About

The increasing relevance and importance of South-South Cooperation has been stressed in major international events and fora such as the First South Summit which was held in Havana, Cuba (April 2000), the International UN Conference on Financing for Development (Monterrey, Mexico 2002), the Conference on South-South Cooperation in Marrakech, Morocco (December 2003) and the UN General Assembly in its Resolution 55/2 (September 2000), among others. In recognition of the shift in perceptions about the emerging trends in South South Cooperation, UNEP has embarked on a process to actively promote the streamlining of SSC approaches in the implementation of the capacity building components of its biennial programmes of work. The shift in emphasis stems from the recognition that:

Experiences and successes that many countries in the South have achieved in specific environment-related areas can provide valuable impetus, ideas and means for other countries in the South to address similar concerns and challenges;
South-South Cooperation can increase the flow of information, resources, expertise and knowledge among developing countries at reduced costs;
Technology transfer among developing countries as well as capacity building in environmentally sound use of technologies and sustainable use and management of natural resources are key for the development of the South.

South-South Cooperation is now widely recognised as a key mechanism for the development agenda of countries of the South and enjoys broad-based support from both the donor community and developing countries.