25 April 2014: The Office of the President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has issued the background note for the thematic debate on ‘Contributions of North-South, South-South, Triangular Cooperation and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Development to the Implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.’ The debate will take place on 21-22 May 2014, in New York, US.

The background note provides an overview of the role of cooperation, collaboration, technology and knowledge transfer in the post-2015 development agenda, emphasizing South-South and Triangular Cooperation as a complement to North-South Cooperation, and the role of ICTs in achieving the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainable development.

The event’s first panel discussion will address strengthening all forms of cooperation, to promote economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Guiding questions focus on, inter alia: domestic resource mobilization, increased and smarter aid and private finance as foundations of a renewed global partnership for development; the needs of countries in special situations, Africa countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) as well as opportunities and challenges facing middle income countries (MICs); and the complementary role of cooperation in the global partnership for development, including on economic development, food security, industrialization and infrastructure development.

The second panel discussion will address using cooperation to achieve effective means of implementation for the post-2015 development agenda. Guiding questions focus on, inter alia: how international cooperation can enhance implementation, including capacity-building, development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies; financing for sustainable development and trade; mechanisms for increasing official development assistance (ODA) effectiveness and its impact in lifting people from extreme poverty and improving education, food security and health care; and safeguarding development gains, including by integrating resilience, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and related cooperation instruments in the post-2015 agenda. [UNGA President’s Website on Post-2015 Agenda and Related Events] [Publication: Background Note on the Contributions of North-South, South-South, Triangular Cooperation, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Development to the Implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda] [IISD Story on Concept Note]