New York, USA/Jeddah, KSA, 6 March 2024: South-South cooperation has emerged as an important development cooperation modality for many of today’s largest development challenges and should be seen as a critical complement to North-South Cooperation.

A Global Advocacy Dialogue Series was launched Wednesday by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to explore the latest development and partnerships trends focusing on the innovative and evolving nature of South-South and triangular cooperation.

The first dialogue in the IsDB-UNOSSC series – organized together with the Government of Portugal – introduced the potential for triangular cooperation to accelerate sustainable development, as an important bridge between South-South and North-South cooperation.

“This new Global Advocacy Dialogue Series represents a unique opportunity to bolster our collective efforts,” said UNOSSC Director Ms. Dima Al-Khatib. “Together we are sharing experiences, finding creative solutions to the challenges we face, and fostering a spirit of partnership that brings sustainable development within reach.”

Delivering his opening remarks, Dr. Mansur Muhtar, Vice President of Operations, IsDB said, “The current Global Advocacy Dialogue Series is a timely initiative that casts light on South-South and triangular cooperation for sustainable development as one of the most important topics.” He added that, “IsDB as a South-South Multilateral Development Bank, with a pivotal role to play in furthering the global advocacy agenda on South-South and triangular cooperation.”

“Triangular cooperation fosters global solidarity and is complementary to South-South cooperation,” said H.E. Ms. Ana Paula Zacarias, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN. “As we move toward the SIDS Summit in May, LLDC3 in June, the Summit of the Future in September, and the negotiations for Financing for Development in June 2025, today’s dialogue is very timely and helpful.” Portugal is a leading advocate for triangular cooperation among the DAC members, having numerous agreements on triangular cooperation and an annual event on the subject. A number of DAC members – including Canada, Czechia, Japan, Germany, Hungary and Portugal – have integrated triangular cooperation into their existing frameworks and collaboration agendas.

Noting that advocacy is essential to move toward a common understanding triangular cooperation, Dr. Issa Faye, Director General, Global Practice and Partnerships, IsDB stated, “We, at the Islamic Development Bank, believe in the power of South-South and triangular cooperation, and we have been a global advocate for it since 1983.”

Panelists from Germany, Portugal, and Republic of Korea discussed definitions and funding mechanisms of triangular cooperation and shared existing good practices and models.

Experts highlighted policy recommendations emerging from two recent studies: the Joint OECD-IsDB Report Global Perspectives on Triangular Cooperation; and the UNOSSC study, Triangular Cooperation with the Arab Region: Policies, Perspectives and Practices of Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Members.

Partners also provided initial inputs toward the shaping of a new Triangular Cooperation Window within the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation, managed by UNOSSC.

The Dialogue was attended by over 130 participants representing various partners and stakeholders.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is a multilateral development financial institution with 57 Member Countries and a mandate of delivering sustainable socio-economic development in Member Countries and Muslim communities worldwide. For more information, visit our website at: isdb.org

UNOSSC, hosted by UNDP since 1974, 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. For more information, visit our website at: unsouthsouth.org

For further enquiries: Mr. Mithre J. Sandrasagra, Communications Specialist, UNOSSC, mithre.sandrasagra@unossc.org; Mr. Musa Fadl Alla, Senior Internal Communication Specialist, IsDB, mfadlalla@isdb.org