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1
Promoting South-South Cooperation on Child Rights
in Asia-Pacific
United Nations Economic and Social Commissionfor Asia and the Pacific
High Level Meeting on Cooperation for Child Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region
Beijing, 4-6 November 2010
Overview
UN – global framework for South-South cooperation
ESCAP – Asia-Pacific platform for South-South cooperation
Opportunities to strengthen regional South-South cooperation on child rights
UN – global framework for SSC
Driven by developing countries – Group of 77
Key modality for UN, including for MDG achievement
Reflects increasing role of developing countries in UN
Based on principles of:
‘Partnership amongst equals, based on solidarity’
National sovereignty, ownership, leadership and freedom from conditionality
Complements other forms of international cooperation
(e.g. North-South)
UN – global framework for SSC (Cont’d) Underpinned by international commitments:
Buenos Aires Plan of Action & New Directions Strategy for Technical Cooperation among Development Countries (1978)
Nairobi Outcome Document from UN High Level Meeting on SSC (December 2009)
Supported by Special Unit for South-South Cooperation & SSC national focal points
Regional Commissions – regional platform for promoting SSC
ESCAP – regional arm of UN for Asia-Pacific Part of UN Secretariat
62 member states – 58 are regional members
Most comprehensive UN regional platform dedicated to development
Covers world’s most populous region - two thirds of humanity
Members range from world’s largest to some of smallest
ESCAP – regional arm of UN for Asia-Pacific Fosters:
regional cooperation to promote social and economic development
normative, analytical & technical cooperation work of regional nature
Exercises regional intergovernmental convening power
Mandated by ECOSOC to coordinate regional UN system work in economic and social sectors
Focuses on multi-disciplinary responses
Platform for South-South cooperation in Asia-Pacific
ESCAP member States called for:
Stronger leadership in ‘promoting South-South cooperation as a key instrument or enhancing development assistance in the region’
Almaty Declaration, May 2007
Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d)
Annual Commission session (ministerial)
8 Committees on thematic areas
Ministerial Conferences/High-Level Meetings on specific themes & issues
ESCAP Intergovernmental Conference
Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) Intergovernmental dialogue & consensus building on
transnational issues
Development of shared priorities & regional solutions to common problems
Policy advocacy & options
Analysis of regional trends, issues, gaps & policy options (joint MDG Report with ADB and UNDP; Annual Statistical Survey)
Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) Links with sub-regional processes – SAARC, ASEAN, PIF,
SPC, ECO, SCO
Access to experience of other regions through 4 other Regional Commissions
Ability to link Asian & Pacific experience
Links with civil society & other stakeholders at regional level
Priority on LDCs, LLDCs & Pacific island developing countries
Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) ESCAP work programme –
focus on: inclusive & sustainable
development addressing development
gaps, including MDG achievement
regional connectivity
Capacity development through:
sharing of good practice, knowledge & lessons
technical cooperation
SSC in Asia-Pacific – regional context
Increasing momentum & dynamism for SSC
Reinforced by triple crises (economic, food and fuel)
Brings increased opportunities for scaling-up
Diversity of ESCAP members - rich opportunities for sharing good practices, experience, knowledge and skills
Rise of ‘pivotal counties’ within region – e.g. China, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand
Potential for increased triangular cooperation
SSC for child rights in Asia-Pacific
Focus of SSC to date on trade, ICT, transport
Growing cooperation in other areas –disaster risk reduction, environment, gender, disability, migration, social protection
Potential for increased SSC on child rights at regional level
Conference offers opportunity
ESCAP as intergovernmental platform
SSC for child rights – foundations to build on
Existing sub-regional cooperation
SAARC, ASEAN, PIF, SPC, ECO, SCO
transnational initiatives (e.g. migration, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS)
Important to building on existing momentum, including:
Foundations to build on
Recent ESCAP initiatives which mainstream child rights & protection: Gender – Beijing + 15 review, November
2009 International migration – High Level
Meeting, September 2010 Statistics capacity building – VAW
statistics workshop, September 2010 Disability –Committee on Social
Development , October 2010 Social protection – Stakeholder
Consultation, October 2010
Way Forward on SCC for child rights
Governments prioritize child rights within ESCAP policy processes
Further mainstream into existing regional SSC initiatives
Build on existing sub-regional initiatives and role of pivotal countries
Increase triangular cooperation
Prioritise child rights within regional analysis, including on MDGs
Way Forward
Strengthen national statistical capacity to inform policy & programmes, including at regional level
Increase engagement of civil society in SCC for child rights at regional level
Document & disseminate good practices in regional SSC for application in other areas, including child rights
Strengthen focus on results
‘Now, more than ever, is the time to focus on innovative South-South cooperation, as the
challenges we face collectively can only be overcome together’
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonMessage for UN Day for South-South cooperation, December 2007
Thank you