Asia and the Pacific is the world’s economic powerhouse. The tremendous economic, social, and technological progress over the last 50 years has led to many successes. People’s average income levels have more than tripled, and life expectancy at birth has increased from 46 to 75 years. This progress has enabled the region’s developing countries to be recipients of development cooperation, and active partners in providing technical assistance, innovation, and finance for sustainable development, to other countries in the South.
The twelve stories in this publication showcase the depth and breadth of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, across Asia and the Pacific. They illustrate how two or more developing countries, from within the region and beyond, are working to achieve development priorities. The examples also demonstrate how UNDP has played a pivotal role in these partnerships; helping countries share knowledge, expertise, development solutions, and resources.
These promising connections driven by a common pursuit for peace, prosperity and protecting the planet, have fueled South-South and Triangular Cooperation initiatives, in Asia and the Pacific. For instance, UNDP built tertiary access roads to support Afghan farmers’ desire to access markets in Tajikistan. Indonesia’s peace and reconciliation efforts led to an exchange of organic farming methods with Timorese farmers; helping them to improve production, livelihoods, and nutrition. The visit of officials from Bhutan to the Philippines resulted in its government exploring innovative financing instruments, to protect biodiversity in Bhutan.
The most powerful examples of South-South Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific are driven by digital technologies that are transforming governments’ work and people’s access to services. Bangladesh’s ‘Access to Information’ project – a2i – has inspired the Philippines, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Somalia to reform public service delivery. And Papua New Guinea’s “Phones Against Corruption” initiative has demonstrated how governments can create connections, and scale services to help reach the most marginalized and remote communities while cutting costs and enhancing accountability.
For more information, please see the full report attached below.
The content was originally posted on http://www.asia-pacific.undp.org
Photo Credit: Famile Pinksterbos
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in this article and the report are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the SDG Philanthropy Platform. The SDG Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that connects philanthropy with knowledge and networks that can deepen collaboration, leverage resources and sustain impact, driving SDG delivery within national development planning. It by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Brach Family Charitable Foundation, and many others.