This project is aimed at deepening the actions undertaken by SELA to support South-South and Triangular Cooperation by strengthening regional institutions with competence in this area, systematize the experiences of Latin American and Caribbean countries in the process of sharing and standardizing methodologies to measure cooperation at the regional level, and increase knowledge about the approaches formulated to learn about the progress made and the methods applied by the countries. The objective is to contribute to the development of systems that are as homogeneous as possible to ascertain the real scope of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC), as a contribution to the promotion of mechanisms to systematise information on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) by fostering the use and application of technological platforms for the exchange of information.

In this connection, the Permanent Secretariat of SELA has developed a series of contacts that have made it possible to identify the regional, subregional and national counterparts in charge of international cooperation policies in Latin America and the Caribbean that will be invited to participate in this initiative.

As a result of the XXXI Meeting of International Cooperation Directors for Latin America and the Caribbean: Innovative mechanisms for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on 8 and 9 February 2023, the Member States of SELA expressed great interest in deepening discussions and exchanges of experiences within the framework of the existing methodologies for measuring and valuing the results obtained by cooperation (SSTC). They also requested to promote the active incorporation of platforms that facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges and promote interaction between the supply and demand of international cooperation, which, in turn, contributes to levelling the levels of cooperation among the countries of the region.

Similarly, they recommended promoting the institutionalization of new mechanisms to mobilize resources for development, with a view to fostering decentralized cooperation, promoting local and territorial development, as well as the gender approach. Finally, they requested SELA to work towards the promotion and strengthening of the institutional framework for South-South and Triangular cooperation in order to expedite the conditions for countries to obtain better results. One path to follow is the one referring to the own funds of each cooperation entity or agency for a more effective development of its objectives. This was reflected in the final report of the meeting of cooperation directors held in 2022.

Pursuant to the mandates of the Latin American Council, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) has held for more than two decades the Meeting of International Cooperation Directors of its Member States, based on the main lines of action of promoting and sponsoring meetings to debate, exchange and consolidate proposals that contribute to the integration and exchange processes and, above all, to intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation. This space is assumed as a platform to encourage the exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices in the thematic areas of relevance in the cooperation and development aid agenda.

Currently, this meeting space is a relevant forum to contribute to the efforts of the United Nations System and other international bodies aimed at strengthening the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through South-South and Triangular Cooperation. While it is true that the COVID 19 pandemic marked the actions of the last three years, it is necessary to insist and continue activating the mechanisms that contribute to further progress in the fulfilment of the SDGs from the vision and importance of the social, economic and environmental aspects.

This activity is framed within the Strategic Framework of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), 2022-2025 (DP/CF/SSC/7) which aims to enhance South-South and Triangular Cooperation as a means to increase the speed and scale of action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It aims in the following areas: a) to promote the development and implementation of South-South and Triangular Cooperation policies; b) to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to support South-South and Triangular Cooperation; and c) to promote knowledge sharing, capacity building, as well as technology development and transfer in relation to South-South and Triangular Cooperation, in order to enable developing countries to achieve more resilient and sustainable development. In this regard, SELA’s role focuses on being a strategic partner for UNOSSC in the promotion and development of capacities in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

UNOSSC has proposed: the creation of specific units and budget lines for South-South and Triangular Cooperation; the development of platforms for demand and supply intermediation between South-South partners; the assignment of focal points for South-South and Triangular Cooperation in UN entities; the compilation of examples of UN system support to South-South and Triangular Cooperation; and the increase in the number of South-South and Triangular Cooperation activities across the UN system.

Working towards strengthening platforms or mechanisms to systematise information, build capacity to manage information and transform it into a working tool to facilitate consultation processes and resource allocation in the priority areas that arise in common among countries, as well as those that can offer solutions in those already implemented, is an issue of great relevance that deserves to be developed through the exchange of knowledge in forums at this level.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has identified through its publication Valoración de la cooperación Sur-Sur en seis países seleccionados de América Latina y el Caribe, that since 2012, when the first meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Committee on South-South Cooperation was held, and under the chairmanships of El Salvador, Peru (2014) and Mexico (2016), the agreements of the Presiding Officers have reflected in their mandates the need to advance in proposals for general quantitative and qualitative measurement of South-South cooperation. They also stressed the need to highlight both the quantitative and monetary as well as the non-monetary and qualitative value of South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

In this regard, it is necessary to continue deepening and advancing in the review and dissemination of the mechanisms and methodologies implemented for the measurement of cooperation and thus try to find a homogeneous way to know the state of cooperation and the results obtained, which is why this space for the exchange of knowledge is a meeting point for a periodic review of the progress made in this area.

By measuring the results obtained through South-South and Triangular Cooperation, it is possible to deepen the progress of the SDGs, based on what has been invested in this type of agreements that mutually benefit the participating countries. It is an opportunity to know what progress has been made, regardless of the actions implemented, i.e., having an assessment of the final result of the actions is a great contribution.

For this reason, it is necessary to know the magnitude because this could become a tool to show progress in achieving the SDGs. Obviously, the ultimate goal is not to compare, but rather to know the state of the countries and thus be able to contribute to less developed ones by taking as experiences the lessons learned from those that are more advanced in the application of measures that contribute to their development through cooperation.

As proposed by UNOSSC to achieve the recognition of diversity within the Global South and the adaptation of South-South and Triangular Cooperation to national strategic priorities and the needs of countries of different categories, moving towards an institutionalisation of cooperation is important for the stabilisation and adaptation of government institutions as they are central to South-South and Triangular Cooperation between Least Developed Countries and fragile States, as neighbours of fragile States have a clear interest in stability and improved functioning of government institutions, which will eventually lead to improved economic performance, increased trade and regional political stability.

The strategy of this project is aimed at strengthening capacities for the development and application of methodologies that allow for the valorisation of SSTC, also contributing to the promotion of instruments, mechanisms and procedures that are available in each of the countries and specialised organisations for the measurement, valorisation and evaluation of cooperation and how they are aligned with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the National Development Programmes.

Similarly, the space will be conducive to promoting the creation of funds for SSTC and implementing programmes with greater efficiency and flexibility, in accordance with the demands of the countries. Through this regional meeting, it will be possible to generate synergies and boost the treatment of this issue; additionally, it will enable specialised regional and subregional institutions to stimulate discussion on the ways implemented to measure the investment made through cooperation as well as the results thereof, and to advance in the institutionalisation of South-South and Triangular Cooperation for a better measurement of these results, allowing better understanding and guidance of public policies in each of the countries.

The project aims to: i) Learn about and explore the advances, contributions and proposals for standardising the processes of measuring and valuing public policies developed through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Latin America and the Caribbean, as a means to increase the capacities and scope of cooperation; ii) Disseminate the progress made in terms of experiences in assessing South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in Latin America and the Caribbean as a way to expand capacities and strengthen the institutionalisation of cooperation as a contribution to the achievement of the SDGs; and iii) Contribute to the promotion of mechanisms to systematise information on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) by encouraging the use and application of technological platforms for the exchange of information, in order to increase the dissemination of participation strategies and boost results.

The event is expected to make an assessment of the progress of the proposals and initiatives for quantitative and qualitative measurement, valuation and assessment generated to date with the aim of improving and strengthening national and regional institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean for South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) issues with a view to fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

It aims to increase knowledge of the approaches formulated and the progress and methods applied by the countries, with the aim of helping establish systems that are as homogeneous as possible in order to know the real scope of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).

It will be possible to gather information on the complementarity between the different solutions for measuring the valorisation of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) for a better measurement of results, allowing for a better understanding and orientation of public policies in each of the countries.

The event is expected to systematise the experiences of Latin American and Caribbean countries in the process of sharing and standardising methodologies for measuring cooperation at the regional level, as well as strategies for the promotion of instruments, mechanisms and procedures that are available in each of the countries for capacity building in terms of methodologies for measuring the value of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC).

The Seminar is organised by the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) jointly with the Government of the Republic of Peru, through the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru and the support of the Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund (PGTF) of the Group of 77.

Date: 27 and 28 November 2024

Agenda: to be defined.

Venue: Hotel Sonesta El Olivar Lima, Peru

Addressed to: International Cooperation Directors for LAC, cooperation agencies operating in LAC, specialists and researchers in the area of South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

Format: Hybrid conference (face-to-face and virtual via Zoom)

Language: Spanish and English (simultaneous interpretation will be provided).

For additional information, please contact:

At the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA):

• Gustavo Herrera Caballero, Coordinator of the Social Development Area
  E-mail: gherrera@sela.org

• Menkar Valladares, Social Development Analyst
  E-mail: mvalladares@sela.org