Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows among countries of the global South is on the rise, despite the ongoing volatility of global financial markets, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation.
Ban also highlighted the Southern Climate Partnership Incubator, a project facility launched by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation and the Office of the Secretary-General, which aims to support cooperation for climate action by developing countries.
12 September 2016: Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows among countries of the global South is on the rise, despite the ongoing volatility of global financial markets, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation. Ban also highlighted the Southern Climate Partnership Incubator, a project facility launched by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation and the Office of the Secretary-General, which aims to support cooperation for climate action by developing countries.
Ban noted that the major international agreements of 2015, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change, include commitments on South-South cooperation, and he said full implementation of these commitments will be needed to fully achieve development aims.
International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder noted that the goal of decent work is deeply embedded in the 2030 Agenda. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 calls to “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.” Ryder said SDG 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development) references South-South cooperation in relation to technology access and innovation, capacity building, and overall implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and he called on countries to step up cooperation in this regard as “the smart thing to do.” He highlighted the ILO’s work in establishing gender-sensitive social protection floors in countries in Africa and Asia, and the activities of the South-South network against child labor in Latin America.
UN Day for South-South Cooperation has been celebrated yearly since 1978, following the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries. [UN Press Release] [UN Day for South-South Cooperation Website] [UN Secretary-General’s Message] [ILO Director-General’s Message] [IISD RS Story on Launch of Southern Climate Partnership Incubator]