30 November 2018: Opening the annual expo on south-south cooperation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted South-South cooperation as a key instrument for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while stressing that South-South cooperation is not meant to replace North-South cooperation nor to undermine the commitments made by Northern countries in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development (FfD).

The 10th annual Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) took place from 28-30 November 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. The UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) organized the Expo in partnership with more than 20 UN agencies and 100 partners, to showcase development initiatives in support of the 2030 Agenda. This year it highlighted the theme, ‘Showcasing Institutions Supporting South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Preparation for the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation.’

Together with the annual Directors-General Forum of national authorities, the Expo facilitated the building of substantive inputs prioritizing sustainability and inclusive growth in the lead-up to the High-level UN Conference on South-South Cooperation, also known as BAPA+40. Taking place approximately 40 years after the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, the Conference has been mandated by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in order to strengthen south-south cooperation. BAPA+40 will take place from 20-22 March 2019, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Speaking at the GSSD Expo, Guterres noted that intra-South trade is “higher than ever,” accounting for more than one quarter of all world trade, while foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows from the South represent one-third of global FDI flows. He welcomed the fact that the Expo is harnessing the power and potential of the South “for the common good,” while sharing homegrown Southern solutions for sustainable development and the SDGs. He invited a focus on empowering women and expanding opportunities for young people.

María Fernanda Espinosa Garces, UNGA President, said BAPA+40 will be “crucial” to renewing the foundations of international cooperation and reaffirming that South-South cooperation complements traditional cooperation, without substituting for it.

Audra Plepyté, Permanent Representative of Lithuania, and Adonia Ayebare, Permanent Representative of Uganda, are serving as co-facilitators for the BAPA+40 outcome document, and held a first meeting to seek the views of UN Member States on the outcome document on 27 November 2018. Intergovernmental negotiations on the outcome document are expected to continue until February 2019. Regional consultations took place on the GSSD Expo sidelines. [GSSD Expo Website][BAPA+40 Website][UN Press Release][UN Secretary-General Remarks]