UN Agencies strengthen their joint South-South and Triangular Cooperation efforts to accelerate the recovery and transformation of agrifood systems in the Global South
04 August 2022, Rome/New York: Countries of the global South offer myriad development solutions, delivered in the forms of knowledge, experiences, good practices, innovative policies, technologies and resources, that can be adapted to the socioeconomic, environmental and agroecological contexts of other developing countries, according to the newly launched South-South in Action report.
The report, South-South and triangular cooperation in agricultural development: FAO’s experiences was jointly published today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), during a Pre-Global South-South Development (GSSD) Expo Event. It contains important insights on how FAO has applied South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) to the delivery of its mission.
Please click video to watch the recording of the launch event.
Innovation in the South is generating new tools and partnerships to tackle issues of food insecurity, poverty and sustainable agriculture. The report also demonstrates the wide range of FAO SSTC projects carried out, across the fields of food security and nutrition, rural development, poverty reduction and resilience, including climate change adaptation, sustainable agricultural productivity and animal health.
It provides a snapshot of FAO’s engagement in SSTC through three different case studies, focusing on grassroots development, institutional capacity-building and policy.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Xiaojun Grace Wang, Deputy Director, UNOSSC, emphasized the need for solutions and cooperation in a context that has seen global hunger and food insecurity levels rise to new heights, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as conflicts and climate shocks. To achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, it is crucial to promote collaboration among the entire international community. She went on to highlight FAO’s proven track record of supporting successful South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives on food security and agricultural development, and to thank the collaborative effort that has taken in order to produce this publication.
Mr. Anping Ye, Director of FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, has also emphasized the importance of collaboration during his opening remarks. “This book is a testament of the continued fruitful collaboration with our partners, UNOSSC and all our SSTC stakeholders, who have made this work possible. It is therefore essential to act together, innovatively, to further expand SSTC, in order to support all countries in their efforts to achieve the SDGs,” he said.
The report also points out the main lessons learned from FAO’s involvement in SSTC and efforts that the Organization is making to enhance its SSTC contributions toward achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 1 (No poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero hunger).
This event was held in conjunction with the launch of FAO’s virtual exhibit for the GSSD-Expo 2022, which is taking place this week.
Looking forward, the launch event deliberations will also be key to paving the way for further SSTC discussions and concrete actions, in view of this year’s Global South-South Development Expo in Bangkok.
FAO’s role in South-South and Triangular Cooperation
FAO’s portfolio of SSTC projects has shown dramatic growth in recent years, in line with the increasing institutionalization of SSTC in the Organization’s programme. Its successful implementation of SSTC in several countries has contributed to increased food security. Over the past two decades, $446 million has been invested in SSTC projects and activities. More information about FAO’s innovative role in SSTC is available here.
UNOSSC’s role in South-South and Triangular Cooperation
Hosted by UNDP since 1974, the Office was established by the UN General Assembly with a mandate to advocate for and coordinate South-South and triangular cooperation on a global and UN system-wide basis. The Office leverages its global reach and its policy and institutional capacities to assist UN agencies and developing countries in strengthening their SSTC capacities. It works to support countries’ efforts to manage, design and implement South-South cooperation policies and initiatives through the identification, sharing and transfer of successful Southern development solutions.