An Institutional Perspective

1. South-South Cooperation :A Different Way to Share Development GainsFrancisco SimplicioSpecial Unit for South-South Cooperation in UNDP

2. An Institutional Perspective SSC? • South-South Cooperation covers a scope much vaster than Development Cooperation (which is limited to ODA) • SSC is a political space: • for developing countries • supported by the UN • High-Level Committee on SSC (GA Structure) • Special Unit for South-South Cooperation • Nairobi Conference

3. The Agreed Principles • Developing country leadership and ownership • Complementary and non-competitive with North-South cooperation • Intentionally broad definition, open to opportunities: • Knowledge and experience sharing, • Technology exchanges, • [Mutual] strengthening of capacities, • Institutional and regulatory cooperation, • Promotion of national and collective self-sufficiency, • Coalition-building, • etc.

4. The Agreed Principles • SSC Principles (agreed to in the Nairobi Declaration) • National ownership and leadership • National sovereignty and independence • Equality and Horizontality • Solidarity • Non-conditionality • Non-interference in the internal affairs • Mutual benefit

5. Some prefer to focus on what is not agreed … As is well established in its cornerstone International Instruments (Nairobi, BAPA …) SSC is broader than ODA, even if OECD has a different perspective, and supports and finances a differing school of thought. efforts to superimpose the ODA framework, and its aid effectiveness agenda on SSC have not resonated outside of OECD (in the South). SSC is a space for developing countries to innovate and explore a Southern approach.

6. South-South in Action • Intentionally broad definition, purposely open to opportunities to: • Promote national and collective self-sufficiency, • Regional economic integration movements: • African Union, SADC, SACU, MAGREBI -ARAB UNION, APEC, ASEAN, MERCOSUR, UNASUR, ALADI, CARICOM, CAFTA-RD, etc.

7. Theory in Practice Half of the cars produced in Argentina are exported to Brazil Some believe that cooperation happens by chance

8. Theory in Practice • Promotion of national and collective self-sufficiency. • Coordination mechanisms: • South America – Arab Countries Summit • India – Africa Summit • China – Africa Summit • IBSA Summit • BRIC Summit • etc. • The largest part of SSC is bilateral • Coordinated through multilateral mechanisms. 4 Apr, 2008, 10.32PM IST,PTI 'India-Africa summit will boost South-South cooperation'

9. Trends in Policy Dialogue • Intentionally broad definition, open to opportunities for SSC • versus • Need for greater rigor in its definitions (by others) • Aid Effectiveness for Official Development Assistance • OECD/DAC Process • G77: • AAA is not a UN process • SSC is broader than ODA • not even in the DCF

10. Trends in Policy Dialogue • Recent comments: • India: It is a mistake to superimpose the paradigms that were established to reduce the serious shortcomings of N-S Cooperation on SSC. …The UN is failing to lead on SSC because it reflects the priorities of Northern donors. • Japan: Conflict between developed and developing countries on the framework that governs SSC. How do we move forward? • Brazil: SSC is based on principles and on the similarity of conditions among developing countries. SSC in its own terms and not as a sub-category of international cooperation. • Germany : Rather than focusing on the AAA, let’s learn from the perspectives of new actors and their innovations.

11. Trends in Policy Dialogue SSC ? • Recommendations for SSC • Nairobi Final Document: • Summary of consensual positions • Increase: • Mutual responsibility, • Transparency, • Programme coordination, • Coordination of national plans and priorities, • Quality and managing for results, • Practical results: • Reinforce country systems to: • Evaluate and asses the quality and impact of SSC, • Collect data and information, • Develop methods and statistics, • Disseminate, share and replicate.

12. No one would question that it is positive if a developed country positions itself as an important ally, contributing to the development of other countries, right?

13. The F word?South-South Cooperation

14. Theory in Practice • The Special Unit for SSC in UNDP is involved in serious and legitimate SSC efforts under the principles of SSC. • SSC will continue evolving and defining itself through policy dialogue and practice.

15. Theory in Practice Examples of innovations supported by the Special Unit: • China South-South Development Centre • to engage provincial and national institutions in SSC (not only governmental institutions) • South Korea sponsored Facility for Capacity Development through SS and Triangular Cooperation • IBSA Fund Management (India, Brazil y South Africa)

16. Theory in Practice • IBSA Fund Guidelines: • Focus on combating poverty and hunger, • Local ownership, • Capacity development in the beneficiary communities, • Attributable human development, • Experiences, experts and institutions of the South, • Promote knowledge-sharing and scaling up of best practices, • Sustainability. Demand driven: Tangible and practical results • Multidimensional, receptive to infrastructure work, technical exchanges, equipment, etc. • Reinforce local governance. • Use of local and Southern capacities. • Local procurement as capacity development, • Prioritize the establishment and growth of Southern institutions (including private sector, civil society, public entities and private-private partnerships).

17. Summary SSC ? • SSC is guided by its own principles, • SSC should be understood in its own terms, and not as a sub-category of international cooperation, • It is not a stage to become a donor, • It is a mistake to superimpose on SSC paradigm that were established to mitigate the great weaknesses of NSC, • Let’s learn from the perspectives of new actors and their innovations. • SSC is a political space: • for developing countries • supported by the UN • SSC is broader than ODA

18. Conclusion CSS ? • Is SSC an opportunity for innovation? • SSC is by itself, one of the few spaces for innovation in international cooperation. • How would it be if all developing countries that graduated decided it was easier to accept and repeat the same paradigms as NSC? How would it be if they didn’t? (e.g. G20)