About South-South Cooperation in UNEP

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.

Mandate

In February 2005, the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) adopted the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building (BSP). The BSP which is now considered the cornerstone of UNEP’s work establishes South-South Cooperation as a key mechanism for the implementation of the plan and in particular the achievement of capacity building objectives set forth in the plan. Specifically, the plan underscores the importance of South‑South cooperation and stresses the need to intensify efforts directed towards institutional capacity-building, including through the exchange of expertise, experiences, information and documentation between the institutions of the South in order to develop human resources and strengthen the institutions of the South.

Strategy

In fulfillment of the mandate emanating from the adoption of the Bali Strategic Plan (BSP), the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Coordination Unit has adopted a broad strategic approach that focuses on conducting internal and external consultations to promote the integration of SSC arrangements in the work of the organisation and also in developing strategic partnerships and alliances in support of UNEP’s capacity building and technology support activities. A major component and this strategic approach entailed the development of a comprehensive set of Strategic and Operational Guidelines which now serve as the principle reference document for guiding the integration of SSC in on-going and proposed activities. The guidelines also serve as substantive inputs in UNEP’s efforts to establish strategic alliances with external partners, development of joint collaborative activities and the identification of UNEP interventions in applying south-specific solutions and approaches in specific areas of capacity building support in environment in countries of the South.

Other key components of the broad strategic approach adopted by the SSC Coordination Unit to promote the application of SSC arrangements in the work of the organisation include:

Further development and refinement of the strategic and operational guidelines to facilitate the systematic integration of SSC approaches in UNEP’s programme of work in order to enhance the delivery of UNEP’s capacity building and technology support activities.
Holding regular and targeted consultations, discussions, workshops and briefing sessions with UNEP divisions as well as relevant individual staff to promote the adoption and systematic application of the SSC guidelines and the integration of south-specific approaches in the on-going and proposed capacity building activities of UNEP divisions.
In close cooperation with UNEP Regional Offices and divisions, identifying areas of priority for incorporation of SSC approaches in the UNEP programme of work for 2008-2009.
Liaising and consulting with UNDP Special Unit for SSC, other UN agencies, relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) Secretariats, regional cooperation mechanisms and on-going SSC initiatives to establish strategic partnerships, develop joint activities and synergies in advancing SSC in support of UNEP’s capacity building efforts in the context of the BSP.
Coordinating the development of a clearing-house mechanism for SSC to facilitate easy access to and delivery of expertise, technology, experiences, training opportunities, advisory services, methodologies and tools in support of UNEP’s capacity building initiatives.
Developing and implementing an effective outreach effort comprising key components such as preparing regular briefing notes, updates and progress reports on the status of implementation of UNEP’s SSC initiatives and providing regular briefings and updates to UNEP senior management, CPR sessions, individual diplomatic missions, regional cooperation mechanisms, other UN agencies and other inter-governmental organisations and processes.
Liaising with regional cooperation mechanisms and donor agencies to leverage complementary technical and financial resources for identified SSC activities.

This approach and the related activities have generated considerable momentum in the implementation process of the SSC initiative, increased interest in SSC within UNEP and outside and thus helped raise the profile of SSC in environment in the context of the BSP in many of the countries and regions of the South.