Background
The outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40)( A/RES/73/291) highlighted and recognized the role South-South and triangular cooperation plays in capacity building, strengthening human resources and leveraging the role of education and human development to create employment opportunities, particularly in the areas of science technology, innovation, and technical and vocational education. South-South cooperation and embracing new and innovative approaches present an opportunity to respond to the current health emergency with far-reaching socio-economic headwinds.
Background
The outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40)( A/RES/73/291) highlighted and recognized the role South-South and triangular cooperation plays in capacity building, strengthening human resources and leveraging the role of education and human development to create employment opportunities, particularly in the areas of science technology, innovation, and technical and vocational education. South-South cooperation and embracing new and innovative approaches present an opportunity to respond to the current health emergency with far-reaching socio-economic headwinds.
In response to that, the Government of Thailand, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have proposed a joint Special Event to highlight 2 initiatives related to innovation, capacity development, and youth entrepreneurship for sustainable development in a post-COVID-19 pandemic world:
2022 GSSD Expo Hybrid Special-Event
The special hybrid event, with physical presence at the 2022 Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo in Bangkok and online, will bring together the winners of the Global South Digital Innovation Challenge to showcase their projects and interact with the finalists of the Youth4South Entrepreneurship Competition. All participants will demonstrate how their digital innovations are achieving far-reaching socio-economic headwinds by embracing new and innovative approaches to respond to the current health emergency. It will also provide innovators with a networking opportunity for scaling up digital solutions and help mobilize potential partnerships and funding.
The innovators will also be invited to attend the final round of the Youth Entrepreneurship Competition co-organized by the UNOSSC, the Government of Thailand and ESCAP, which will take place at the GSSD Expo on 14 September, to learn, engage and become part of a broader network of innovators/ entrepreneurs.
The following topics will be covered during the Special Event:
- Day 1: The opening day will focus on capacity building, bringing the audience the opportunity to learn how to craft compelling stories to support Global South expansion and cooperation.
- Day 2: Innovators from the Digital Innovation Challenge and the Youth4South will engage in a closed session to practice their “pitches” and share experiences and best practices.
- Day 3: The closing day will bring the spotlight to the importance of South-South collaborations in a panel discussion with experts, mentors, and winners of the Digital innovation Challenge, ending with the Youth4South Entrepreneurship Competition.
The Special Event will also gather representatives from government, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, private sector and start-ups, research institutions, academia and civil society organizations (CSOs) to enable stakeholders to share experiences on South-South Cooperation in digital transformation and Information & Communications Technologies (ICTs). The Special Event will offer opportunities for knowledge exchange, interaction with South-South networks, capacity building, and showcasing solutions and innovations on a broader level to tackle the challenges brought upon by the current pandemic.
The 3 final winners of the Youth4South Entrepreneurship Competition will receive an honorific award certificate on behalf of organizers and have their stories and initiatives showcased on UNOSSC platforms and media, with opportunities to connect with investors, donors, and important stakeholders. All finalists will have the opportunity to promote their work on the South-South Galaxy partnership database to enable the promotion of their innovative initiatives. Winners and finalists will also be included in a Digital Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship Network and will be offered opportunities to participate in future trainings, fellowships and GSSD Expos.