High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation – 21st Session, 30 May-2 June 2023

By May 19, 2023 July 5th, 2023 Events
  • When: 30 May to 2 June 2023, 10AM – 6PM (EST)
  • Where: UN Headquarters, New York

The 21st session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation will be convened on 30 May to 2 June 2023 to review progress made in implementing the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, the New Directions Strategy for South-South cooperation, the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation and the Buenos Aires outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40).

Registration of speakers for the general debate will be open until 30 May 2023, at 18:00, New York time. To inscribe, please write to: southsouth@unossc.org. The time limit set for statements during the general debate is 8 minutes for speakers on behalf of groups, 5 minutes for individual delegations, and 3 minute for others.

The Thematic Discussion of the 21st session, decided by the Bureau of the High-level Committee, will focus on “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through South-South and triangular cooperation”. The list of speakers wishing to make contributions from the floor during the Thematic Discussion is now open. To inscribe, please contact Cynthia Olouasa at: cynthia.olouasa@unossc.org. The list of speakers for the Thematic Discussion will be closed on 31 May 2023, at 12:00, New York time. Click here to read the Concept Note of the Thematic Discussion

30 May, 10:00-13:00, Room CR 2:

  • Opening of the session
  • General debate

30 May, 15:00-18:00, Room CR 2:

  • General debate (continued)

31 May, 10:00-13:00, Room CR 2:

  • General debate (continued)

31 May, 15:00-18:00, Room CR 2:

  • Thematic discussion

1 June, 10:00-18:00, Room CR B:

  • Working Group (closed)

2 June, 10:00-13:00, Room CR B:

  • Working Group (closed)

2 June, 15:00-18:00, Room CR 2:

  • Adoption of the report of the Working Group
  • Approval of the provisional agenda for the twenty- second session of the High- level Committee
  • Adoption of the report of the High-level Committee on its twenty-first session
  • Closing of the session

Side Events

There will be no High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation approved side events at the 21st session to be held from 30 May to 2 June 2023. At their meeting of 20 April 2023, the Bureau of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation resolved to focus resources and time on the Thematic Discussion which will have a strong focus on interregional sharing of solutions and knowledge. This expansive approach to the Thematic Discussion will allow partners from Government, intergovernmental organisations, the United Nations Development System, civil society, and private sector to contribute to the discussion.

Organizational Meeting

On 1 May, the Organizational Meeting of the 21st session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation convened to elect the Bureau for its 21st session and adopt its agenda.

The Committee elected His Excellency Ambassador Peter Mohan Maithri Pieris, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, from the Group of Asia-Pacific States, as President. The Committee also elected three Vice-Presidents: Mrs. Joselyne Kwishaka, Second Counsellor (Republic of Burundi), from the Group of African States; Mr. Diego Antonino Cimino, First Secretary (Italy), from the Group of Western European and other States; and His Excellency Ambassador Dmitry S. Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative (Russian Federation), from the Group of Eastern European States. Ms. Kereeta Nicole Whyte, Deputy Permanent Representative (Barbados), from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, was elected Rapporteur of the High-level Committee.

The UNDP Associate Administrator, representing the UNDP Administrator in his capacity of convenor of the High-level Committee session, addressed the Member States.

Pre-session Materials

In-session Documents

  • Review of progress made in implementing the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, the new directions strategy for South-South cooperation, the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation and the Buenos Aires outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation – Report of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (SSC/21/1)
    Arabic   Chinese   English   French   Russian   Spanish
  • Report of the Secretary-General on measures taken by United Nations organizations to implement decision 20/1 of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation through support for South-South and triangular cooperation to bolster human solidarity and accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Global South and beyond (Advance Unedited Version, English only)

Background Materials on South-South Cooperation

Documents and Reports:
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South cooperation (A/77/297) [2022]
  • South-South cooperation, Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 14 December 2022 (A/RES/77/185) [2022]
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South cooperation (A/76/403) [2021]
  • South-South cooperation, Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 17 December 2021 (A/RES/76/221) [2021]
  • Report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation – Twentieth Session (A/76/39) [2021]
  • Operational activities for development: South-South cooperation for development, Report of the Second Committee* (A/75/463/Add.2) [2020]
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South cooperation (A/75/371) [2020]
  • South-South cooperation, Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 21 December 2020 (A/RES/75/234) [2020]
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South cooperation (A/74/336) [2019]
  • Report of the Secretary-General: Role of South-South cooperation and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Challenges and opportunities (A/73/383) [2018]
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South cooperation (A/73/321) [2018]
  • Joint Inspection Unit progress report of the recommendations contained in the review of South-South and triangular cooperation in the United Nations system (JIU/REP/2018/2) [2018]
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the State of South-South cooperation (A/72/297) [2017]
  • Report of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, 19th Session (A/71/39) [2016]
Relevant Historical Documents:
Further Information: