The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations with the mandate to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID). This mandate is fully recognized in Sustainable Development Goal -9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation, with its relevance applicable to all SDGs.

The adoption of the Buenos Aires outcome document at the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40) underscored the enormous potential of South-South and triangular cooperation for the 2030 Agenda in various areas of the UNIDO mandate. In 2019, UNIDO published a policy on South-South and Triangular Industrial Cooperation (SSTIC), which aligned the Organization’s work with global South-South initiatives. The Organization defines SSTIC as a “form of collaboration between and among countries of the South for the promotion of ISID, supported by UNIDO and/or a Northern partner”. UNIDO’s SSTIC services are based  on the principles set out in the Buenos Aires outcome document: (i) respect for national sovereignty; (ii) national ownership and independence; (iii) equality; (iv) non-conditionality; (v) non-interference in domestic affairs; and (vi) mutual benefit.

UNIDO engages Internal capacity-building, advisory services and knowledge management based on success stories, lessons learned and best practices, leverages additional resources from governments, development organizations, financial institutions and business sector entities committed to promoting South-South cooperation. The Organization further facilitates matchmaking through specialized networks, centers and workshops, provides convening platforms and dialogues among various stakeholders focused on knowledge and experience sharing and engages in Technical Cooperation projects under the SSTIC modality.

Exchange of Knowledge & Capacity Building

Increasing awareness and promoting Southern narratives, solutions and alternatives for positive industrial development is crucial to meeting the demands of UNIDO Member States. While technology transfer is a first step to support ISID in developing and transition economies, the knowledge of how to operate newly acquired technologies, to build businesses around them, to attract investment and to ensure the environmental and social sustainability of emerging business sectors, is essential for sustainable development. UNIDO supports knowledge exchanges and capacity-building via SSTIC modalities. UNIDO organizes study tours, delegate programmes, workshops, trainings and various platforms for the exchange of industrial knowledge to provide its Southern Member States with the necessary expertise to develop   industrial capacities.

SSTIC aspires to play a pivotal role in contributing to relevant dialogues on South-South cooperation within the United Nations system as well as to provide new stimuli for industrial cooperation among developing countries. Consequently, UNIDO’s SSTIC has contributed to global South-South cooperation forums and conferences, organized South-South focused events and brought together private sector partners, government entities and other stakeholders. UNIDO’s convening power in the area of industrial development has allowed companies and businesses in the global South to access a network of global partners from various industries to forge long-lasting partnerships and achieve scalable results for inclusive and sustainable industrial development.