Developing Countries Call for Further South-South Cooperation

The three-day High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation has kicked off at the UN Office in Nairobi, Kenya. On the overarching theme of "Promotion of South-South Cooperation for Development", the conference calls for strengthening the role of the UN system in supporting South-South and trilateral cooperation and the solidarity among the developing countries to tackle the current global financial crisis and climate change.

CRI Nairobi correspondent Wei Tong has the details.

The conference marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among developing countries. The attending UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro hails the positive results the South-South Cooperation has achieved in the past three decades in promoting the development of countries and improving the livelihoods of its peoples.

"One of the most important successes we celebrate today is the lifting of millions of women, men and children out of extreme poverty. This has happened across the South. We have also seen a number of developing countries achieve the fastest pace of economic growth in human history."

Migiro adds the new southern poles of growth now exist in trade, finance and technology, signaling the emergence of a new community of countries with formidable economic strength and tremendous potential to advance their well-being further. She calls for the international community to welcome higher South-South investments in agriculture, education, health and infrastructure development, particularly in least-developed Africa.

Secretary-General of the high-level conference, UN Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark urged the developing world to enhance technical exchanges, trade and investments so as to tackle the myriad of challenges.

"It is well recognized that the knowledge, skills and technical expertise which can be exchanged through South-South cooperation are in many cases those most suitable to meeting the development challenges faced by others in the South. For example, in the context of the economic crisis, many have looked elsewhere in the South for relevant models of social protection which could be adapted to their own circumstances."

Chinese ambassador to Kenya Deng Hongbo presented three suggestions for the future development of South-South Cooperation and reiterated China's committed stands in supporting South-South Cooperation.

"First, the international community shall enhance support to South-South Cooperation especially in fundraising and technical exchanges. Second, the United Nations shall give full play to its advantages in mobilizing and coordinating developing countries to achieve solidarity and common development. Third, developed and developing nations shall strengthen communication and discuss ways of achieving South-South-North trilateral cooperation. Last but not least, China will actively promote the South-South cooperation process and develop good relations with the developing world."

The term South-South Cooperation originated from the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference in 1955. It describes the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries, also known as countries of the global South.

Wei Tong, CRI news.