South-South in Action: Palestinian International Cooperation Agency

By July 31, 2019 October 12th, 2020 PICA Featured Publications POM, South South in Action

This edition of South-South in Action, prepared in partnership with the State of Palestine. South-South in Action is one of UNOSSCs flagship series of reports. It provides a space for our partners to present and make available to others their successful solutions.

South-South cooperation is powerful tool to surmount today’s challenges. Solidarity and cooperation amongst the countries of the global South are key instruments towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Established in 2016, the Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (PICA) seeks to create a more equitable world by sharing and exchanging development solutions, transferring knowhow and promoting solidarity-based programmes amongst countries of the South.

This publication aims to provide an insight into the new development agency of the State of Palestine, examining its objectives, mission and activities undertaken and the South-South cooperation mechanism used to foster resilience and humanitarian development projects.

In the first chapter, the publication describes PICA’s origins and governance, how it is structured, and its methodology of work based on four well-dened pillars of intervention: 1) rapid response and recovery 2) technical cooperation 3) policy leadership and 4) investment. Furthermore, the report examines the comparative advantages of the institution in terms of human capital – particularly the diaspora – expertise, experience in development and humanitarian assistance, innovation and partnerships. In the second chapter, the publication showcases six humanitarian-development projects and programmes around the world based on the described pillars of action. In the third chapter, the publication analyses PICA’s way forward in pursuing its objective in the short and long-term and the main challenges faced to accomplish its goals.