by UNFPA to
support the ICPD agenda, linkages with the SDGS
organized or facilitated by UNFPA units.
• Institutions benefited/affected by SSTC initiatives.
• Number of individuals trained, technical hours.
• Adoption of new norms, policies, protocols.
• Adherence to new approaches, methodologies, technical.

31. Monitoring Tools
4. Monitoring and Evaluation
GPS
Global Programming System
SIS
Strategic Information System

32. South-South Project Team Presenting
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