Regional Consultation on South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, 27-29 June 2018 Bangkok, Thailand

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Date: 27-29 June 2018
Time: 09:00-16:00 (27-28 June) | 9.00- 15.30 (29 June)
Venue: Conference room 4, UNCC, Bangkok Thailand, and Khlong Hok Sustainable Community Learning Centre, Pathum Thani Province on 28 June

Organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand

 

Introduction

The United Nations General Assembly resolutions 71/318 and 71/244, have mandated the United Nations to convene a high-level Conference on South-South cooperation on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA). The second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, known as BAPA+40 Conference, will be held in Buenos Aires, Republic of Argentina, from 20 to 22 March 2019.

The overall objective of the High-level Conference is to review trends in South-South and triangular cooperation, including the progress made by the international community, and the United Nations, in supporting and promoting such cooperation. The Conference will also identify new opportunities that South-South and triangular cooperation present and the solutions to address sustainable development challenges, including South-South and triangular cooperation as enablers for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Conference is also expected to respond to the needs and challenges faced by the practitioners of South-South and triangular cooperation and to generate innovative approaches of South-South and triangular cooperation.

The resolutions also encourage the United Nations to hold regional, sub-regional or sectoral meetings prior to the Conference.

 

  1. Regional Consultation on South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific

South-South cooperation is one of the important drivers of the regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific and has resulted in increased volumes of South-South trade, foreign direct investment flows and technology transfer. Over the decades, countries of the South have accumulated considerable expertise, experience, lessons and capabilities in their own development processes, which have been shared with other developing countries in the form of technical assistance. Middle-income developing countries, as emerging donors and technical cooperation providers, have significantly influenced the landscape of the South-South cooperation in this region and beyond. South-South and triangular cooperation have been identified as key modalities for delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  To reach their full potential they need to be aligned, enhanced and structured to correspond with the needs and priorities of developing countries.

In line with the above mandates and given the prominence of the South-South and triangular cooperation in achieving the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and the Government of Thailand will jointly organize the Regional Consultation on South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific: Towards the Buenos Aires Plan of Action 40th Anniversary, from 27 to 29 June 2018, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.

The Regional Consultation will review the South-South cooperation trends, challenges and opportunities in the region in support of the SDG implementation. It will provide countries with a platform to share their experiences as providers or users of South-South and triangular cooperation, their institutional arrangements, policies and lessons learned. The Regional Consultation will also discuss and suggest how to leverage the partnerships with the various stakeholders, including the civil society, think tanks and the private sector.

The outcomes from the Regional Consultation, while not binding, will facilitate exchange of ideas on policy, strategy and institutional and financial tools for South-South and triangular cooperation as well as management capacity at the regional level, and strengthen capacity of the Asia-Pacific member States to contribute more effectively at the High-Level Conference. The recommendations will also inform and contribute to the member States’ deliberations as part of the informal intergovernmental negotiations towards the drafting of the outcome document of the High-Level Conference.

The inaugural Round Table of the Asia-Pacific Forum for South-South and Triangular Cooperation will be held in conjunction with this consultation. This Round Table targets the heads of the national agencies/units responsible for South-South cooperation from developing member States of ESCAP Region only. It will provide an opportunity to share good practices and experience in South-South and triangular cooperation and coordinate technical cooperation between the providers and beneficiary countries.

 

  1. Themes and issues to be discussed at the Regional Consultation

The themes and issues to be discussed at the Regional Consultation include the following:

  1. Trends and diversity of the South-South cooperation landscape in Asia-Pacific – turning challenges into opportunities
  2. Institutional arrangements and management of South-South and triangular cooperation – experience and good practice
  3. Modalities to strengthen regional and sub-regional cooperation through South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development
  4. Roles of the United Nations Development System and other stakeholders including the civil society organizations and the private sector
  5. Alternative approaches to sustainable development.

The discussions and key outcomes of the regional consultation will be consolidated in the form of a Chair’s Summary for the information of all participants.

The detailed annotated programme of the consultation will be circulated in due course.

 

  1. Expected outcomes
  • Increased awareness and enhanced capacity of ESCAP member States on effective utilization of South-South and triangular cooperation modalities to achieve the development goals and SDGs in Asia-Pacific.
  • Well-defined, substantive way forward to support the implementation of SDGs in the region through the South-South and triangular cooperation.
  • Mechanism in place for improved and streamlined coordination among the member States to harness the South-South and triangular cooperation in the priority areas identified in the Regional Consultation

The outcomes will be put forward in a non-binding Chair’s summary to contribute to the discussions and outcomes of the BAPA+40 Conference in Buenos Aires in March 2019.

 

Provisional Agenda

 

DAY ONE: Wednesday, 27 June 2018

Opening session

Time Programme
                              Venue: Conference Room 4, UNCC
09:00 – 09:30 hrs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

09:30 – 09:45 hrs.

 

09:45 – 10:15 hrs.

  

Opening remarks by Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary, ESCAP

 

Opening remarks by Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director, UNOSSC

 

Welcome address by H.E. Mr. H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand

 

Photo-op to follow immediately

 

Viewing of the exhibition on “Good practices for the South-South cooperation”

 
 

10:15 – 10:30 hrs.

 

  

Coffee break

 

Overview Presentation:     Concepts, global processes, state of the South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific and the way forward

Time Programme
                   Venue: Conference Room 4, UNCC
10:30 – 11:00 hrs.

 

 Session objective: To provide an overview of the conceptual issues related to South-South and triangular cooperation, global perspectives on South-South and triangular cooperation, including BAPA+40, the current situation of South-South and triangular cooperation in Asia and the Pacific and the way forward.

 

Setting the scene: Overview presentation by Mr. Adnan Aliani, Director, Strategy and Programme Management Division, ESCAP, on behalf of ESCAP and UNOSSC

 

Session 1:             Round-table on Institutional arrangements and management of South-South and triangular cooperation

Time Programme
                       Venue: Conference Room 4, UNCC
11:00 – 12:30 hrs. Session objective: To take stock of the main issues that the South-South think tanks are working on and to enlist views of experts on some of these issues based on a set of questions compiled by workshop Secretariat and probing from the moderator.

 

Questions:

  • What are the issues in institutionalisation of South-South and triangular cooperation?
  • What is the comparative advantage of South-South and triangular cooperation?
  • Are the principles of South-South cooperation still relevant?
  • What are the main tools that have been developed for management and implementation of South-South and triangular cooperation?
  • Present and explore merits of approaches to enhance effective and practical ways of applying and scaling up South-South and triangular cooperation in the region.
  • What are the most relevant ways to create an enabling environment for a supporting institutional framework at regional and national levels for South-South and triangular cooperation?

 

Moderator:  Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, Research and Development System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi

 

Panel:

  • Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director, UNOSSC
  • Dato’ Ir. (Dr.) Lee Yee Cheong, Chairman, Governing Council, International Science Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC), Kuala Lumpur
  • Dr. Naruemon Thabchumpon, Assistant
    Professor, Centre for Social Development Studies, Faculty of
    Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
  • Mr. Hu Hongtao, Acting Executive Director Partners in Population and Development (PPD) Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Dr. Myonghee Kim, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Women’s Information Network Center (APWINC), Sookmyung Women’s University, Republic of Korea

 

Discussants: tbc

 
Venue: Public Foyer, Ground Floor, UNCC
 

12:30 – 13:30 hrs.

  

Lunch talk on” Financial Innovation for the SDGs: showcases of innovative financing solutions for the South”

 

*Buffet lunch is provided for all participants.

 

 
Session 2:              Modalities to strengthen regional and sub-regional cooperation through South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development 

Time Programme
                          Venue: Conference Room 4, UNCC
13:30 – 15:00 hrs. Session objective: To showcase some of the successful transformative South-South and triangular cooperation examples and good practices in Asia and the Pacific at the regional and sub-regional levels.

Questions:

·        What are the modalities to strengthen regional and sub-regional cooperation through South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development?

·        What roles could be played by the governmental/non-governmental organizations, the regional/sub-regional organizations and networks in strengthening the South-South and triangular cooperation?

  • What are the good practices, experiences and lessons learned from the South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific?

 

Moderator: Dr. Rathin Roy, Director, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), India

 

Panel:

  • Mr. Li Hong, Permanent Representative of China to ESCAP Mr. Ryutaro Murotani, Director, Deputy Head, Office for Global Issues and Development Partnership Operations Strategy Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan
  • Mr. Francois Martel, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Development Forum, Fiji
  • Ms. Lolita Bildan, Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES), Thailand
  • Dr. S.M. Junaid Zaidi, Executive Director, Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, Pakistan

 

Discussants: tbc

 
15:00 – 15:30 hrs. Coffee break

 

Session 3:            Multi-stakeholder partnerships to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation

Time Programme
                              Venue: Conference Room 4, UNCC
15:30 – 17:00 hrs. Session objectives:

  • To explore the growing partnerships with the involvement of multi stakeholders, including civil society, and the private sector in supporting South-South and triangular cooperation.
  • To identify the innovative ways and approaches to foster resource mobilization to further strengthen South-South cooperation through multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Question:

·      What innovations should be considered for your sector/organisation to play an enhanced role in implementing scaled up South-South and triangular cooperation towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals?

 

Introduction: UNDP SDGs Impact Finance

 

Moderator: Dr. Netithorn Praditsarn, Vice President, Group Sustainability
and Communications, Charoen Pokphand Group, Co. Ltd. and
Deputy Secretary-General, Global Compact Network Association (GCNA)

 

Panel:

  • Mr. Mitchell Lee, Deputy Director, Technical Cooperation Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore
  • Ms. Valerie Cliff, UNDP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and Pacific
  • Mr. Thomas Parks, Country Representative Asia Foundation, Thailand
  • Dr. Alex B. Brillantes Jr., President, Asian Association for Public Administration and Professor, National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Ms. Joyce Zhang, Vice Director-General of Finance Center for South-South Cooperation  Hong Kong

 

Discussants: tbc
17:15 – 20:00 hrs. Reception hosted by the Government of Thailand 

Venue: UNCC Hall, ground floor

 

DAY TWO: Thursday, 28 June 2018

 

Time Programme
 

 

 

08:00 hrs.

08:15 hrs.

 Departure from Bangkok

 

Meeting point: Buses will depart from two locations;

  1. 08:00 hrs. at the UN Conference Centre (outside  the main gate)
  2. 08:15 hrs. at the Sukosol Hotel (meet at lobby)

Dress Code: Light clothing and comfortable or walking shoes

 
09:00 – 11:00 hrs.

 

 

 

11:15 hrs.

 Field visit to “Khlong 6 Community Occupational Learning Center”Learning Center based on the application of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy

Venue: Khlong Hok, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province 

 

Departure for Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture in Pathum Thani Province

 
12:00 – 13:00 hrs. Lunch break

Venue: Gin Yoo Dee Restaurant at the Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang District, Pathum Thani Province 

 
13:15 – 14:00 hrs. Brief tour of the Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture

 

 

Session 4:                Approaches to sustainable development – alternative development models through South-South and triangular cooperation 

Time Programme
                                Venue: Meeting Room at the Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture
14:00 – 15:30 hrs. Session objective: To provide a platform for exchanging dialogue and advancing knowledge sharing on how alternative and home-grown development approaches or models contribute to the strengthening of South-South and triangular cooperation and the achievement of SDGs in the Asia and the Pacific region.

 

Questions:

  • What are the examples of existing alternative or home-grown development approaches and models to sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific? What are the models for partnership of multi-stakeholders involved in these approaches?
  • What have been the means for implementing the approaches or models for sharing with other countries through South-South and triangular Cooperation?
  • What are the underlying challenges and opportunities in adapting and scaling up the approaches through South-South and triangular cooperation?
  • How can these approaches and models be adapted to strengthen South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development?

 

Moderator: Associate Professor Krittinee Nuttavuthisit, Ph.D., Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University

 

Panel:

  • Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, Tui Macuata, Macuata Province of the Republic of Fiji
  • Ambassador Jose Maria Cariño, Chair-Alternate, Technical Cooperation Council of the Philippines, Republic of the Philippines
  • Mr. Jaesang Hwang, Director, Planning Team, Planning and Coordination Department, KOICA
  • Mr. Passang Dorji, Senior Planning Officer, Development Cooperation Division, Gross National Happiness Commission, Royal Government of Bhutan
  • Ms. Amornrut Det-Udomsap, Advisor on Sustainable Development to Director of L.P.N. Academy, L.P.N. Development Public Company Limited, and Thai Green Building Institute Committee

 

Discussants: tbc

 
16:00 hrs.

17:00 hrs.

 Departure for Bangkok

Estimated arrival in Bangkok

 

 

 

 

DAY THREE: Friday, 29 June 2018
Roundtable:        Asia-Pacific Forum for South-South and Triangular Cooperation

Time

 

 Programme
                                   Venue: Meeting Room F, UNCC
09:00 – 12:00 hrs.

 

 

 

10:30-10:45 hrs. Coffee break

 Session objectives:

·        What are the main challenges the South-South and triangular cooperation users face in Asia and the Pacific?

·        How to foster partnerships to create new South-South and triangular cooperation opportunities to deliver the 2030 Agenda?

·        What are the possible ways to improve coordination and collaboration among South-South Cooperation partners in the region?

·        How to increase information sharing on technical assistance provided to match it to the needs of the beneficiary and partner countries?

·        What could be the value-added and purpose of establishing annual dialogue of the Heads of the national South-South cooperation agencies and focal points through the regional DG Forum?

 

Chair: Ms. Suphatra Srimaitreephithak, Director-General, Thailand International Cooperation Agency

 

Presentation: Findings of the survey on South-South cooperation in Asia and the Pacific by ESCAP.

 

Roundtable discussion of the Heads of the development cooperation South-South cooperation agencies and units to address the questions above.

 
12:00 – 13:30 hrs. Lunch break

 

Closing session

Time Programme
                                 Venue: Conference Room 4, UNCC
13:30 – 15:00 hrs.
  • Presentation of the Chair’s Summary

 

  • Special closing address by Ms. Ana Valeria Ciuti, Director-General, International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Argentina on behalf of the host country of the United Nations High-Level Conference on South-South Cooperation in 2019

 

·        Closing remarks by Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary, ESCAP and Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation and Director, UNOSSC

 

·        Closing remarks by Chair and formal closure of the meeting

 
15:00 hrs. Close of the meeting

 

For more information, please visit:   www.unescap.org/events/regional-south-south-cooperation