A Year at the Helm of the United Nations General Assembly: A Vision for Our Century by Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser

Author:Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser [Al-Nasser, Nassir Abdulaziz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781479862009
Google: 6TrxAwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 21927647
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 2014-08-22T00:00:00+00:00

South-South Cooperation

South-South cooperation is based on a philosophy of solidarity—solidarity that unites developing countries through partnerships and alliances, so that they may gain an effective voice in the international arena as they negotiate and advance their shared interests.

South-South relations are gaining significant importance on the development landscape. In recent decades, both the potential and the prospects of the global South have improved markedly. This rise is reflected in increased resources, life expectancy, school attendance, and other indicators of human well-being. The emergence of the South has led to a significant shift in the geopolitical balance. However, the full realization of this potential requires good governance and more South-South cooperation.

There are now stronger South-South ties in the form of regional and subregional organizations, such as the African Union, the South American Community of Nations, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and ASEAN, to name but a few. These regional arrangements also provide useful forums for development activities and should be further enhanced. Such cooperation can be challenging yet remains essential.

One of the particular strengths of South-South cooperation is its framework for countries to pool their human, financial, and other resources to meet shared development needs. We have been pleased to witness the numerous jobs created owing to growing flows of South-South trade, investment, remittances, and development assistance.

I had the honor of presiding over the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation between 2007 and 2009 and am proud to have concluded my term of office with the successful adoption of the Nairobi outcome document in December 2009.67 I am pleased to know that the Special Unit has, on behalf of the secretary-general, prepared the framework of operational guidelines for use by United Nations entities and agencies in implementing the Nairobi outcome document.

I have also had the privilege to personally witness the establishment of the SS-GATE and attended three of the Annual Global South-South Development Expos, which the Special Unit organized with the support and participation of more than twenty UN entities.68

In December 2011, I attended the 2011 Global South-South Development Expo in Rome. The experience strengthened my conviction that South-South and triangular cooperation, backed by adequate funding, are key tools for tackling the development challenges of our time. Among such challenges, guaranteeing food security for all is paramount, and I commend 2011’s South-South Expo for focusing on food security.

The South-South Expo offered an opportunity to examine holistic approaches to food security. We exchanged lessons learned and showcased successful Southern strategies and technologies for, among other things, improving agricultural productivity, increasing social protection and building the resilience of the most vulnerable, managing fragile ecosystems, improving nutrition, and combating diseases.

We also looked at renewable energy sources and agribusiness models that are working to put sufficient nutritious food on the table. Many Southern countries have lifted millions of people out of conditions of extreme poverty and hunger. Their knowledge and technical knowhow can be put to further good use through enhanced South-South exchanges of information, experience, and technology, with a view to raising agricultural productivity and to improving food distribution to the benefit of more populations.

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