57548 DEVELOPMENT Outreach P U T T I N G K N O W L E D G E T O W O R K F O R D E V E L O P M E N T O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 MARY MCNEIL ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOUNDING EDITOR EDITORIAL BOARD he road to development is no longer a one-way SWAMINATHAN S. AIYAR T street; and top down development assistance isn't the "only game in town." Ideas as well as financial flows are traveling across borders from South ECONOMIC TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI, INDIA MICHAEL COHEN NEW SCHOOL UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, USA PAUL COLLIER to South, and even South to North. In a multipolar world OXFORD UNIVERSITY, OXFORD, UK development has become multidirectional. JOHN GAGE In a recent speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center, World PARTNER, KLEINER PERKINS Bank President Robert Zoellick noted that development JOSEPH K. INGRAM PRESIDENT, THE NORTH-SOUTH INSTITUTE, CANADA is no longer about ideology, but "about pragmatism, KWAME KARIKARI learning from experience, recognizing how markets EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDIA FOUNDATION FOR WEST AFRICA, and business opportunities change, sharing ideas, and ACCRA, GHANA connecting knowledge, just as we connect markets, VIRA NANIVSKA DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR POLICY STUDIES across innovative networks." KYIV, UKRAINE This issue of Development Outreach takes stock of some PEPI PATRON CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY, LIMA, PERU new and existing models of Southern-led and Triangular cooperation and knowledge exchange. We J. ROBERT S. PRICHARD GOVERNOR, CANADIAN UNITY COUNCIL know the models are shifting when Mexico exports an RAFAEL RANGEL SOSTMANN innovative poverty reduction tool to New York City, and MONTERREY TECH UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, MONTERREY, MEXICO Brazil increases its humanitarian aid by 20-fold over a Development OUTREACH is published three times a year by the World three-year period (The Economist, July 2010). Bank Institute and reflects issues arising from the World Bank's many learning programs. Articles are solicited that offer a range of viewpoints Countries of the South want to learn from those who have from a variety of authors worldwide and do not represent official positions climbed out of the trenches, who speak the same language, of the World Bank or the views of its management. who have grappled with the same problems. The challenge JOHN P. DIDIER now is to connect, coordinate, and capture the useable ACTING EXECUTIVE EDITOR knowledge and experiences that will help shape and take JUNKO SAITO MANAGING EDITOR these new models to scale, which means learning more about what works and what doesn't. The multilateral MOIRA RATCHFORD PUBLICATION DESIGN development banks and others in the development com- PHOTO CREDITS munity such as NEPAD in Africa, ASEAN in Asia, and the Unless otherwise noted, all images from Newscom. OAS in Latin America, can help create the space for this-- Cover: Naylor Design, Inc., Washington, DC; Page 2: Tian physically and virtually--by connecting, brokering, docu- Ye/Xinhua/Photoshot; Page 4: Simone D. McCourtie / World Bank; Page 6: Mario Vazqueza/AFP/Getty Images; Page 7: Indranil Mukher- menting, and sharing the knowledge born of success (and Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images; Page 8: The United Nations/Flickr; failure) that can make solutions travel. Page 10: Alfredo Srur/The World Bank; Page 12: OECD Photo/Benjamin Renout; Page 13: Khamis Ramadhan /PANAPRESS / MAXPPP; Articles in this issue present stakeholder perspectives Page 14: x10/ZUMA Press; Page 16: Stringer/AFP/Getty Images; on South-South cooperation from regional organiza- Page 19: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images; Page 22: Kyodo/Newscom; Page 23: Amos Gumulira/AFP/Getty Images; Page 25: Rajesh tions, nongovernmental, and multilateral agencies. The Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images; Page 27: Wang Qibo /Xinhua/Photoshot; final section of the magazine offers examples of SSC in Pages 30-31: Comision Trinacional del Plan Trifinio; Page 32: practice, including summary cases prepared for the x99/ZUMA Press; Page 35: PALAMA; Page 38: Pnud / PANAPRESS / MAXPPP; Page 41: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images; Page 43: GDLN; Bogotá High Level Event on South-South Cooperation Page 45: x99/ZUMA Press; Page 51: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images; and Capacity Development. Page 52: Xinhua/Photoshot; Aizar Raldes/AFP/Getty Images; Page 53: Oliver M. Gruer-Lavin/Flickr; Kataumi Kasahara /AFP/Getty Images; As this issue's guest editors point out, the new models of Page 54: Stan Honda /AFP/Getty Images; Page 55: Tran Thi Hoa/ South-South cooperation are being driven by a "dou- The World Bank; Page 56: Francis R. Malasig /AFP/Getty Images; Page 57: Mark Navales / AFP/Getty Images. ble-sided demand"--the demand to learn and the demand to share knowledge, coming together in a This magazine is printed on recycled paper, with vegetable-based inks. happy convergence of interests. With strong leadership ISSN 1020-797X © 2010 The World Bank Institute and commitment by all stakeholders, South-South cooperation can unleash the power of regional and local knowledge and forge best-fit development solutions. World Bank Institute www.worldbank.org/wbi Sanjay Pradhan www.worldbank.org/devoutreach John P. Didier Vice President The World Bank ACTING EXECUTIVE EDITOR 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433, USA DEVELOPMENT Outreach VOLUME T W E LV E , NUMBER TWO OCTOBER 2010 PAGE 4 PAGE 22 PAGE 45 SPECIAL REPORT SOUTH-SOUTH OPPORTUNITY PRACTICES 2 The South-South Opportunity 30 South-South Learning in the Trifinio S A N J AY P R A D H A N Region: Transforming borderlands into 4 South Meets South: Enriching the areas of peace and development development menu JAIME A. MIRANDA, KARIN SLOWING UMAÑA, AND JULIO CÉSAR RAUDALES Guest Editorial HAN FRAETERS, ENRIQUE MARURI 32 China's International Poverty Reduction Center as a Platform for South-South PERSPECTIVES Learning Z H O N G W U , P H I L K A R P A N D YA N WA N G 7 Rise of the Global South and Its Impact on South-South Cooperation 35 Developing the Capacity of Post-Conflict HARDEEP S. PURI Countries through South-South Partnerships 10 Aid Effectiveness: Why does it matter to D R . S A L O S H I N I M U T H AYA N partners in South-South cooperation? ANGEL GURRÍA 38 The Power of Parliamentary South-South Learning: Fighting small arms in the Great 13 South-South Mutual Learning: A priority Lakes Region and Horn of Africa for national capacity development in Africa JEFF BALCH D R . I B R A H I M A S S A N E M AYA K I 41 Helping Latin America Help Itself: 16 South-South Knowledge Exchange as a South-South cooperation as an innovative Tool for Capacity Development development tool TA L A AT A B D E L - M A L E K PA M E L A C O X 19 South-South Knowledge Exchange: 43 Making South-South Happen: Ten years A natural agenda for Latin America and the of knowledge exchange through the Global Caribbean Development Learning Network STEFFEN SOULEJMAN JANUS AND MOR SECK AMBASSADOR ALFONSO QUIÑONEZ 22 Triangular Cooperation: Opportunities, 45 Asia's Deepening Regionalism Brings risks, and conditions for effectiveness Shared Prosperity R A J AT M . N A G GUIDO ASHOFF 25 South-South Cooperation and Knowledge THE BOGOTÁ PROCESS Exchange: A perspective from civil society ANABEL CRUZ 48 The Bogotá Spirit: South-South peers 27 Managing Knowledge in Organizations: and partners at the practice-policy nexus Summary of an interview with Marshall NILS-SJARD SCHULZ Van Alstyne and Hind Benbya AARON LEONARD THE SOUTH-SOUTH OPPORTUNITY BY SANJAY PRADHAN AS YOU OPEN THIS ISSUE of Development Outreach, I invite you to join me in a vision of the future. Imagine, just a few years from now, a developing country official who is struggling with a difficult problem: perhaps rein- tegrating demobilized soldiers back into their communities that have been torn by conflict, or helping the desperately poor climb out of poverty through targeted assistance programs. She taps into a series of online platforms that enable her not only to describe and measure the problem precisely, but also to instantaneously identify how five other countries have tackled a similar challenge in different ways. Imagine that she has access to user-friendly summaries of each country's reform program and its outcomes. She then connects electronically with her counterpart from the country with the most relevant experience, who is eager to share his knowledge. Together they get the right people involved, design an action plan of country visits, videoconfer- ences, and detailed technical consultations. And imagine that for all this, financing is available--and quick, either from her country's budget or from a rapid-response trust fund. Our practitioner then implements reforms to tackle her chal- lenge and reports back on the results, so that others can in turn benefit from her experience and provide feedback. Now imagine that hundreds of these South-South exchanges The Entebbe-Changsha Model Primary School in Entebbe, are taking place through a global platform that enables countries Uganda, was jointly funded by to quickly learn about how others have tackled pressing develop- Changsha City of central China's ment challenges. And imagine that these exchanges are taking Hunan Province, the Ugandan place not just South-South, but North-South and South-North, as government and the municipal government of Entebbe. countries seek to learn about innovations around the globe. This is of course the vision of an ideal future. But the power of South-South cooperation and experience exchange is very real and various models are being refined around the globe. The enormous collective potential of scaled-up South-South cooper- ation and capacity building could be transformative. But right now most examples consist of relatively ad hoc initiatives. SO HOW CAN WE TURN OUR VISION INTO REALITY? Team on South-South cooperation, describes how that remarkable event, which took place in March 2010, was a major milestone in This issue of Development Outreach, "The South-South Opportunity," scaling up the South-South agenda. is one small contribution to that cause. It is an attempt both to cap- I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to the authors and edi- ture the state of the South-South agenda today and to provide tors of this issue. South-South cooperation can indeed be a valu- inspiration for the development community as we move ahead with able complement to traditional North-South cooperation. Let us the dream. join forces to unleash its transformative power by forging a new The first section on Perspectives introduces the key players, the generation of instruments for South-South cooperation in the serv- agenda, and current thinking. The following section on Practices is ice of poverty reduction. an overview of South-South learning in action. The last section on the Bogota High-Level Event on South-South Cooperation and Capacity Sanjay Pradhan is Vice President of the World Bank Institute. Development, and the evidence gathered by the international Task SPECIAL REPORT South Meets South Enriching the development menu Guest Editorial has the potential to create thousands of quality jobs for its young people. But to do so, it must nurture the right skills. BY ENRIQUE MARURI AND HAN FRAETERS Where can these be found? We immediately think of India as the natural choice. A AFRICAN COUNTRIES, like Nigeria, with an emerging infor- world leader in IT and related services, India employs some 10 mation technology (IT) industry, are examples of how global- million people in the industry and generates about US$50 bil- ization has opened up vast new opportunities. Information lion a year in IT exports. Yet, only 20 years ago it was a low- technology and business process outsourcing is a multibillion income agricultural economy, much like Nigeria today. India dollar talent-driven industry with a market that is still has the know-how and experience in how to build a business untapped. Africa is keen on exploring this new frontier which process outsourcing industry. They understand the manage- PERSPECTIVES World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a champion of South-South knowledge exchange, was instrumental in creating the South-South Experience Exchange Trust Fund. 4 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE ment processes, they have the firms that can assess and The South-South agenda has seen a remarkable surge in address the skill gaps with high-quality training, and they recent years. First of all, the management of global public have developed a successful industry association. So India's goods has gained importance, some of which depend mainly trajectory resonates with Africa's ambitions. And what's on actions by Southern countries. Secondly, in the aftermath more: India is interested in sharing its experience. of the global economic crisis, deep changes are underway in international relations and global governance. Developing Double-sided demand countries are acquiring more voice and influence. This new inclusiveness is neatly reflected in the G20. In this swiftly T H I S H A P P Y C O N V E R G E N C E O F I N T E R E S T S opens powerful changing world with multiple poles of growth across the globe, opportunities for South-South Knowledge Exchange. Let's the G20 offers an opportunity to countries like Brazil, call it the power of double demand: the desire to learn and the Indonesia and South Africa, to place the South-South agenda desire to share. Countries from all income levels want to learn at the forefront of the global development debate, which will from the practical experiences of their peers: the practices intensify as the 2015 deadline for the Millennium that work and the pitfalls to avoid. Practitioners want to be Development Goals approaches. connected to each other across countries and regions. It stems from a belief that development solutions work best when they Multipolar sources of knowledge are designed with peers and partners who have faced, or are facing, similar challenges. South-South Knowledge Exchange IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT that the exchange of knowledge and is about the power of peer learning, about ownership, and experience has an enormous potential role to play in the about the diversity of development choices. emerging global development architecture. Today, answers to But developing countries do not only want to learn from the development challenges can come from anywhere. Many experiences of others. They also want to share their own. developing countries have designed and implemented solu- Especially for middle-income countries (MICs), this offers an tions that have no precedent in the "rich world." Look at the opportunity to be providers of development cooperation, to microfinance models in countries like Bangladesh and become active players in the global development architecture. Indonesia, some of the rapid bus transit systems in Colombia In countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa and or Brazil, or the use of mobile technologies for all kinds of Colombia, South-South has become a key component of their services in Africa and elsewhere. Those same developing foreign policy and development plans. It opens markets, helps countries are building strong and reputable academic institu- validate locally developed solutions, facilitates regional and tions and development think tanks. This has huge implica- subregional integration processes, and links institutions and tions for the diversity, sources, and availability of develop- communities with common interests, both within and across ment knowledge and experience. regions. In 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited Toluca, Mexico to learn about the Oportunidades Program and Picking up speed Conditional Cash Transfers as a means of combating inner-city poverty. Brazil is helping many Latin American countries to S O U T H - S O U T H C O O P E R A T I O N , usually defined as the establish "human milk banks," and Cuba provides know-how exchange of resources, technology and knowledge between in literacy programs to a major donor like Spain. It is clear that developing countries, has been going on for more than 50 the Western monopoly on development expertise has come to years. It was first promoted by the United Nations, mainly an end. In today's world, useable knowledge can travel in any among the G-77, a coalition of developing countries that looks direction: South-South, South-North, East-West, you name it. after the joint economic interests of its members and helps The term "South-South Cooperation" will soon be passé. increase their negotiating power. So what will it take to deliver on this transformative agen- Today, South-South Cooperation involves a complex da that we like to call the South-South Opportunity? This oppor- mosaic of governmental and nongovernmental actors, and tunity is a challenge presented to us--the development com- instruments ranging from one-off activities to budget support munity--by the changing global context: a challenge to invest and large-scale loans. The World Bank estimates that, in in a more demand-driven model of cooperation that pro- 2008, South-South Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) account- motes horizontal relationships, invests in local capacity, and ed for one third of the total $780 billion of FDI going to devel- moves away from one-size-fits-all solutions? First of all, it oping countries, and the proportion is growing. South-South certainly means that direct exchanges between countries at also plays an increasingly relevant role in development coop- various stages of development should become the rule rather eration: in 2008, the UN ECOSOC estimated that bilateral than the exception. Secondly, it is not just about doing more, development partners in developing countries contributed but about doing it right. And finally, this agenda belongs to us $12 to 15 billion in concessional financing and export credit to all. We all have key roles to play. other developing countries. And, although difficult to quanti- Let's go back for a moment to Nigeria and its desire to learn fy in financial figures, it is clear that technical cooperation from India how to build an IT outsourcing industry. An and knowledge exchange have become very prominent among exchange did take place in 2009, which resulted in a plan to the growing group of middle-income countries. develop an Industry Association in Nigeria, modeled after the O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 5 existing one in India. However, this exchange happened only We're all in it together because of a set of brokering mechanisms that connected the desire to share with the desire to learn. In this case, it was the F I N A L L Y , W E A L L N E E D to take this agenda forward. multidonor South-South Experience Exchange Trust Fund, Countries on the supply side need to document their develop- hosted at the World Bank, which heard the demand, helped ment experiences and make them ready for export. On the mobilize the supply, and provided the funding. But there was demand side, countries need to embed horizontal cooperation also NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development), in their development plans, and to articulate their learning which, through its e-Africa Commission, played a key role in needs carefully. Regional and global multilaterals should identifying and articulating the demand. Multiple brokering mainstream South-South approaches in their business lines mechanisms are emerging at the local, regional, and global and develop funding and brokering mechanisms for low-and levels, and this is good. It is wrong to think that one "killer middle-income countries, and for short-term as well as application" will one day solve all South-South brokering longer-term projects. Traditional donors need to become requirements. We need a thriving market of South-South bro- fully aware of the unique win-win opportunity to develop kers, who operate in an open, transparent, and self-coordi- capacity in one country to thereby affect more sustainable nating way. IT, including the social media, can help the change in another country, and they need to adapt their coop- demand find the supply and make the exchanges happen once eration strategies accordingly. Parliamentarians and Civil the match is made. Society Organizations can ensure that governmental peer As we take South-South exchanges to scale, we need to keep learning fosters democratic ownership and human rights. taking stock of what works and what doesn't. The assumption is Academia and the private sector can help enrich the agenda that South-South, when designed with respect for local leader- and engage more with governments and other stakeholders. ship, and implemented with accountability among those Above all, it is up to the countries of the South to realize the involved, leads to more sustainable solutions and strengthens transformative power of this agenda. This is not about recy- local capacity. But without hard evidence on the comparative cling the mistakes of the past. This is about a new approach to advantage of South-South we will not be able to influence the development that fosters solutions that meet local needs, global agenda. The work being done by the United Nations build on local capacity, and are rooted in transparency and Development Cooperation Forum, the DAC-Working Party on mutual accountability. Only then can we deliver on the South- Aid Effectiveness, together with the work of the Task Team on South Opportunity. South-South Cooperation, and other regional and subregional platforms and initiatives, is critical. Equally important are the Enrique Maruri is Head of the Technical Secretariat of the initiatives to mainstream South-South Knowledge Exchange International Task Team on South-South Cooperation. practices in development organizations. Han Fraeters is Manager of the Knowledge Exchange Practice at the World Bank Institute. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks with Beatriz Zavala, Mexican Minister of Social Development during a visit to learn about the governmental program "Opportunities" (Oportunidades), which aims to deliver economic support to low-income people. 6 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT Rise of the Global South and Its Impact on South-South Cooperation BY HARDEEP S. PURI Dramatic strides have been made in reduction of absolute poverty levels from 1.8 billion in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2005,1 OV E R T H E PA S T T WO D E C A D E S , a fundamental transforma- led primarily by the efforts of China and India. This has been tion has taken place in the global economy caused by the possible because of the combined impact of rapid GDP growth impressive economic growth of developing countries like and large-scale targeted development interventions. China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. The economic center of Developing countries today hold more than US$5 trillion in gravity is inexorably moving toward the developing South. The foreign exchange reserves, which is nearly double the amount remarkable upsurge in cooperation between developing held by affluent countries.2 In 2007, no fewer than 85 develop- countries, characterized as South-South cooperation, must be ing countries recorded per capita income growth faster than understood as part of this larger story. the OECD average of 2.75 percent.3 India and China have sus- PERSPECTIVES South African International Relations Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, inspects the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano, during a 2010 visit to India aimed at boosting trade ties. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 7 tained average growth four times faster than the OECD coun- Arabia, Brazil, South Africa, Venezuela, and Malaysia also have tries in the present decade. According to the International large technical and development assistance initiatives. Energy Agency, China surpassed the United States to become A greater push toward regional and subregional integra- the world's largest energy consumer in 2009.4 tion, enhanced trade and investment flows, and greater devel- Structurally, there has been a shift of manufacturing opment assistance flows are the visible signs of this invigorat- capacity to Asia which has emerged as the engine of growth in ed cooperation between developing countries. For instance, the beginning of this century. Developing countries are grad- South-South trade has grown on an average by 13 percent ually moving up the global value chain. Further, the techno- every year since 1995, accounting for 20 percent of world logical capacity of developing countries has grown by leaps trade in 2007.6 Asia accounts for over 75 percent of such trade. and bounds. According to one estimate, about 40 percent of South-South investment has shown similar dynamism the world's researchers are in Asia!5 Developing nations can creating new engines of growth. Outward Chinese FDI is in the tap into a whole spectrum of technical know-how within their region of US$1 trillion. Multinational companies from India, ranks. New centers of technical excellence have sprouted up Brazil, and South Africa are also stretching beyond their bor- that are being nurtured to accelerate socioeconomic progress. ders in greater numbers and leaving their mark in Africa, The growing economic clout of emerging economies has also Asia, and Latin America. The Indian conglomerate Tata has translated into their enhanced participation and stronger emerged as the second largest investor in Sub-Saharan Africa. voice in the global governance architecture, the G-20 at the The intensification of South-South exchanges under the level of Heads of State/Government being a case in point. broad rubric of technical and economic cooperation has meant that its share in overall development cooperation flows Dynamism in South-South Cooperation has risen to about 10 percent or US$17 billion of total develop- ment cooperation flows at the end of 2009. In fact, South- C O O P E R AT I O N A M O N G S T developing countries has risen to South flows registered an increase of 63 percent between unprecedented levels since the decade of the nineties fuelled 2006 and 2008.7 by the growing prosperity of the developing South. There is a two-fold impact manifested in the increasing number of A Different Development Cooperation countries actively engaged in South-South cooperation and Paradigm the significant scaling up of South-South initiatives by indi- vidual countries. C O U N T R I E S E N G AG E D I N South-South cooperation do not Today, no fewer than 25 countries have robust South-South like to be viewed as donors or recipients. Instead, they describe cooperation agendas that encompass a wide spectrum of tech- such cooperation as an expression of solidarity born out of nical and economic engagement. Countries like India and shared experiences and sympathies, and guided by the princi- China are investing one billion dollars, and more, annually on ples of respect for national sovereignty and ownership.8 Unlike assistance to fellow developing countries. Others like Saudi the case of North-South cooperation, exchanges between Southern countries do not flow out of international ODA commitments and are not measured by universally recog- nized benchmarks of ODA. There has been a concerted push led by OECD countries to superimpose the principles of donor-recipient relation- ships flowing out of the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda onto South-South Cooperation. This is per- ceived as an attempt to co-opt Southern providers into the international aid architecture and mitigate the burden of obligations undertaken by Northern donors. As developing countries galva- nize efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by 2015, the need for Northern donors to meet their ODA commitments is even more pressing. In spite of the great strides made by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and UN Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, speak at developing countries as a group, it is South-South Cooperation Conference in Nairobi, December 2009. important to recognize the remarkable diversity that prevails between indi- 8 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE vidual countries in terms of their levels of growth. Such het- Fund for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation is one such move in erogeneity is underpinned by the proximity of their historical, this direction of triangular collaboration. It is funded by cultural, and developmental experiences, lending to South- India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) and managed by the South partnerships their distinctive quality of solidarity and UNDP with the objective of sharing the developmental expe- voluntariness. It offers a model of development cooperation riences and best practices of these countries in combating that is typically demand-driven allowing for greater policy poverty and hunger with other developing countries. space for the partnering country unburdened by stringent The United Nations also needs to shore up support to vul- conditionalities and accompanied by lower transaction costs. nerable developing countries to achieve the internationally The challenge in the coming years is to capitalize on the agreed development goals. The special needs of Africa can be success and growing dynamism of the larger developing coun- addressed through meaningful triangular cooperation initia- tries and transfer them through sharing of expertise, tives between UN and Southern contributors, to supplement resources, and experiences to other countries where it is existing bilateral and multilateral efforts. The similarity of needed most. It is here that multilateral institutions like the developmental experiences and technological levels renders United Nations, and even the World Bank and IMF, can step in such programs closer to home-grown efforts, adding to their and play a catalytic role. effectiveness. The world of today is dramatically different from the one The Role of the United Nations we inherited in 1945 when the foundations of the post-war international economic order were laid and the governance through its strong operational arm T H E U N I T E D N AT I O N S architecture took roots. The emerging economies of the can play an important role in strengthening South-South developing South are reshaping the world we inhabit in a fun- Cooperation as a practical modality for development partner- damental way. The rise in cooperation between developing ship. It enjoys an unparalleled advantage in this regard by countries is not a transient phenomenon. It is here to stay. virtue of its universal membership and strong mandate for The challenge in the coming years is to harness the potential development. The Nairobi Conference on South-South of such expanded cooperation to contribute in eradicating Cooperation in December 2009 emphatically reaffirmed this poverty and effecting broad-based development gains for vul- role of the United Nations. nerable populations across the developing world. However it is constrained by the fact that the United Nations mirrors the priorities of traditional donors. The truth Hardeep S. Puri is Ambassador and Permanent Representative of is that the UN invests not nearly enough on supporting South- India to the United Nations. South cooperation. In fact, the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation in the UNDP is the only dedicated unit focused Endnotes on the promotion of South-South Cooperation. The increase 1 Millennium Development Goals Report 2009 (United Nations publication, in South-South cooperation has occurred outside the ambit of Sales No. E.09.I.12), p. 4. the United Nations. The United Nations for the most part has 2 International Monetary Fund, "Currency Composition of Official Foreign remained a spectator to this exponential growth and, at best, Exchange Reserves (COFER)," COFER Database. has documented it. http://www.imf.org/external/np/sta/cofer/eng/cofer.pdf .COFER is an IMF data- With the profound changes in the global economic land- base that keeps end-of-period quarterly data on the currency composition of official foreign exchange reserves, April 2010. scape, the United Nations is trying to catch up to this new real- 3 World Bank, http://data.worldbank.org/ ity by making efforts to more systematically facilitate South- South cooperation. It is engaged in, inter alia, preparing a 4 According to the IEA, China consumed 2.252 billion tons of oil equivalent specific framework of operational guidelines for the entire in 2009, 0.4 percent more than United State's 2.17 billion tons. This data UN system to implement the recommendations of the Nairobi is contested by the Chinese Government. Conference. The United Nations Development Programme 5 UNESCO Institute of Statistics, "A Global Perspective on Research and (UNDP), by far the UN's largest operational arm, has adopted Development," http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/S&T/Factsheet_No2_ST_2009_EN.pdf South-South cooperation as one of the principal approaches 6 UN General Assembly Document No. A/64/321 "The State of South-South for capacity development. Cooperation- Report of the Secretary General," August 2009. The UN through its network of developmental agencies has 7 Development Cooperation Forum, UN Economic and Social Council a universal presence in developing countries which can be leveraged to enable sharing of best practices and experiences. Document No. E/2010/93 "Report of the Secretary General on Trends and Progress in International Development Cooperation," June 2010. For instance, the 135 country offices of UNDP give it an unpar- 8 It encompasses financial flows, such as loans and grants for social and alleled ability to identify capacities and gaps in developing infrastructure investment projects and programs, as well as the sharing of countries and support South-South exchanges. It can facili- experiences, technology, and skills transfers, preferential market access and tate seamless knowledge exchange utilizing the web of UN trade-oriented support and investments. country offices at its disposal. The UN is well-placed to document best practices in terms of what works and what does not, with a view to replicating and scaling up successful programs elsewhere. The IBSA Trust O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 9 SPECIAL REPORT AID EFFECTIVENESS Why does it matter to partners in South-South cooperation? BY ANGEL GURRÍA concepts of "donors and recipient countries."1 On the other hand, there is the value of the aid effectiveness principles. in South-South cooperation care W H Y S H O U L D PA RT N E R S These principles--country ownership and leadership, align- about aid effectiveness? What is the relevance of the commit- ment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual ments embodied in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness accountability--are drawn from over fifty years of good prac- (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008) to develop- tice by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) at the ment actors? These are questions I frequently hear. OECD. They reflect what the 24 largest traditional donors, On the one hand, there are fundamental differences in the accounting for over US$120 billion of Overseas Development interests and characteristics of providers of South-South Assistance (ODA) in 2009,2 have identified as problems and cooperation (SSC). However, they largely regard themselves solutions in making aid more effective. as peers in mutually beneficial relationships and reject the PERSPECTIVES A student at the public primary school, Alvaro Contreras in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. 10 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE Are these actors and principles mutually exclusive? My South-South cooperation and aid answer is no. The aid effectiveness principles have broad uni- effectiveness--What are the synergies? versal appeal. And, as can be seen from the broad-based membership of the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness and W H AT D O W E K N OW about South-South cooperation and its even broader engagement in its Paris Declaration Monitoring synergies with aid effectiveness? Unfortunately, still very lit- Survey, many developing countries share this view. The prob- tle. I firmly believe that there is a rich and diverse set of expe- lem is not one of relevance, but of inclusion: for the longest riences of South-South cooperation relevant to development time, the perspectives and experiences of partners of SSC challenges. While research on South-South cooperation is have been largely overlooked by traditional donors. There is increasing, it appears to be largely focused on financial flows or an urgent need to engage with partners in SSC to jointly shape on a limited number of emerging economies. We also need to policies based on experience and evidence. look at the experiences of practitioners of SSC themselves. I am convinced that the five key principles of aid effective- One encouraging effort has been the work led by the Task ness are not far removed from a potential and complementa- Team on South-South Cooperation (TT-SSC) hosted by the ry set of principles that would guide effective South-South Working Party on Aid Effectiveness (WP-EFF). Since its development cooperation practices. I also believe that part- launch in September 2009, the Task Team, led by Colombia, ners in SSC have a lot to teach DAC donors, for example, about has focused on evidence of what works and what doesn't and how to respect local ownership and priorities, as well as mutu- on ways to adapt the aid effectiveness principles to SSC. It has al accountability. The voice and experience of actors of South- also identified complementarities between South-South and South cooperation is critical in jointly shaping the future of North-South cooperation. So far, it has captured over 110 sto- development cooperation. ries of SSC practitioners worldwide, particularly experiences of South-South technical cooperation led by middle-income Finding synergies between South- countries as both providers and recipients of development South cooperation and aid assistance. effectiveness­Why does it matter? The TT-SSC's initial findings captured in the Synthesis Report on South-South Cooperation and Aid Effectiveness reveal F I R S T, I T M AT T E R S because aid effectiveness is important for some interesting trends. For example, it appears that South- partner countries. The effectiveness commitments embodied South technical cooperation respects country ownership, sup- in the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action have ported often by high-level political commitments to set up had real "teeth" in encouraging behavior change­for exam- and implement SSC. SSC also seems to be often aligned with ple­in increasing the use of country systems and in making partner country policies. However, it appears more limited in aid more predictable. Partner countries see the real value of terms of using a country's public financial and procurement these commitments and of being part of this process. One systems. It is often emphasized that South-South cooperation example is the internationally recognized Survey on does not impose conditions­a key priority for partner coun- Monitoring the Paris Declaration, which tracks the imple- tries. Further, it does seem that South-South technical coop- mentation of the Paris commitments. The monitoring process eration is more efficient, often using cheaper and more attracted 34 countries in 2006, 55 in 2008, and expects 65-70 adapted human resources and methods. Mutual benefit and for the 2011 Survey to inform the Fourth High Level Forum on "horizontal partnerships" appear to be a key aspect of SSC, Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Korea in November 2011. based on perceptions of shared development challenges and Second, it matters for development actors beyond the experiences. The emphasis is on trust, mutual respect, peer- "donor-recipient" relationship. The development coopera- to-peer learning, and "win-win" outcomes. tion architecture is becoming more diversified and complex. At the same time, there is still scope to improve practices The aid effectiveness principles are adapting to this reality. and share lessons. The main challenge­also identified in the The Accra Agenda for Action in 2008 opened the door to Accra Agenda for Action­is to support and empower partner encourage an inclusive and effective development partner- countries to manage all development resources in achieving ship­with civil society, parliamentarians, private sector, national development objectives. High-level political agree- providers of South-South cooperation, foundations and glob- ments do not automatically translate into effective SSC and al programs. More and more actors are taking ownership over can bypass national development policies and systems. Many the aid effectiveness agenda by shaping it with their own views providers of South-South cooperation have limited country and experiences. A major step was the Bogotá Statement on presence and institutional capacities, which implies limita- Inclusive and Effective Partnerships (March 2010), which tions for coordination with other development actors and for guides future work on the topic toward the above-mentioned scaling up. Most SSC is in the form of project-based technical Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in 2011. A cooperation, which raises the risk of tied aid and hampers group of fragile states have also adapted the aid effectiveness efforts to scale up and to achieve long-term results. principles to the situation of conflict and fragility in the Dili Measuring and evaluating impact is also a challenge, as many Declaration (April 2010). Civil society is also working toward do not have statistical systems to capture their development a set of principles. assistance flows, coming from a large number of development cooperation providers. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 11 There are some tensions and criticism of the aid effective- providers of South-South cooperation engage toward this ness agenda, perhaps more on an ideological level. They con- Goal, including at the OECD. For example, more enhanced cern the relevance and applicability of commitments and con- engagement partners of the Organisation and providers of cepts, including the definition of overseas development assis- SSC take part in our thematic committees, such as on tax, edu- tance (ODA). I would urge pragmatism for the sake of sup- cation, and decentralisation. On development, the porting partner countries and their development objectives. Development Assistance Committee is welcoming more If we focus on having a frank and open discussion on what opportunities to share knowledge and experiences, for exam- works and what doesn't, we can bridge the North-South and ple by building statistical capacities (Mexico), observing DAC South-South cooperation divide. We need to move the discus- Peer Reviews (South Africa), and taking part in DAC high- sion forward to recognize the value in both types of coopera- level meetings. tion. The recent discussion at the United Nations Looking forward, I encourage and welcome providers of Development Cooperation Forum in June 2010 was an South-South cooperation to seize opportunities for global encouraging step in this direction. I am also pleased to see the partnerships for development. Perhaps inspiration can be emergence of a regional agenda, for example that of the drawn from the experiences of the OECD, which engages Organization of American States (OAS), which is taking the stakeholders in a political decision-making process based on issue up within its own framework and membership. technical expertise, statistics, and best practices. I stress the importance of anchoring policies in evidence, facts, and fig- ures. Frank and open discussion among all development Working together toward realizing stakeholders, mutual and peer learning and monitoring of MDG 8 on "global partnership for what works and what doesn't is key as we improve "develop- development" ment" effectiveness to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. T H E Y E A R 2010 is a critical juncture in shaping the future of development. The United Nations High-Level Plenary on the Angel Gurría is Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September 2010 Co-operation and Development. is an important opportunity to agree on actions to speed up progress toward the MDGs. The OECD is fully committed to Endnotes the MDGs and is ready to contribute to successful outcomes 1 Beyond the DAC: The welcome role of other providers of co-operation (May and follow-up toward 2015. 2010) www.oecd.org/dac/opendoors One of the key ingredients for achieving the MDGs is to 2 OECD Development Cooperation Report 2010 www.oecd.org/dac/dcr maximize and leverage the resources and knowledge of all 3 Task Team on South-South Cooperation­Boosting South-South Cooperation partners for development. Providers of South-South cooper- in the Context of Aid Effectiveness­Telling the Story of Partners Involved in ation play an important role among the increasingly diverse more than 110 Cases of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (March actors in development. Their real and meaningful engage- 2010). ment in a global partnership for development­as embodied in 4 DAC Open Doors www.oecd.org/dac/opendoors MDG Eight­is urgent. It is encouraging that more and more References OECD Enhanced Engagement http://www.oecd.org/document/36/0,3343,en_2649_201185_41668772_1_ 1_1_1,00.html DAC Open Doors: www.oecd.org/dac/opendoors Beyond the DAC: The welcome role of other providers of co-operation http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/24/45361474.pdf Paris Declaration and Aid Effectiveness / Accra Agenda for Action www.oecd.org/dac/effectiveness 2008/2011 Survey on Monitoring the Paris Declaration www.oecd.org/dac/effectiveness/monitoring Task Team on South-South Cooperation www.southsouthcases.info Task Team on South-South Cooperation - Boosting South-South Cooperation in the Context of Aid Effectiveness­Telling the Story of Partners Involved in more than 110 Cases of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (March 2010). http://www.oecd.org/document/38/0,3343,en_2649_3236398_ 44006694_1_1_1_1,00.html Bogota Statement­Towards Effective and Inclusive Partnerships OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and FAO Director-General http://bogotahle.info Jacques Diouf at a joint press conference at OECD headquarters. 12 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT South-South Mutual Learning A priority for national capacity development in Africa BY DR. IBRAHIM ASSANE MAYAKI Globally, we are witnessing a second generation of SSC in and innovation are critical E V I D E N C E - B A S E D K N OW L E D G E which mutual learning among countries and non-state actors for national development in Africa if the continent is to sus- is fast becoming a core priority. Africa too is integrating tain the momentum of its transformation agenda. South- knowledge and learning in its South-South initiatives as a South Cooperation (SSC) is a mechanism that can contribute public good for development. The success of this approach to this objective. Knowledge- and experience-sharing are implies the building and nurturing of new multistakeholder taking place on different scales among African countries; but relationships within the coordination architecture. there is a need for coordination among these initiatives and with national development plans and processes. This will help South-South mutual learning as a scale up and institutionalize the practice of learning for devel- public good opment effectiveness as a capacity development tool. Ample opportunities exist for Africa to generate, synthe- S O C I O E C O N O M I C P R O G R E S S in the global economy of the size, harness, and utilize knowledge as a means of addressing 21st century demands innovative mechanisms for national the continent's development challenges. But systematic docu- and regional capacity development. More and more, mutual mentation of experiences to support continuous improve- learning is being used more methodically as a main input to ment will be critical. public policy design and development at all levels of gover- PERSPECTIVES Ibrahim Assane Mayaki from Niger (center) listens as two delegates exchange information before the start of the 13th meeting of the Africa Partnership Forum in January 2010 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 13 nance. Given that knowledge is in effect the "capacity for innovation exchanges in multistakeholder collaborations and effective action" in achieving development results, national partnerships. Sectoral priorities and frameworks include: and cross-regional learning will be central to maximizing Agriculture and Food Security through the Comprehensive Africa's development prospects. Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP); The emerging SSC movement gives high priority to the Infrastructure, based on the continental framework of the exchange of good practice and experiences through structured Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA); mutual learning at both the national and continental levels, as and the Africa-wide Capacity Development Strategic a complement to the overall development process. Knowledge Framework (CDSF). Other continental frameworks that offer and learning platforms hold the potential to foster national, mutual learning space for African development actors include subregional, and cross-regional fertilization of ideas and the Consolidated Plan of Action (CPA) for Science and innovation and to help monitor and evaluate learning in SSC Technology, and the Environment Action Plan (EAP). The exchanges. Such platforms can facilitate better organization regional approach of gathering and sharing African experi- and alignment of information flows, thereby linking demand ences on common sectoral and thematic agendas has allowed for knowledge to supply. Strategic partnerships and South- the African Union and NEPAD to facilitate the creation of plat- South alliances can help strengthen institutional approaches forms for learning among countries and across subregions. for sharing development solutions. Africa's innovation on peer review for New opportunities: African mutual mutual learning learning experiences OT H E R R E G I O N S C A N L E A R N from these frameworks. In CHINA, INDIA, AND BRAZIL are playing prominent roles in particular, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a the evolving global political and economic architecture. The unique illustration of intracontinental collaboration devel- G20, as the premier forum for international economic coop- oped by African countries under the NEPAD framework. At eration, offers new opportunities for Africa and African coun- the core of the self-monitoring review mechanism is a facility tries to leverage South-South exchange practices. Under the that promotes peer exchanges across countries on good gover- aegis of the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa's nance and other development issues. This peer learning Development (NEPAD), since its inception in 2001, has acted instrument is used to foster accountability and government as a regional facilitator in promoting and connecting African efficiency. countries and institutional actors for mutual learning related Operationally, the APRM is a learning process among to the continent's development priorities and agenda. It has peers at the highest political level focusing on political, eco- supported both South-South and North-South knowledge nomic, and corporate governance and socioeconomic devel- exchange. opment. It supports citizen-driven development through The development priorities identified by the African Union capacity development. The APRM helps strengthen African and NEPAD, have been guided by sectoral policy frameworks. institutions and systems of governance by connecting them to These regional frameworks resulted from information and a robust learning network. As an African-owned process the APRM is an innovative tool for intro- spection which is an important part of learning. Participating countries can, voluntarily, benchmark best gover- nance practices against global norms and standards. African countries learn from each other and are also able to showcase innovative thinking on gover- nance issues. Essential lessons learned from the APRM since its inception in 2003 include leadership in support of citizen empowerment; strategies to increase women's participation in parliaments; and self-reliance in mobilizing and uti- lizing domestic resources for develop- ment. These outcomes are captured in the National Programmes of Action Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika attends the 11th Summit of the Committee of (NPoAs) developed by each peer- Participating Heads of State and Government of the African Peer Review Mechanism reviewed country, and in which capaci- (APR FORUM) in Sirte, 500 km southeast of Tripoli, capital of Libya, in June 2009. ty development is a substantial part. 14 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE CDSF as regional platform for THE SIX CORNERSTONES intra-Africa learning OF THE CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK are often hindered by A F R I C A ' S D E V E L O P M E N T E F F O RT S the dearth of implementing capacities required to translate development policies into practice at the state and institu- 1. tional levels. Adequate capacity to align resources from devel- Leadership Transformation opment aid with national priorities is also a challenge. Africa is consciously making capacity development a key 6. priority, and has adopted a continent-wide strategy on capaci- Integrated 2. Planning and Citizenship ty development--the NEPAD Capacity Development Strategic Transformation Implementation Framework (CDSF)--by decision of the 14th African Union for Results Summit of February 2010. This framework offers a common approach for diagnosing and addressing fundamental sys- CAPACITY temic, organizational, and individual capacity challenges. DEVELOPMENT Focusing on the need to capitalize on African resourcefulness, 5. the framework stresses solutions, impact, and results-based Developing 3. innovation. It promotes both "hard"--technical and "soft"-- Capacity of Evidence-based Capacity Knowledge and strategic and less tangible skills. Developers Innovation The CDSF is built on six strategic cornerstones, or capacity 4. development priorities as defined by Africans: including lead- Utilizing African ership and citizen transformation, and unlocking African Potential, Skills potentials, skills, and resources for development. The main and Resources thrust of the CDSF is to enhance the capacities of capacity developers and institutionalize integrated approaches and evi- dence-based knowledge and innovation systems that support continuous improvement. Therefore, this integrated approach is a key qualitative leap forward for Africa's development. ment objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In addition to the need for political commit- ment, deeper engagement of regional bodies, civil society, the Mutual learning as the key to capacity private sector, academia, and development partners is also development: Knowledge as Capacity fundamental. for Action Africa platform on development for policy formulation and practices C D S F O F F E R S S PAC E effectiveness: Evidence-based that supports the building, sharing, and scaling up of knowl- knowledge and innovation edge and experience across countries. It promotes cross- regional learning and the improvement of North-South part- IN 2009, African countries took an important step in estab- nerships. When applied to SSC, CDSF helps integrate knowl- lishing the Africa Platform on Development Effectiveness. edge and learning within African countries and institutions, This platform, coordinated by the NEPAD Agency in conjunc- including Regional Economic Communities (RECs). tion with the African Union Commission, connects existing communities of practice for mutual learning and develops Capacity Development and political capacity through peer-to-peer learning on the three interre- support for mutual learning in SSC lated themes of Aid Effectiveness, South-South Cooperation, exchanges and Capacity Development. In furtherance of this objective, African leaders at the Kampala 15th African Union Assembly AT T H E H E A RT O F T H E C D S F is the realization that for capac- in July 2010, endorsed the Platform based on the recommen- ity development to be effective, political ownership and lead- dation of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government ership at all levels is a necessary condition. By using the Orientation Committee (HSGOC). CDSF's six cornerstones to benchmark for quality and align- Such innovations and the NEPAD Agency's role as the ment, African development actors will help connect and dis- Africa regional platform coordinator for the global Task Team seminate local knowledge on intra-Africa and interregional on South-South Cooperation present many opportunities to SSC opportunities. High priority is placed on harnessing African resources, including human and institutional capital. Forging creative South-South Mutual Learning and results-based partnerships among Africans and the glob- continued on page 21 al community will support the attainment of Africa's develop- O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 15 SPECIAL REPORT South-South Knowledge Exchange as a Tool for Capacity Development BY TALAAT ABDEL-MALEK S O U T H - S O U T H C O O P E R AT I O N ( S S C ) has been gaining momentum as an effective mode of development assis- tance, complementing the more tradi- tional North-South approach. The Accra Agenda for Action (AAA), agreed at the High Level Forum3 (HLF3) on aid effectiveness in September 2008, underlined the importance of SSC for the benefits it offers both aid recipi- ents and providers. This exchange of development experiences, whether it takes place between governments, organizations or individuals, holds great potential. The key question is how SSC knowl- edge exchange can address one of development's most pressing chal- lenges, namely weak institutional and human resource capacities. The World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and others have identified this gap as a serious issue. This article outlines the essential elements of capacity development (CD); it then identifies how SSC knowledge can facilitate CD and the obstacles to tapping its full potential. The article concludes with a few rec- ommendations. Capacity Development defined PERSPECTIVES A LT H O U G H S E V E R A L D E F I N I T I O N S exist, they all describe the same funda- mental concept reflected in the OECD definition that CD is "The process by Workers haul part of a fiber optic cable onto the shore at the Kenyan port town of Mombasa, bringing broadband Internet connectivity to east Africa. The East Africa Marine Systems which individuals, groups and organi- (TEAMS) fibre optic submarine cable project is a joint venture of the Kenyan government and zations, institutions and countries Emirates Telecommunication Technology (Etisalat) and a consortium of local investors. develop, enhance and organize their systems, resources and knowledge; all 16 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE reflected in their abilities, individually and collectively, to Knowledge developers and suppliers perform functions, solve [development] problems and achieve objectives." L E T U S TA K E T H E S E I N R E V E R S E O R D E R , starting with the Capacity in a development context consists of a number of suppliers and developers of SS knowledge. A great deal of elements. It includes institutions, human resource skills and knowledge on CD has been accumulated in the past 10-15 knowledge, the internal environment (operating systems, years, including the special capacity needs of fragile states. management and leadership qualities, performance appraisal However, two observations are in order. and incentives, and so forth), and the external environment First, we have yet to build a truly international CD network (legal, political, judicial, and technological), all of which to integrate the excellent work done by numerous sources. The shape any entity's performance. This is true whether we refer proliferation of SS knowledge developers and suppliers is to a single institution (such as a public enterprise or authori- understandable as a first phase. However, the time has come to ty), a whole sector or subsector (such as water and sanitation), speed up the SS knowledge refinement and consolidation process, or a local or national policy-making entity (such as a governor, and expand its scope to address more diverse capacity needs. a minister, or a cabinet of ministers). A proper understanding Recent international initiatives have brought suppliers and of capacity and what it takes to strengthen it requires the other CD actors together to discuss common CD issues. A lead- adoption of a holistic approach that takes all the above ele- ing example is the World Bank Institute-sponsored South- ments into account. South Knowledge Exchange Platform, which is also part of the One of the major disappointments of international techni- broad coalition reflected in the Task Team on SSC. The latter cal assistance during the past half century has been the lack of has created an international network while preparing the an integrated perspective on CD. Most funding and technical Bogota Event, and is now building the South-South knowledge expertise tended to concentrate on the training of human exchange agenda for the Korea HLF. The Learning Network on resources, supplemented by ad hoc policy advice. We have Capacity Development (LenCD) is another example of a pro- learned from experience that human resource training alone fessional forum for exchanging CD expertise. cannot deal with institutional capacity weaknesses. Second, our current knowledge is more conceptual and theoretical than practical and applied. There is definitely a The role of South-South knowledge need for a conceptual framework and a set of analytic tools to guide developers and users of SS knowledge. But it is impor- what role does South-South (SS) knowl- G I V E N T H E A B OV E , tant to move quickly from concepts to practice, focusing on edge exchange play in upgrading capacities for development? implementation to illustrate the how and why of actual CD No definitive evidence-based answer is yet available. work in different settings. This will encourage potential users However, recent pioneering efforts have examined how aid and assistance agencies to take a more holistic approach in modalities, including SSC, are contributing to capacity devel- their CD policies and transform the SS exchange "industry" opment. Three major events took place in 2010. The NEPAD- from being supply-driven to becoming more demand-driven. sponsored workshop on capacity development and aid effec- It is all very well on the conceptual level to underline the tiveness in Pretoria addressed the African perspectives; the importance of dealing with the issue of incentives when UNDP "Capacity IS Development" in Marrakesh took a broad- upgrading institutional capacity; yet we lack the analysis to er global perspective; and the Bogota High-Level Event show how this can be tackled successfully in concrete situa- "South-South Cooperation and Capacity Development" tions. Similarly, the use of "parallel units" to support senior explored the relationship between these two variables. (ministerial) decision-making levels, bypassing traditional Under the leadership of the Task Team on South-South bureaucratic structures, aims at speeding up policy implemen- Cooperation, hosted by the Working Party on Aid tation. In theory, it is easy to conclude that such practice is at Effectiveness at the OECD/DAC, more than one hundred case best a short-term, if not short sighted, solution to weak capac- stories on South-South cooperation in the context of aid ity. But we have not offered a better pragmatic alternative. effectiveness were prepared for the Bogota meeting. More than 133 countries were involved in this. With notable excep- Knowledge providers tions, most cases did not sufficiently analyze the "how and why" of CD work. Several reasons help explain this, including T H E P R OV I D E R S O F S S K N OW L E D G E are the practitioners the lack of expertise in CD among both SSC providers and (consultants, communities of practice, NGOs, and the like) recipients (as well as the case writers); the tight time con- who make use of SS knowledge to help deal with clients' straints within which case stories were prepared; the urgency capacity bottlenecks. Add to these, bilateral and multilateral of many non-CD assistance needs, and the more demanding assistance agencies that fund projects with capacity develop- or longer-term requirements of integrative CD work. ment components. Several barriers constrain their applying a The following section describes three streams of work holistic approach to CD. These include lack of knowledge involving three sets of CD actors: providers, recipients, and about capacity development requirements; failure to carry out the SS knowledge network. proper diagnosis of capacity needs; disinterest in taking what some would perceive as a high-risk approach (as compared to training); organizational inertia; and the extra cost associated O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 17 with such an approach. Add to these the clients' reluctance to in the absence of capacity upgrading including foregone take ownership of CD initiatives and to make the commit- opportunities for improved performance and in some cases ments necessary for successful implementation. for institutional survival. There are, of course, practitioners who are at the leading Two successful examples illustrate this point. The first is edge of SS knowledge. There are also development assistance the (currently ongoing) transformation of Egypt's subsidy agencies that are reviewing current policies and practices. An system into the more efficient and equitable cash transfer example is the European Commission (EC) Backbone Strategy system. Top political and ministerial leaders, aware of the on reforming technical cooperation, the World Bank's capac- serious shortcomings of the old system, were determined to ity development initiatives, and the OECD/DAC working party change it. Advice was obtained through the World Bank, acting on aid effectiveness and associated support posts. But more as a facilitator, from three ministers from Latin American needs to be done. The urgency of switching from conceptual- countries that have successfully adopted the cash transfer sys- ization to implementation cannot be overstated. Meanwhile, tem. Action was taken following a consultation process and triangular cooperation can play a significant role in facilitat- the new system was successfully piloted before extending it ing horizontal SS exchange. nationally. The second example comes from Nigeria where the minister of finance decided to reform the pension system. Knowledge clients Through the World Bank, the minister was able to connect with the right counterparts in Chile who provided the experi- T H I S B R I N G S U S TO T H E T H I R D G R O U P of CD actors, and in ence-based knowledge needed for action. many ways the most important of the three. How much demand is there for SS exchange in capacity strengthening? Recommendations Evidence suggests that demand remains very limited, though the needs appear substantial. This gap represents the main F O U R R E C O M M E N DAT I O N Smay be put forward to tap the challenge facing all three groups of CD actors. Clients' reluc- potential of SS exchange as a tool for capacity development. tance to own CD initiatives makes it difficult to move beyond First, the new relationships being forged through interna- human resource skill upgrading. This reluctance is caused by: tional networks should focus on refining and consolidating I the lack of decision makers' expert knowledge in CD, the supply side of SSC knowledge and setting professional I their preference for short-term and least painful solutions standards for those involved in delivery. This is akin to an to capacity weaknesses, infant industry which must attend to quality and credibility as I the tendency to blame external factors beyond manage- a top priority. ment's control, Second, providers and developers of SS knowledge should I the difficulties of identifying and accessing SS knowledge make more concerted efforts to identify CD implementation relevant to an institution's CD needs, initiatives and analyze their outcomes; and spend less time I the perceived higher risk of embarking on CD undertak- developing more concepts and frameworks, which do not add ings which may be costly in financial or political terms, much to our knowledge. International development partners and should refrain from offering supply-driven initiatives, and I poor institutional leadership and management style. instead support (technically and financially) the undertaking Add to these the shortage of successful examples of CD of CD needs analysis and implementation of recipient-led outcomes that have been based on the integrated approach. action plans. The behaviors of the three sets of actors tend to reinforce Third, Southern CD leaders and champions need to play a one another, creating some kind of non-virtuous circle! The catalytic role by bringing together key policy makers, in a number of serious CD initiatives has been limited by the the- Southern-led platform, to exchange views and experiences oretical orientation of CD developers and suppliers, the about CD needs, potential benefits, and constraints. This role mixed performance of CD providers and training-focused CD could be instrumental in translating the huge CD needs into support by funding agencies, and the reluctance of CD clients demand-based initiatives which can then be effectively met to assume ownership and leadership roles. through SS exchange partnerships. Whether we talk about SS knowledge exchange or North- Fourth, it is essential to strengthen the broker/intermediary South support, Southern ownership is a prerequisite for sus- function in SS knowledge exchange. International and regional tainable outcomes. It has taken Africa a few years to develop a platforms or networks, through their interactive databases, coherent Africa-wide CD strategy, which is now being have the key task of connecting potential users seeking relevant launched. A prime deterrent has been the lack of strategy SS experience to those who can supply it. The role of regional endorsement by top political leadership. This political pre- platforms is particularly important because these are closer to requisite does not necessarily mean country leadership; what where the needs are and are more familiar with the country set- matters is the commitment to action and the involvement of tings in which CD initiatives would be launched. top management of the institution or sector concerned. This is not a costless exercise in terms of time, human, and finan- Talaat Abdel-Malek is Senior Adviser to the Minister of International cial resources. But looking at this side of costs alone is a jaun- Co-operation, Cairo, Egypt, and Co-chair, OECD/DAC Working Party on diced view; CD costs should be compared with those incurred Aid Effectiveness, Paris, France. 18 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT South-South Knowledge Exchange A natural agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean BY AMBASSADOR ALFONSO QUIÑONEZ Beyond finance S O U T H - S O U T H C O O P E R AT I O N ( S S C ) is a longstanding form LAC HAS UNDERSTOOD THAT cooperation among peers of collaboration which has recently gained momentum, espe- implies the transfer of technical and human capacities, which cially in the Americas. Two key elements explain the growing are at least as important as financial resources. The region has importance of SSC, its new modalities, and their contribution been an incubator for new ideas, new financial instruments, to triangular cooperation schemes. and new approaches to development, such as budget support First of all, most countries in Latin America and the and programmatic lending. Export guarantee schemes, for- Caribbean (LAC) are middle-income countries (MICs) and eign trade financing, and public-private partners for infra- many have developed strong institutional capacities and pub- structure have expanded the range of financial instruments. lic policies. They have overcome challenges by sharing and And cooperation has enriched the debate around new socioe- learning from their experiences, and have supported develop- conomic approaches such as equality of opportunity for ment efforts in other countries of the region facing similar indigenous groups and community participation. The nega- challenges. Sharing knowledge across borders has promoted tive side effects of this diversity and innovation have been a solidarity and cooperation, which is flourishing in LAC. greater fragmentation of international aid due to the increas- PERSPECTIVES Mexican president Felipe Calderon (C) speaks during a joint press conference with his counterparts from Honduras--Manuel Zelaya (L)--and Guatemala-- Alvaro Colom (R)--during the 2008 Central American Integration System (SICA) Summit on Climate Change and the Environment. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 19 ing participation of new actors (non OECD countries, private However, despite its diversity, LAC countries have many foundations, social responsibility programs, and emerging important common characteristics with respect to coopera- donors), as well as the underutilization of some financial tion for development: instruments (grants, regular loans, soft concessional loans). I Sustained economic growth in many LAC countries in Empirical analysis of the impact of these new mechanisms has recent years prior to the financial crisis has left them rela- also been limited. tively less affected than countries in other regions. The Organization of American States recently identified 10 I Many countries of the region are classified as middle- case studies on South-South and triangular cooperation as part income economies. of an exercise led by the Task Team on South-South I Social inequalities persist. In fact, the LAC region has the Cooperation (TT-SSC).These cases illustrate a range of devel- greatest inequality of income distribution, a situation that opment experiences, including: promotion of small tourism was aggravated by the financial crisis. enterprises, labor administration, the sharing of social protec- I Many donor countries are inclined to favor countries with tion strategies, disaster mitigation, and metrology. These are a higher relative levels of poverty (mainly in Asia and Africa) small sample of a much larger set of experiences that should be and this has led to a reduction in the flow of nonreim- documented, evaluated, and shared with other countries. bursable cooperation to LAC. Scaling up these experiences in the region could foster I Because of their recent development successes many LAC synergies among countries and help expand the practice of countries are able to provide technical cooperation to other South-South and triangular cooperation. This is imperative, countries in the region, which has contributed to an since the influx of nonreimbursable cooperation to the region expansion of South-South, horizontal, and triangular is shrinking, not only relative to other regions but also to cooperation. other external public and private sources. South-South Knowledge exchange can alleviate the effects of Pulling together in the region the recent financial downturn and make development coopera- tion more effective. Identifying and collecting evidence of suc- THESE RECENT TRENDS point to the need for regional dia- cessful experiences can strengthen the Southern voice and logue and mechanisms to facilitate the process and engage all ensure greater visibility and influence for LAC in the global dis- cooperation actors with which the Organization of American cussions on aid effectiveness. This needs to happen quickly. States (OAS) has been working, through its Executive The Paris Declaration has stimulated interest in SSC, Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI). A little over a helped focus the debate, and identified what else needs be year ago, during the Inter-American Council for Integral done. However, the implementation of the principles and Development (CIDI) special meeting of high-level coopera- commitments made in the Paris Declaration and ratified in tion authorities, the OAS launched the Inter-American the Accra Agenda for Action has been less than expected. Cooperation Network (CooperaNet) as a communication mechanism for all cooperation actors and institutions in the A shifting paradigm hemisphere. Recently, within the framework of the High Level Event on MORE THAN OTHER REGIONS, Latin America and the South-South Cooperation and Capacity Development held in Caribbean has remained relatively detached from interna- Bogota, Colombia the OAS/SEDI, in coordination with the tional discussions on cooperation for development following Colombian government and other institutions (Organisation the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action. Several for Economic Co-operation and Development, United factors explain why: Nations Development Program, Economic Commission for I LAC's decreasing importance as an international coopera- Latin America and the Caribbean, Inter American tion recipient, Development Bank, Ibero American General Secretariat) I A decline in nonreimbursable cooperation in the region convened and facilitated the Regional Dialogue on relative to other forms of international development Cooperation Effectiveness in Latin America and the financing, such as foreign investment capital flows and Caribbean, on March 26, 2010 in Bogota, Colombia. Some 100 trade, among others, individuals, including representatives from 20 member I An increased use of nonconventional cooperation mecha- states, 7 other countries, and 24 international institutions, nisms (South-South and triangular), nongovernmental organizations and representatives of civil I Minimal involvement of LAC countries during the initial society, participated in the dialogue. development of the Paris Declaration, Two issues were analyzed during the dialogue: cooperation I The Paris Declaration's emphasis on low-income coun- effectiveness in the region and how to ensure effective coop- tries, and eration in Haiti's reconstruction. I Regional disengagement from the global process to pro- These discussions highlighted the importance of this type mote aid effectiveness, which does not entirely correspond of space for exchanging information among cooperation with the middle-income perspective of many LAC coun- actors about the processes and implementation efforts taking tries, that emphasizes mutual and shared commitments in place at the regional and international levels to promote coop- cooperation effectiveness. eration effectiveness. This type of forum also allows the region 20 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE to take a more active and coordinated role in international discussions and to influence and submit joint proposals to the S o u t h - S o u t h M u t ua l L e a r n i n g continued from page 15 Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to be held in 2011 in Seoul, Korea. The key conclusions of the regional dialogue were: I Latin America and the Caribbean have a great deal to con- scale up and foster learning, analysis, and practices through tribute to the world debate on cooperation. It is important the continents' institutions and to link with existing process- for them to have a more active and coordinated role, par- es. This greatly supports Africa's current efforts to promote ticularly in the events leading up to the meeting in Seoul. evidence-based decision making by investing more in sci- I These fora are important for cooperation actors to ence- and technology-based knowledge. Pitching innovation exchange information and coordinate their cooperation as a driver of development, special efforts are made to sys- processes. Regional dialogue spaces like the ones offered tematically identify, harness, and use existing capabilities by by the OAS, particularly CooperaNet, can be valuable in sharing knowledge and learning at all levels. Therefore, while this regard. focusing on aid effectiveness and SSC, the Africa-wide I It is necessary to promote regional workshops to: Platform is also an important mechanism to mobilize for --Acquire more knowledge on the processes that take place capacity development action. in the international context at various levels and with dif- ferent actors. Conclusions --Exchange lessons learned on the implementation of the principles of the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda Africa is investing in knowledge exchange to I N C R E A S I N G LY, for Action. support national and regional development. With strong LAC countries face an enormous challenge in articulating commitment, the continent will continue to build coalitions their views on cooperation effectiveness for the Korea HLF and alliances to promote Southern-led cooperation at the because these vary so much throughout the region. This dia- intra and interregional levels. This opens up opportunities to logue is meant to illustrate the diversity and richness of ideas in further strengthen mutual learning initiatives so that African the region. It is about better understanding the different inter- know-how, good practices, and innovations can continue to ests, and helping to construct a new design for international contribute to global development thinking and actions. The cooperation that unites all actors and values their diversity. Africa Platform, as an intra-African process, for instance, will The OAS continues to be committed to the process and has be instrumental to the Continent's coherent preparation for recently joined the Steering Committee of the Task Team for the 2011 Busan HLF4. South-South Cooperation (TT-SSC) which it will supporting If Africa is to be globally competitive, greater investment by bringing the Aid Effectiveness Agenda to a subregional in knowledge and learning will be required. Knowledge- level through a series of workshops and high-level forums for based approaches to resolving Africa's development chal- South-South knowledge exchange. lenges should be strengthened, with research and innovation We are pleased that other partner institutions are also tak- helping to expand the SSC policy frontiers. Strategically ing a leading role in this regional process, including the designed institutional arrangements can facilitate the partic- Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) Launched in ipation of multiple stakeholders, thus fostering the formation 2008, and the Ibero-American Program for the strengthening of social capital by enhancing SS networks for the exchange of South-South cooperation, which responds to regional institu- knowledge. tional capacity-building needs. Existing regional frameworks are critical in guiding and Finally, effective cooperation depends on more than framing the knowledge and learning architecture in Africa. resources; it requires new institutions as well as changes of Only by grounding innovations in the realities of the conti- mindset, culture, attitude, and focus. This can only be nent can development investments achieve their desired achieved by building capacity among all cooperation actors, by results. Mutual learning, particularly in SSC exchanges, is a involving academia, and by focusing clearly on collecting evi- capacity development process that should be based on, as well dence that can inform high-level policy making. as stimulate, local capacities and institutions. Ultimately, the success of this new paradigm depends on the establishment of Ambassador Alfonso Quiñonez is Secretary for External Relations, new partnerships to foster more inclusive, equitable, and Organization of American States. sustainable forms of development cooperation. Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki is the Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency). O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 21 SPECIAL REPORT Triangular Cooperation Opportunities, risks, and conditions for effectiveness BY GUIDO ASHOFF three parties involved, and to apply the internationally agreed principles of aid effectiveness. When these principles are T R I A N G U L A R C O O P E R AT I O N is a relatively recent mode of applied, triangular cooperation can enrich international de- development cooperation. It normally involves a traditional velopment cooperation.2 donor from the ranks of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC), an emerging donor in the South, and a Actors and factors beneficiary country in the South.1 It has received increasing international attention because of particular advantages it is TRADITIONAL DONORS engaged in triangular cooperation said to provide. At the same time, it poses several risks that make up roughly two thirds of the DAC membership with could further complicate international development coopera- Japan at the top of the list, followed by Germany, Spain, tion. To make full use of its potential, it is important to con- Canada, and the rest. In addition some multilateral develop- ceive it as a learning process, to identify the interests of the ment banks such as the Asian Development Bank, and UN PERSPECTIVES Indonesian agricultural expert Joko Ptioyo (R), who has been dispatched by Jakarta on behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, talks with a local farmer in Antsirabe, Madagascar in January 2010. 22 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE agencies such as the United Nations Development Program The current debate on triangular cooperation has high- (UNDP), also take part. Emerging donors participating in tri- lighted four risks: angular cooperation can be found in Africa (Egypt, Kenya, I Lowering quality standards if emerging donors still do not Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia), Asia (China, India, Malaysia, have the experience and capacity to provide high-quality the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam) development assistance, and Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, I Neglecting the alignment with beneficiary countries' Mexico). Beneficiary countries are typically the less advanced needs, priorities, and strategies if triangular cooperation is countries many of which have long benefited from South- primarily designed to reflect the experiences and prefer- South cooperation. ences of the traditional and emerging donors, Over the last two years, triangular cooperation has occupied an increas- ingly prominent place on global devel- opment agendas and in policy docu- ments such as the Bogotá Statement and the 2010 UN Secretary General OPPORTUNITIES ATTRIBUTED TO TRIANGULAR COOPERATION BASED ON Report on development cooperation. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PARTICIPANTS To assess practices on the ground, the OECD engaged in a pilot mapping exer- cise (Yamashiro Fordelone 2009) and TRADITIONAL DONORS EMERGING DONORS BENEFICIARY COUNTRIES European donors have started a reflec- tion process on triangular cooperation Increasing aid effectiveness: Scaling up South-South Increasing the value for in the context of aid effectiveness transferring successful aid cooperation by involving money of development (Schulz 2010). experiences to third countries traditional donors and assistance by contracting Triangular cooperation consists (scaling up) thereby mobilizing additional less expensive experts from resources emerging donors instead of mainly of technical cooperation aimed Increasing aid efficiency: experts from traditional at capacity building and takes place reducing costs by contracting Improving the quality of donors mostly in the same region where both experts from emerging donors South-South cooperation by involving traditional donors Benefiting from the the emerging donors and beneficiary Creating synergies: using the and transferring successful similarities between emerging countries are located. It is often based comparative advantages of experience donors' experiences and their on previous cooperation between tra- emerging donors own needs as they look for Using the experience and the more appropriate solutions to ditional and emerging donors, that is Substituting aid programs in support of traditional donors development problems considered successful and worth third countries for programs to build the capacity of their transferring to third countries. In by emerging donors own development Benefiting from the linguistic cooperation agencies and cultural similarities with other cases, emerging donors have Phasing out development the emerging donors gained experience in specific areas cooperation with emerging Increasing their visibility as (for example, Brazil in the fight against countries in an orderly emerging donors Keeping more easily in touch manner with experts from emerging HIV/AIDS), the transfer of which to Promoting regional donors after completing the third countries is supported by tradi- Building the capacity of cooperation and integration projects (experts from tional donors. The scale of triangular development cooperation traditional donors could be agencies in emerging donor out of reach once projects cooperation is difficult to ascertain countries to increase the are completed) since reliable statistics do not exist. capacity of the international Overall it appears to represent only a development cooperation Promoting regional system cooperation and integration small proportion of aid flows to bene- ficiary countries. Case studies suggest Sensitizing new donors on the that triangular cooperation is charac- principles and procedures of effective aid as agreed in the terized by a large number of mostly Paris Declaration on Aid small projects resulting in a rather Effectiveness and the Accra fragmented landscape. Action Plan Opportunities and risks is per- T R I A N G U L A R C O O P E R AT I O N Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi meets with his Malawian counterpart Joyce Banda in 2009, as part of an African tour. ceived to have a number of advantages as outlined in the box. It should be borne in mind, however, that the objec- Source: Ashoff (forthcoming); Altenburg and Weikert (2007); UNDP (2009); Yamashiro Fordelone (2009). tives and interests of the three actors involved may not necessarily coincide. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 23 I Rising transactions costs since three actors (instead of two tion or South-South cooperation. Yet it is a reflection of and as in traditional cooperation) have to adopt a common impetus for change in international development coopera- approach, agree on common standards and procedures, tion. It results from a growing number of countries losing and create the legal, institutional, and budgetary condi- their status as recipients of traditional development assis- tions required for successful implementation, and tance, and becoming donors. At the same time it offers tradi- I Increasing fragmentation of the international aid architec- tional donors the opportunity to scale up their aid programs ture due to the growing number of actors, further complicat by joining forces with the new donors and to phase out devel- ing harmonization of approaches, standards, and practices. opment cooperation with them by supporting them as they take on the donor role. Triangular cooperation, if properly Promoting triangular cooperation implemented, can accelerate this process and thereby enrich and ensuring its effectiveness the system of international development cooperation. of triangular cooperation were T H E P OT E N T I A L A N D R I S K S Guido Ashoff is a Senior Researcher and Head of Department at the vividly discussed during the Bogotá High Level Event on Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (German Development South-South cooperation and are reflected in the case stories Institute) in Bonn. produced by the Task Team on South-South cooperation. In summary, the following points are crucial: Endnotes I Identify the common interests of the three actors involved: 1 In this case it is North-South-South cooperation. Triangular cooperation Triangular cooperation is not an end in itself. It can reach may also take the forms of South-South-South cooperation or North-North- its potential and generate added value only if it is based on South cooperation. shared interests and commitment. 2 Consistent databases are not available. For overviews based on preliminary I Apply the principles of the Paris Declaration: Although the or partial surveys see ECOSOC (2008), Yamashiro Fordelone (2009), UNDP (2009), SEGIB (2009), and Task Team on South-South Cooperation (2010). implementation of the Declaration is itself a multifaceted learning process (implying that agreed modalities may be subject to revision), its five principles remain valid and References should be fully applied to triangular cooperation. Altenburg, Tilman and Jochen Weikert. "Trilateral Development Cooperation Ownership by the beneficiary countries is key. Traditional with `New Donors'." German Development Institute Briefing Paper, 5/2007. and emerging donors should harmonize their approaches Ashoff, Guido. "Cooperación triangular de Alemania en América Latina con and align them with the beneficiaries' needs, priorities, and énfasis en México­Contexto, enfoque, perfil y conclusiones." Revista systems. Managing for results is a joint challenge for the Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación (número especial) (forthcoming). three actors and forms the basis for mutual accountability. Bogota Statement­Towards Effective and Inclusive Development I Make use of complementarities: Triangular cooperation Partnerships, Bogotá, 2010. should aim at projects that reflect comparative advantages ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council). Trends in South- and are based on successful experience gained in previous South and Triangular Development Cooperation. Background study for the Development Cooperation Forum. New York, 2008. cooperation. I Ensure sufficient management capacity: Triangular coop- Schulz, Nils-Sjard. Triangular cooperation in the context of aid effective- eration places additional demands on the management ness­Experiences and views from European donors, Concept Note and Workshop Report for the Spanish EU presidency, Madrid, 2010. capacity of all the actors. This applies particularly to emerging donors. Their role as development partners SEGIB (Secretaría General Iberoamericana). Report on South-South Cooperation in Ibero-America 2009. Madrid, 2009. requires them to develop the capacity to manage the whole project cycle together with the beneficiary countries. Task Team on South-South Cooperation. Boosting South-South Cooperation in the Context of Aid Effectiveness, Telling the Story of Partners Involved in Traditional donors can make an important contribution by more than 110 Cases of South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Paris: supporting the capacity building of aid agencies in emerg- OECD, 2010. ing donor countries. UNDP (United Nations Development Program). Enhancing South-South and I Evaluate and exchange experiences, identify lessons Triangular Cooperation. Study of the Current Situation and Existing Good learned, and distill good practices: Case studies show that Practices in Policy, Institutions, and Operations of South-South and the aforementioned risks do matter in practice. Yet they Triangular Cooperation. New York, 2009. are not caste in stone. Keep in mind that there are learning Yamashiro Fordelone, Talita. "Triangular Cooperation and Aid Effectiveness." curves. To climb these curves, evaluation of triangular Paper presented at the OECD/ DAC Policy Dialogue on Development cooperation and mutual learning are crucial. Cooperation, Mexico City, 28­29 September 2009. Does triangular cooperation constitute a major change in international development cooperation? T H E S C A L E O F triangular development cooperation is still rather limited compared to traditional North-South coopera- 24 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT South-South Cooperation and Knowledge Exchange A perspective from civil society BY ANABEL CRUZ South-South cooperation (SSC) has been receiving is not new. It has been around S O U T H - S O U T H C O O P E R AT I O N increased attention lately and the reasons are manifold. On for several decades in the form of economic integration, cul- the one hand, developing countries are gaining greater influ- tural exchanges, and technical cooperation. Traditional ence in the world economy: 40 percent of the world's popula- North-South cooperation, however, with resources coming tion now lives in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and from the rich northern countries to the poor southern ones China), which already account for 25 percent of the global has been supplemented by other models. Indeed, middle- domestic product. income countries have been taking on various roles, not only On the other hand, the number of countries not belonging as recipients of development aid, but also as providers of to the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) that development cooperation. New actors and approaches have contribute to official development aid has been rising, espe- entered the development cooperation landscape. cially among the middle-income developing countries. PERSPECTIVES Radio DJ talks to listeners at a community radio station operating from the Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre in Durban, South Africa. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 25 Among numerous other examples, Brazil stands out because in South-South, so that learning and knowledge exchange can of its South-South cooperation with Angola, Mozambique, really happen in a horizontal and transparent ways: Paraguay, and Argentina in the field of education, including I Stronger institutions to generate reliable data. There projects for school capacity building and reducing illiteracy. was consensus on the need to generate quantitative and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have often warned qualitative data for measuring, assessing, and accounting about the problems associated with the delivery of aid, for the inputs and results of SSC. Fragmented systems and denouncing top-down practices and calling repeatedly for an weak institutions cannot produce reliable and timely end to the conditionalities that developed countries often information. Solid and well-equipped institutions are a impose on developing countries. CSOs have had high expecta- precondition for generating knowledge and for exchanging tions for South-South Cooperation (SSC) as a practice based relevant and usable information about SSC. on the principles of solidarity; and the role of CSOs and the I Coordination among different actors. Coordination principles of SSC were explicitly articulated at the Accra among all involved stakeholders in SSC (governments, Agenda for Action (AAA) of the 2008 Third High Level Forum socially responsible corporations, civil society organiza- on Aid Effectiveness. It was affirmed that: "South-South coop- tions) is another condition for an effective and just eration on development aims to observe the principle of non-inter- process. ference in internal affairs, equality among developing partners and I Mutual accountability is a requirement for horizontal respect for their independence, national sovereignty, cultural learning and all actors are responsible. Accountability diversity and identity and local content. It plays an important role needs to receive more attention, at all levels. in international development cooperation and is a valuable com- plement to North-South cooperation." The role of Civil Society CSOs have indeed been struggling to make SSC a vehicle for horizontal conversation and knowledge exchange. Civil C S O S H AV E A C R U C I A L R O L E to play in ensuring that the Society and its allies, such as media and academia in many sit- renewed attention to SSC becomes an effective tool for pover- uations, have been intent on ensuring that the mistakes made ty eradication and for horizontal learning exchanges. in other forms of international cooperation should not be In this regard, CSOs associated with the Reality of Aid repeated in SSC practices. South-South cooperation presents Network1 are calling for donors and recipients in SSC to help an important opportunity for CSOs, if it can be transformed strengthen development effectiveness by taking important into South-South learning and serve as a tool for generating measures, such as: policy and institutional change. I South-South Cooperation must be aligned to national devel- opment and poverty reduction strategies, and these strategies How can horizontal partnerships be should be developed through broad-based processes with built? the participation of parliaments, CSOs, academic institu- tions, and independent media. based on solidarity, then it I F S S C C A N B E A P L AT F O R M I South-South cooperation projects must be executed with should also be a means for building horizontal partnerships greater transparency, and mutual accountability must be that can promote learning exchange. Furthermore, the five enhanced, including that of Southern donors and coun- principles of the Paris Declaration are also valid and applica- tries to each other and to their citizens. More actors must ble to SSC: ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing be involved in assessing aid and development effective- for results, and mutual accountability. But are they really ness. CSOs are also part of the process of mutual accounta- present in SSC? bility and are prepared to be accountable to multiple audi- The recent High Level Event on South-South Cooperation ences by means of diverse mechanisms, especially self- and Capacity Development, hosted by the Government of regulation in its different expressions and formats. Colombia in Bogota, (March 24-25, 2010) was attended by I South-South Cooperation cannot be loaded with old prac- more than 400 participants, including ministers, vice minis- tices and conditionalities and all partners must be transpar- ters, heads of cooperation agencies, delegates from multilat- ent and open, so that developing country partners are well eral organizations, representatives from CSOs, parliaments, informed about the eventual comparative advantages of and academic institutions with an active involvement in the goods and services provided through their aid relation- cooperation architecture. They discussed how to promote and ships. implement good practices in SSC and capacity development to I South-South Cooperation best practices should be studied, support countries in achieving the Millennium Development promoted, and disseminated among both developed and Goals (MDGs). The final declaration discussed by the partici- developing country actors, and international organiza- pants highlights two sine qua non requirements for SSC: it has tions. to be a Southern-led process and it has to generate evidence- based information and good practices on which to base effec- tive and widespread knowledge exchange. Indeed, CSOs attending the High Level Event in Bogota S o u t h - S o u t h C o o p e r at i o n . . . continued on page 37 identified some important pending tasks for actors involved 26 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT Managing Knowledge in Organizations Summary of an inter view with Marshall Van Alstyne and Hind Benbya K N OW L E D G E E XC H A N G E among practitioners in low- and How has knowledge management changed since the middle-income countries is now at the forefront of global 1990s? development policy formulation. But the question of how to connect the right people with the right knowledge at the right E X P E C TAT I O N S F R O M K N OW L E D G E management (KM) have time isn't new. Knowledge Management (KM) has been an changed significantly since the 1990s. In particular, early KM established discipline since the 1990s. We talked with MIT's approaches mostly sought to support employees in their Marshall Van Alstyne and Montpellier's Hind Benbya about everyday tasks and to create revenue streams by exploiting the state of knowledge management and information knowledge. The organization's main concern was: How can we exchange in organizations today, and how new practices like use KM to prevent reinventing the wheel? knowledge markets can help us find better solutions to some Most organizations believed in the potential value of KM, of today' s trickiest development challenges. but adopted a top-down strategy that relied heavily on deploy- ing a large sophisticated repository--either by codifying PERSPECTIVES When migrant farm workers return to their home town for the annual Spring Festival, the local Bureau of Labor takes advantage of the mass homecoming to open vocational centers where they can learn new skills through computer-based training. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 27 knowledge or linking individuals through information tech- ticipatory tools and environments. The 80-20 rule illustrates nology (IT)--to overcome geographical and temporal barriers the current state of knowledge exchange. Existing systems to accessing information and expertise. enable organizations to share work practices across locations. Yet, few companies succeeded in reaping benefits from their They support the exchange of the most common 20 percent of KM investments. Most of their mistakes relate to unrealistic codified knowledge. Emerging solutions for exchange, such as expectations for IT-based solutions that are often hyped by ven- knowledge markets, help firms experiment with the remaining 80 dors. Several of these mistakes are summarized 1 in Table 1. percent. Recent approaches to managing information and expertise rec- ognize that the implementation challenge is complex and evolu- Tell us about knowledge markets. How are they useful? tionary. I First the system must be highly dynamic, and evolve as is a forum for matching information A K N OW L E D G E M A R K E T users, business processes, and the environment change. demand with information supply, together with the material and Therefore all knowledge-related roles and structures must social incentives to encourage effective trading. Now that the continually change and adapt. Beyond defining update Internet has linked us all so closely, we need better mecha- periods, organizations now pay careful attention to docu- nisms to help us find "who knows what" and to reward people ment version control and life cycle. who provide valuable information. The size of the problem-- I Second, motivating knowledge workers to share their that of creating and moving information to the people who expertise implies rewarding workers in proportion to their need it--is so large that applying market principles is one of contributions, combining social and material rewards, and the best ways to find solutions. defining both individual and team-based incentives. Knowledge markets provide opportunities for matching I Third, KM systems are useful for effectively exploiting and knowledge seekers with sources. A good match helps gener- transferring existing practices and techniques as well as ate, combine, and rank ideas and also helps develop new solu- standardizing work practices, but they remain limited for tions, products, and services. Markets are great for facilitating managing nonroutine knowledge. All successful organiza- the reuse of existing information, for creating new informa- tions must deal with nonroutine problems. tion to address previously unsolved problems, and for effec- I Emerging models of collaboration, specifically the role of Web tively using information resources, including peoples' time. 2.0 technologies­blogs, wikis, and knowledge markets­provide a solution for managing nonroutine knowledge such as coping How can we cut through the clutter and improve with a changing environment or how to respond in a crisis. access to relevant development knowledge and These have become an important source of new products, expertise? processes, services, and forecasts. F I R S T, E M P L OY M E C H A N I S M S that let people raise their pro- fessional reputations by helping others. Using status cues in What is the future of knowledge exchange? online communities motivates experts to speak up and self will combine the earli- E F F E C T I V E K N OW L E D G E E XC H A N G E identify. And, experts will help quickly cut through the clutter er, highly structured systems with newer, more open and par- of less relevant information. TABLE 1: COMMON MISTAKES IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT MISTAKE CAUSE Thinking that by relying on a specific technology Emphasis is often placed on the technology rather than on how it should operate, KM can capture best practices, success stories, what problem it is supposed to address, and how it will integrate with the overarching and lessons learned that could then be reapplied technology strategy. by others. Implementing a KM program because competitors The implementation of KM should derive from a company problem or opportunity. did so and achieved benefits. The KM leader should assess which department or existing process is most likely to provide a context for a KM initiative, and start the implementation there. Failing to address the important question from a Knowledge workers are unlikely to exchange their expertise without a fair return on their knowledge worker's perspective of "what's in it time, energy, and opportunity costs. for me?" Considering KM as a deterministic, static, and KM is a dynamic, evolutionary process. Each stage requires distinct management prac- one-time-event. tices in order to be effective. Organizations should tailor their efforts to their particular KM maturity stage in order to extract more value from their knowledge assets. Source: Authors. 28 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE Second, reward the brokers. People who are really good at where diverse solvers from around the world compete to find what they do are often busy doing it. They often do not have the best solutions to R&D challenges. Answers are strictly time to browse lists of other people's open issues. But organi- ranked, prizes are strictly limited, and contestants cannot see zations also have many gatekeepers and brokers who know the each other's work. Use more absolute rewards when problems best people for different tasks. These gatekeepers can help require complex coordination and solutions are comple- match problems to opportunities and this too can prevent ments. InnoCentive also runs a collaborative internal market clutter. Just make sure they also get recognition. inside client sites that offer online team rooms. Partial Lastly, reward members of the community for providing answers appear on discussion boards, and prizes go to whole context. When a solution worked in Taiwan but needed adap- groups of mixed expertise with little concern for individual tation in Tanzania, the people who provided the modification rank. also need to be recognized or compensated. Clutter is partly a function of finding apparently relevant answers that turn out How can governments and large institutions like the not to work. So, it helps to have context on how to apply them World Bank meet new demands for knowledge and in new ways. expertise? In a sense, these steps address both the false negatives, like not being able to find the right people, as well as the false pos- L A R G E O R G A N I Z AT I O N S that have a wealth of information itives, like finding apparently relevant information that isn't. and talent often have difficulty accessing it. Managing infor- Knowledge markets do all of this. mation flows laterally and vertically, across specialties, loca- tions and countries, has proven particularly challenging. Managing the growing demands for expertise in diverse con- Explain the difference between absolute and relative texts requires decentralizing information exchange by pro- rewards and their different effects on organizational viding access to diverse sources, not just the central reposito- behavior ry. Meeting unanticipated needs implies providing access to O R G A N I Z AT I O N S O FT E N FAC E a tradeoff between effort and untapped knowledge. Markets provide the most common information sharing. These are tied to reward systems but in form of such decentralization. ways that many people miss. Let me give you a simple example. Management must support the change in power that fol- How do organizations promote people? Typically, they want to lows from a change in the sources of expertise. And manage- reward the "best" people, whatever that means. Now imagine ment must accept, or at least acknowledge the market verdict. that there are seven candidates for a single promotion. Each When people pose better questions and post better answers, person is likely to work hard at being the best. But if Sarah gets the knowledge market should empower staff to influence the job, then Sam can't get it. If Sam is close to getting pro- important management decisions, not just fringe issues. moted, he is unlikely to want to share his best ideas with Sarah Knowledge markets provide a solution to arbitrage the gap for fear that she will perform better than he does. Then she between problem and opportunity. They represent the infor- beats him to the promotion. This is a relative reward system mation equivalent of just-in-time production, and help peo- where everyone is rank ordered and prizes go to the top. ple pull information and contacts when needed. A knowledge Relative reward systems promote competition. This leads to market opens an institution to new forms of governance and high individual effort but little information sharing. creates completely new roles for those who would manage Now consider a reward system where anyone who meets a expertise. Truly democratizing knowledge requires an open organ- specific goal is rewarded. Suppose, for example, the goal is to ization where employees can deliberate, argue, vote, compete, and provide successful loans to 100 small businesses. In this case, collaborate horizontally across fields of expertise. when Sarah meets her goal it does not mean that Sam cannot also meet his goal. Sarah and Sam can pool their ideas. All Marshall Van Alstyne is an Associate Professor at Boston University seven coworkers can help each other attain the same goal, so and a Research Scientist at MIT. collaborative knowledge trading helps teams cross the finish Hind Benbya is an Associate Professor at the GSCM Montpellier line together. This is an absolute reward system where every- Business School (Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier). one can potentially succeed. Absolute rewards promote col- Van Alstyne and Benbya's article "Internal Knowledge Markets" is laboration and information sharing. The problem is the forthcoming in the Sloan Management Review. For a complimentary potential for free riding. Simon might simply borrow the ideas copy, please visit http://ssrn.com/abstract=1652432. of Sarah, Sam, and the others and add no effort of his own. The best incentives for stimulating knowledge exchange balance Interview conducted by Aaron Leonard, World Bank. competition and collaboration. Absolute incentives encourage sharing but employees can coast on the work of others. Endnote Relative incentives discourage sharing but employees work 1 From Benbya, H. Knowledge Management Systems Implementation: harder individually. Lessons from the Silicon Valley. 2008. Oxford: Chandos Publishing. Use more relative incentives when problems require greater speed or diversity of approach, and when solutions are substitutes. InnoCentive runs a competitive external market O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 29 SPECIAL REPORT South-South Learning in the Trifinio Region Transforming borderlands into areas of peace and development BY JAIME A. MIRANDA, KARIN SLOWING, The plan is also considered a model of bottom-up regional AND JULIO CÉSAR RAUDALES integration, because consultations are held on all initiatives with local governments (a total of forty-five municipalities T H E C R E AT I O N O F T H E T R I F I N I O R E G I O N , a sensitive bios- from the three countries) and with local civil society, who phere reserve in northern Central America where the borders together make up an Advisory Committee. The committee's of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras meet is a unique role is to provide comments on any project to be developed in example of South-South Cooperation (SSC). Based on their the Trifinio Region and which could be reproduced in other experiences and lessons learned from the joint management Latin American border areas. of the Plan Trifinio, the three Central American countries cre- ated a tri-national entity that redefined their borderlands as a The elements that define the consolidated area for integration and development. The three relationship countries, which share similar development challenges, rec- ognized that this was the most effective way of responding to WHILE IT IS CLEAR that environmental and socioeconomic the social and environmental challenges they were facing. homogeneity has been a key success factor, several other fea- tures have also supported a close partnership: The advantages of a tri-national horizontal partnership T H E T R I F I N I O R E G I O N , created in 1998, has been a suc- cessful transnational partnership in a politically and social- ly complex environment with a population of more than 670,000. The three countries recognized the importance of a partnership that looked beyond their geographic differ- ences and artificial boundaries. The partnership has two main objectives: access to water and citizen participation. One of its achievements has been to reformulate the con- cept of border from a zone of tension ( a no man's land or armed border), into that of a shared development zone. Many countries in the region have wanted to transform their borderlands, which have traditionally been marginal areas, into areas of economic integration where the provision of global public goods could be managed jointly. The Trifinio Region covers some 7,541 square kilometers: Guatemala has 44.7 percent of the area, El Salvador has 15.3 percent and Honduras has 40 percent. It includes 45 border municipalities around the cloud forest atop the Montecristo PRACTICES massif. The population of the Trifinio shares common charac- teristics defined by a unique environment and a common past. The creation of the Trifinio Region in 1998 has become a model strategy for South-South learning and has created a framework for decision making by the three partner coun- tries, reflecting a participatory, democratic, and coordinat- ed process of horizontal cooperation and investment. The Developing shared resources in the Trifinio Region. success of this new approach can be attributed to its focus on solving specific problems that are important to its people. 30 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE I A common desire for solutions to the lack of access to public services. Because of their distance from economic and political centers, the municipalities of Honduras are forced to look for devel- opment solutions in neighboring towns: for example, in Guatemala for basic health and educational infra- structure and in El Salvador for food. Undertaking joint solutions to shared problems also makes larger scale proj- ects possible (economies of scale). I Economic complementarities in the area of trade, and the desire for a temporary solution to the economic problems caused by war. Tourism and migration have played an important role as temporary solutions to unemployment. I Safety and crime prevention, especially in the fight against drug trafficking and stolen vehicles. I The protection and sustainable use of watersheds, especially the rivers of Lempa and Motagua, preservation of the Region. Thus the Trifinio experience has through projects with economic and social benefits. been closely aligned with national priorities and systems. On the other hand, the creation of a regional entity has helped to The main challenges harmonize decision making, coordination, and the execution of the entire Plan among the three countries, promoted har- of the Trifinio Plan calls for T H E O P E R AT I O N A L F R A M E WO R K monization and coordination among development partners, strengthening institutions that can support a tri-national enti- and between all the governmental and nongovernmental ty, can implement the plan, and can ensure the integrity and actors in the area, through their inclusion in the Trifinio consistency of the actions carried out in the common region. Region's organizational structure. The governments have given the Region financial, admin- Trifinio has faced several obstacles. It has been dependent istrative, and technical autonomy: It can enter into contracts on external financing or international cooperation, and has and other legal agreements; and is represented by the Plan sometimes encountered difficulties in defining tri-national Trifinio Tri-national Commission (CTPT), composed of the agendas and in covering a wide geographical area that is diverse vice-presidents of the three countries. The CTPT was author- and politically fragmented. However, the Region has succeed- ized by treaty as the entity in charge of carrying out the Plan ed in building a tri-national integration process in Central Trifinio under a clearly defined legal framework. An Advisory America which has been a pilot demonstration project for the Committee brings together municipal and departmental rep- management of (sub) regional public goods. It is also a stellar resentatives and civil society organizations, which helps example of participatory planning and effective South-South ensure accountability and the transparency of the process. cooperation in line with the Accra Agenda for Action, the Trilateral coordination, however, still presents challenges. Bogotá Statement, and other multilateral commitments. Political momentum among the three governments needs to Nevertheless, the partnership process and the autonomy of be sustained. The partnership between central government the Region could still be improved. This requires greater agencies, local governments, and civil society also needs to political will from the central governments, better coordina- mature in order to achieve broader ownership and communi- tion of joint actions between the municipalities and associa- ty participation in the development of the Trifinio. tions, and stronger human and institutional capacities for implementation. Results and lessons learned Jaime A. Miranda is Vice Minister for Development Cooperation, of a tri-national region has not infringed on T H E C R E AT I O N El Salvador. national sovereignty. On the contrary, it has contributed to Karin Slowing Umaña is Secretary of State for Planning and strengthening national leadership, provided a legal frame- Programming, Guatemala. work that allows for the execution of tri-national programs Julio César Raudales is Vice Minister for Planning and International and projects, promoted trans-border cooperation and the Cooperation, Honduras. management of shared natural resources, and responded to common development strategies and the environmental O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 31 SPECIAL REPORT China's International Poverty Reduction Center as a Platform for South-South Learning BY ZHONG WU, PHIL KARP, AND YAN WANG form for South-South learning and capacity development. Established in 2005 by the Government of China, IPRCC is sup- A FT E R AT T E N D I N G a South-South experience-sharing event ported by a number of international organizations including in China, a number of African officials wondered: "How come UNDP, the World Bank, the UK Department for International China is able to develop and retain its implementation capaci- Development, and the Asian Development Bank. IPRCC was con- ty, whereas our countries suffer from brain-drain?" ceived at the Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction The short answer is that China has institutionalized a learning held in Shanghai in 2004. Soon after, at the United Nations 60th process to capture lessons from its own development experience Anniversary Summit on Development Funding, Chinese and that of others. To this end, the International Poverty President Hu Jintao announced that "the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) was set up to serve as a plat- Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) was established in Beijing PRACTICES Tanzanian builders work at the site of a China aid agricultural demonstration center in Morogoro, some 240 kilometers from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 32 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE Economic Zones (SEZs), and FIGURE 1: IPRCC AS A PLATFORM FOR SOUTH-SOUTH LEARNING AND COOPERATION Township and Village Enter- prises and then developing Un capacity through learning-by- s nk ive doing. Only in a later stage were k ta rsi tie T hin s modern institutions adopted, such as the laws and regulations FUNDS required by the World Trade WORLD BANK Funds/Knowledge Organization (WTO) principles. LGOPAD* PEOPLE China took pragmatic approach- Through joint project es based on the experience of KNOWLEDGE design & implementation countries that were closer to its own stage of development, at the Oth ent er l opm rs time of the opening-up process. do eve ne no t'l D ctitio In ra So SEZs, for example, were rs P adopted from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore's experi- ence in the early 1980s, but adapted to China's own charac- *Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development Source: Authors. teristics. After difficult initial stages in its own development process, China is now well- placed to contribute to global poverty reduction by sharing its with a mission to make contributions to the global poverty reduc- rich and diverse experiences at various stages of development. tion." The IPRCC has since become one of the flagship organiza- Third, IPRCC benefits from the significant attention and tions in China for South-South cooperation and has represented resources that the Chinese government devotes to South-South China in several international fora including the Task Team on cooperation, serving as an important window for South-South South-South Cooperation and the associated High Level Event on learning and experience sharing. The Chinese government has South-South Cooperation, in Bogota, Colombia. invested heavily in training and technical assistance programs Why is IPRCC becoming such an important platform for for officials from other developing countries, particularly in South-South learning? To this question we need to under- Africa. IPRCC's activities are a part of this bigger picture. stand IPRCC's role in a broader context (Figure 1). Fourth, IPRCC has a unique governance structure and First, IPRCC's credibility is rooted in China's rapid devel- institutional setup, involving a range of important domestic opment and poverty reduction that took place in the span of and international partners. Nationally, IPRCC falls within the one generation, and which have been an inspiration to other administrative structure of China's State Council, but with developing countries. When China started its reform 30 years links through its board of trustees to the National ago, it faced tremendous uncertainty. No one knew the specif- Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, ic path to the envisaged "end model." No one expected that in Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the three decades following the initiation of pro-market the international side, it is supported by the World Bank, reforms in 1978, China would achieve the most rapid poverty UNDP and other international donors, and has succeeded in reduction in human history. Using the new international attracting world renowned experts including several Nobel poverty line of $1.25 a day in 2005 purchasing power parity Laureates as its senior advisors. (PPP), it is estimated that in the 24 years after 1981, over 635 Fifth, IPRCC is an attractive knowledge resource for devel- million people in China were lifted out of poverty and the pro- opment practitioners around the world, especially those from portion of the population living in poverty fell from 84 per- Africa. In the last five years, IPRCC has provided training to cent to 16 percent (Chen and Ravallion 2008).1 Naturally, pol- nearly 600 officials and development practitioners (see Table icymakers and development practitioners would very much 1). It has developed a unique approach to training and experi- like to understand what has worked in China, why, and how. ence-sharing, which it implements with local and interna- Second, the IPRCC was established with the firm belief that tional partners, including the World Bank. The typical model learning from countries that are in similar stages of develop- involves workshops in Beijing where participants are able to ment can be more relevant than learning from highly interact with government officials and researchers, followed advanced countries, especially in the early stages. This is par- by week-long field visits to the poor regions and coastal areas. tially because capable institutions cannot be imported or cre- Since development practitioners come from countries with ated overnight. China's experience points to the efficacy of varying socioeconomic backgrounds, they have a range of first developing home-grown and second-best institutions needs and interests. By organizing field visits to different such as the Household Responsibility System, Special parts of the country, IPRCC can satisfy a range of learning O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 33 needs covering various sectors and levels of government. expertise, especially on issues such as development effective- IPRCC training programs address not only general knowledge ness, monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessment. This about China's development experience, but also specific should not be done in isolation, since capacity can best be institutional approaches (for example, farmer water-user developed through mutual learning and knowledge exchange. associations, microfinance, disaster management, and com- Hence IPRCC is using mechanisms such as visiting scholar munity-driven development). Participants can witness with programs, and staff exchange programs with multilateral and their own eyes, the "what" and "how" of China's development. bilateral institutions and other development think tanks. Sixth, the IPRCC is becoming a center of excellence for IPRCC embodies many of the ideas and principles of the South-South learning, attracting talent from the government "Bogota process" in which it was an active participant. It is very and academic sectors, including top universities and research much a Southern-led institution, but one which welcomes and institutes. One of the reasons that China can build and retain leverages the experiences and resources of other partners, implementation capacity is that officials in organizations like while retaining its own unique characteristics. It seeks to pro- IPRCC remain a part of the system and therefore benefit from mote mutual respect and win-win outcomes with its partners. stable career development opportunities. At the same time, IPRCC also firmly recognizes that South-South learning and the fast-growing Chinese economy and dynamic development sharing of knowledge and experience for countries in all phas- of enterprises and institutions have attracted new talent. es of development is key to capacity development. We believe that IPRCC offers a useful institutional model that is relevant to other countries. Indeed it is our firm view Challenges and implications for that the emergence of a network of flexible institutions, like South-South Cooperation IPRCC, that effectively analyze and document their own coun- tries' experiences and share these through South-South DELIVERING on the South-South Cooperation Agenda will learning would make a significant contribution to poverty depend on the development of effective institutions, includ- reduction and to sustainable capacity development. ing those of the state, the parastate, the private sector, and civil society. The uneven development performances across Zhong Wu is Director General of the International Poverty Reduction countries are largely determined by the quality of institutions, Center in China (IPRCC). which ultimately shape incentives for learning, experimenta- Philip Karp is a Lead Specialist at the World Bank Institute. tion, and entrepreneurship. Yan Wang is a Senior Economist at the World Bank Institute. Therefore, we need dynamic institutions like IPRCC that can attract talent at home and abroad, and serve as platforms Endnote and facilitators for South-South learning. However, IPRCC is 1 Chen, Shaohua and Martin Ravallion. 2008. "China is poorer than we still a young organization with limited in-house capacity for thought, but no less successful in the fight against poverty," World Bank conducting research and producing training materials that Policy Working Paper no 4621, page 11. meet the needs of diverse groups of development practitioners. It needs to invest in staff capacity and to bring in international TABLE 1: RAPID GROWTH OF IPRCC SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT, 2005-2010 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010* Total Number of training programs for Int'l Development Practitioners 1 2 2 7 5 4 23 Number of international participants in IPRCC's training 53 64 80 144 152 97 590 programs Number of international conferences organized by IPRCC 2 3 3 4 4 16 Number of participants in international conferences 200 600 610 790 440 2640 RESEARCH/PUBLICATIONS: 3 3 4 22 37 69 Books in Chinese 3 3 4 10 7 27 Books in English 2 4 6 Papers in Chinese 10 21 31 Papers in English 0 5 5 Source: IPRCC. The numbers for 2010 are estimates up to July 15. 34 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT Developing the Capacity of Post-Conflict Countries through South-South Partnerships BY DR. SALOSHINI MUTHAYAN help address this challenge. The project aims to improve gov- ernance and service delivery in three post-conflict countries, F O L L OW I N G Y E A R S of war and devastation, the citizens of Burundi, Rwanda, and Southern Sudan. It builds the capacity of post-conflict countries look to the government with high public sector training institutions and government officials expectations for a better quality of life. These countries, how- responsible for service delivery in the priority areas of water, ever, face severe institutional and human capacity constraints agriculture, health, and peace and security. and normally have no other option than turning to donors for This five-year project is an example of how the Paris help in reconstructing their societies. Declaration can be translated into action and of how Southern And yet the very significant aid investments in Africa over voices have not only been heard but have in fact initiated and the past decades have yielded little; a pressing need exists to driven innovative projects funded by Northern partners. improve aid effectiveness and the sustainability of develop- PALAMA (Public Administration Leadership and ment programs. The Regional Capacity Building (RCB) Project Management Academy), the South African public sector funded by the Canadian International Development Agency training academy, has established effective partnerships with (CIDA) is an example of how South-South partnerships can three management development institutes (MDIs): Ecole PRACTICES At PALAMA, participants from Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, and South Africa learn how to research, write and teach case studies as part of a curriculum. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 35 Nationale d'Administration in Burundi, the Rwanda Institute A stable and well-resourced implementing agency from the for Administration and Management in Rwanda, and the South, such as PALAMA, can act as a catalyst for change, a role Capacity Building Unit of the Ministry of Human Resource model, and a broker between donor and beneficiaries by Development in Southern Sudan. Multilateral partnerships helping donors understand the African context and its devel- have been forged among PALAMA, the implementing agency, opment challenges. It can identify workable solutions and CIDA, the donor, and the three MDIs, representing both help build trust in donors' motives among other Southern South-South and North-South partnerships. partners, and ensure sound systems of accountability. The divergent levels of development among the partners are seen as strengths since the more developed countries are Advantages of South-South emulated, and provide peer learning and support. RIAM, for Partnerships instance, was able to field questions related to project char- ters, legal agreements, and budgeting processes. This T H E C O M PA R AT I V E S T R E N GT H of South-South over North- prompted the more cautious partners, who may have suspect- South partnerships is that they give expression to existing ed the implementing agency's motives, or possible collusion networks, and to regional policies, agreements, and pro- with donors, to buy into the ethos of trust, equal relations, and grams. Of central importance to South Africa's foreign policy mutual respect cultivated within the project. is its commitment to the African Union/NEPAD program and CIDA has been highly supportive of the project's organic bilateral relations with African countries, particularly post- development through strong South-South relations; and its conflict countries. South Africa recognizes that the capability presence at planning sessions as an unobtrusive participant of African leadership to critically assess needs and formulate has bolstered trust among the donor, PALAMA, and the coun- and implement indigenous solutions to African challenges is try MDIs. key to sustainable development in the region. In the traditional model where donors or foreign agencies The strength of the RCB project is that the partnerships are implement the project, there is less of an understanding of local based on mutual trust, respect, accountability, sharing of contexts and of sustainable and indigenous solutions; and the information, and equal relations. This has been possible foreign agency is less likely to be accorded the same trust level because all four countries share similar histories, contexts, and as an African implementing agency such as PALAMA. When visions for the future. They all have a colonial past and a histo- donors are directly involved, partner countries become disem- ry of racial and ethnic turmoil, and have all emerged from con- powered. This is evident in Southern Sudan, where beneficiar- flict situations, including South Africa with its history of ies are disengaged and rely on the donor to do the technical apartheid. The four countries also share similar public sector work. Donors may view this as a lack of know-how or commit- challenges such as limited resources, poor service delivery, ment to the project. In the RCB project, the empowerment of and public servants who are inadequately prepared to carry out the four CBU staff has been enormous. When the project began, their roles and responsibilities. Each country is aware that its the staff did not engage in planning on a regular basis, were success in achieving peace, stability, development, and growth uncertain about their work program, and appeared to be con- depends on other countries in the region pursuing similar fused by the diverse demands of the many donors. Now, a year goals that are also aligned to the aspirations of the African later, the CBU staff meet weekly, have clear work plans, and are Union (AU) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). more vocal at meetings­ particularly with donors. Thus, independent of donor involvement, the partners jointly defined problems related to governance and service delivery, conducted needs analyses, and developed an effec- tive program of interventions. Challenges T H E C H A L L E N G E S TO S O U T H - S O U T H learning include sus- taining the commitment of key stakeholders and maintaining the continued involvement of project champions and project managers over the life of the project. Each MDI has a project coordinating team of five staff, led by a project coordinator who reports to the directors general (DGs). These teams, and in particular the project coordinators, have served as the proj- ect champions in the partner countries. The overall champion is the project leader, also responsible for the conceptualiza- tion of the project, who together with a project management team, heads the project on behalf of the implementing agency and is accountable to the DG of PALAMA. An ethos of trust and mutual respect has been cultivated throughout the project, 36 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE particularly between the project leader and the country proj- ect coordinating teams. This has been crucial to accountabili- S o u t h - S o u t h C o o p e r at i o n . . . continued from page 26 ty and sustainability of the project across the partner MDIs. In addition, the project champions, led by the in-country DGs have evoked strong support from the Ministers of Public Service and Human Resource Development in the three coun- In Bogota, some of these recommendations seemed to be tries who have jurisdiction over the MDIs. taking shape and gaining support. The 110 cases of South-South Changes in political, MDI, or project leadership present a and triangular cooperation presented at the High Level Event challenge because continuity at all levels is important if high- told stories as a source of learning and possible replication. I quality project outcomes are to be achieved within the specified hope this book is the first of many more learning products. deadlines. Continuity between the design and implementation CIVICUS and its member organizations and allies are tak- phases is crucial in an innovative project such as this where the ing action in the form of cooperation among peers and pro- project model, including the governance and management motion of civil society knowledge exchange between develop- structure, multilateral cooperation, capacity development, and ing countries. The CIVICUS Civil Society Index (CSI) is an curriculum and training, is being designed as the project is being excellent illustration. The CSI is a participatory needs assess- implemented--a praxis model. The Rwandese Minister of Public ment and action planning tool for civil society around the Services and Labour, for example, has been an avid champion world. It aims to create a knowledge base on, and momentum from the outset. However, the simultaneous exit of the DG and for, civil society strengthening initiatives. The CSI is initiated project coordinator at RIAM held up the implementation for and implemented by, and for, civil society organizations at the several months. By contrast, in Burundi the consistent presence country level. It actively involves, and disseminates its find- of the project coordinator from the inception of the project has ings to a broad range of stakeholders including: government, ensured outstanding implementation, despite numerous politi- donors, academics, and the public at large. cal changes in the ministry and in the leadership of the MDI. Civil society stakeholders make use of participatory and Thus, the day to day managers rather than the political or other research methods to create knowledge about civil soci- institutional leadership seem to be critical to ensuring high- ety and to assess its state or condition. This assessment is quality deliverables. However, political and institutional sup- then used to collectively set goals and create an agenda for port remains an important factor in ensuring overall project strengthening civil society. Besides the activities at the coun- success. try level, partner organizations implementing the CSI con- The new draft overseas development assistance (ODA) duct a variety of other exchange initiatives: sharing their policy of the South African National Treasury makes the point results, trying to find common patterns, and seeking solu- that where project managers are changed midway through the tions to shared problems. Regional exchanges, for example, project lifecycle, deadlines are often missed and the quality of in Latin America, are currently very active; and are an emerg- the deliverables suffers. ing form of South-South cooperation and knowledge To mitigate the negative effects of changes in political or exchange. institutional leadership, the project leader meets with the new leaders soon after their appointment, and they are regularly Anabel Cruz is the Founder Director of ICD (Communication and updated on project progress. Forums in which ministries, Development Institute) in Uruguay and the Chair of the Board of departments, policy and research institutions and donors, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. exchange knowledge, help promote efficiency and donor har- monisation, and avoid duplication. Suggestions for improving Endnote the project that come out of the forums are readily implemented. 1 The Reality of Aid Network (RoA) is the only major North-South interna- tional nongovernmental initiative focusing exclusively on analysis and lobby- Conclusion ing for poverty eradication policies and practices in the international aid regime. Measures presented here can be further explored in their most recent report on South-South Cooperation. F R O M A S O U T H E R N P E R S P E C T I V E , there is concern about a growing dependence on donors, which has happened in post- conflict countries where key personnel defer decision making to foreign agents because they may not be aware of how to do things differently. While it is still too early to judge the success of this project, the evidence so far indicates that South-South partnerships help ensure better use of aid through improved program design based on local knowledge, are genuinely par- ticipatory, and are responsive to the local context. Dr. Saloshini Muthayan is Head of International and Special Projects at the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA), South Africa. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 37 SPECIAL REPORT The Power of Parliamentary South-South Learning Fighting small arms in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa BY JEFF BALCH in the world have F E W OT H E R R E G I O N S been hit so hard by so many wars and domestic conflicts as the countries in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa over the past fifteen years. Traders and brokers of small arms cool-headedly spot- ted the opportunities in these regions. Local demand was huge as many militia and rebel groups needed weapons and did- n't particularly care about international trading regulations or conventions. As a result, Northeast Africa and the Great Lakes Region are awash with small arms and light weapons. It will take many more years before this problem will be brought under control completely. Members of Parliament (MPs) have plans to continue to devote their unique capabilities and man- dates--to make laws, monitor their imple- mentation and give a voice to people who suffer from the impact of small arms--to the struggle against this scourge. African MPs are dealing with issues that cross borders, and that affect constituents who cross borders, including the promo- tion of regional public goods and the con- tainment of what can be referred to as regional public "bads." They need to make decisions with the knowledge of what neighbors are doing, sometimes also requiring joint decisions and policies. PRACTICES They also need to take policy debates out- side the political sphere to be able to reach consensus on innovations and in order to take bold steps. Parliamentarians are strengthened in their knowledge and their resolve through South-South sharing of experiences and lessons in a peer learning A Congolese woman militia fighter gives back her gun during a gun exchange. environment, as this case story illustrates. 38 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE Building South-South exchanges into tion of this key stakeholder, there is a democratic deficit in parliamentary agendas central planning. Because the development of mutual trust through confidence-building measures is a prerequisite to AW E PA , TO G E T H E R W I T H U N D P , has been supporting parlia- further regional harmonization, the benefits can be signifi- mentarians and parliamentary leaders in South-South cant in the area of peace-building. Engagement with parlia- Cooperation for a number of years, including within the mentarians in North-South and triangular cooperation has framework of the International Conference for the Great the added potential benefit of exerting peer-to-peer Southern Lakes Region. Familiarizing parliaments with the Regional influence on Northern policy priorities. Parliamentary SSC Pact on Stability, Security, and Development has contributed can enhance North-South policy dialogue, by amplifying to curbing the scourge of illicit small arms. Southern voices and perspectives, and motivating Northern According to the Millennium Project Report (January 2005), MPs to influence regional policies of donors. the priority for successful peacebuilding is an early and sus- Although it is impossible to generalize across different par- tained investment in a long-term Millennium Development liamentary systems and unique political environments, demo- Goals (MDG)-based development framework, with attention to cratic processes appear to be strengthened when parliamen- healthcare services, education, and income-generating oppor- tary SSC helps insufficiently informed MPs to gain knowledge, tunities. Also, in the aftermath of armed conflict, the weapons experience, and support networks. Such cooperation can also need to be collected and destroyed. Experience from the Great create a better working environment for parliamentary Lakes Region of Africa demonstrates that government decrees alone engagement by stimulating progressive dialogue and the coun- are insufficient to make a success of small arms reduction programs. tervailing voices of a broader spectrum of interest groups. Both In order to implement the Nairobi Declaration on small arms bilateral and multilateral SSC tend to transcend domestic reduction, which sat on a shelf for four years after government political constraints and open up policy space where little was signature, parliaments had to take action. This work was coor- previously available. These instances serve not only to stimu- dinated by the UNDP-AWEPA program, which developed a spe- late new and innovative ideas for policy change but also to build cial handbook for MPs, launched it in multiparty political the confidence of individual MPs and create incentives to forums, and introduced it in both national and regional parlia- strengthen checks and balances in the national context. mentary workshops. Thereafter, parliamentary action, includ- ing the harmonization of legislation, was supported and moni- Effectiveness, a natural mandate for tored for progress. The fruits of these collaborative efforts were South-South parliamentary learning incorporated into the Nairobi Parliamentary Action Plan for Peace in the Great Lakes Region (April 2005), and helped by African parliamentarians to cooper- T H E E F F O RT S M A D E secure a joint parliamentary arms reduction initiative by the ate with their regional counterparts have had positive spin-off Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. effects for transparency and accountability in governance in general, and in relation to overseas development assistance Motivation and incentives--The South- (ODA) more specifically. Through regional and cross-nation- South momentum for Africa's al cooperation, parliamentarians are strengthening both for- parliamentarians mal and informal regional institutions, including Regional Parliamentary Bodies, such as the Pan-African Parliament T H E S T R U G G L E AG A I N S T the proliferation of small arms and (PAP) and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), and light weapons in Africa can claim a number of recent success- networks of, for example, women MPs. Their increasing es. The cooperative efforts of African parliamentarians can knowledge, vigilance, and oversight of executive action have take credit for several of them. The Nairobi Declaration and increased a sense of accountability, crucial for successful aid Protocol, for instance, were signed in March 2000 by most reform. countries in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa and National leadership and ownership were demonstrated in are internationally renowned and accepted as far-reaching this case by the leading role taken by the elected leadership of instruments for curbing the use and illicit trade in small arms. the national Parliament. After reaching regional agreement MPs passionately supported these international agreements, on issues related to the proliferation of small arms, parlia- the ratification of which hinges completely on the legislators' mentarians were able to take the discussion forward in their commitment and consent. In a related development, parlia- countries with a renewed sense of urgency and legitimacy. In mentarians from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo the absence of parliamentary SSC, the bedding down of new poli- and Rwanda have made headway in harmonizing their coun- cies, laws, and initiatives takes longer and entails more risk tries' laws against illicit small arms trade, making it much because of diminished ownership, transparency, and accountabil- more difficult for illicit traders to find a safe haven. This ini- ity. Parliamentary and civilian oversight of military opera- tiative is seen as a source of inspiration for similar harmo- tions, and the external assistance for them, is an area where nization efforts elsewhere in the region and a prime example further attention is needed in this regard. of the role MPs can play in South-South Cooperation. Through interparliamentary dialogue, exchange of experi- Parliamentary SSC helps create space for the voice of the ences and cooperation, Africa's parliamentarians have grown people in regional policy development. Without the participa- to know the Paris Declaration and to appreciate their role in O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 39 implementing the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA). To these ends, the Pan-African Parliament, Regional Parliamentary Bodies, a growing number of national parliaments, and African parliamentary networks in Africa are consolidating action plans to ensure their proper involvement in the aid reform agenda, both nationally and internationally. Others are becoming better informed and preparing to follow this lead. Working jointly and in cooperation with AWEPA and donor MPs, these parliamentary partners are expanding the democratic credentials of the new aid architecture. This indi- cates that South-South and South-North parliamentary coop- eration, particularly if accompanied by sufficient resources for capacity building and networking, bodes well for future increases in aid ownership, accountability, and effectiveness. The way forward for parliamentary South-South knowledge exchange parliamentarians from the A S T H I S C A S E I L L U S T R AT E S , South can elicit important policy changes when working togeth- er toward common goals. Given that regional scourges and the need for cooperative efforts to address cross-border challenges will remain relevant for years to come, strengthened communi- cation channels between MPs of the South, particularly on a regional basis where the incentives for cooperation are strongest, could prove to be a powerful platform from which to launch other initiatives. Going forward, it will be important to monitor developments in the South-South parliamentary con- text to better understand how to unleash the potential synergies that exist, as scant evidence has been collected on this topic. Additional points of engagement and constellations are also worth exploring. These may include the systematic integration of MPs in relevant South-South executive-level cooperative efforts in country, or cross-continental exchanges, such as those between African and Latin American MPs. Given MPs' close proximity to their constituents, parliamentarians are well placed to address a variety of citizen concerns, and have a dis- tinct value-add that is unique to their mandate. Moreover, MPs can act as information conduits, communicating with citizens on good practices and lessons learned, thereby amplifying the spread of the initial South-South exchange. That said, parlia- mentary South-South cooperation must be monitored and sup- ported if its potential is to be reached. Key components for suc- cess include a balance of strong incentives on the part of the MPs themselves, and sufficient international support and encouragement for collaborative parliamentary action. If given proper attention, critical space can be made available for the constitutionally mandated representatives of their citizens to make important strides together toward common goals. Jeff Balch is Director of AWEPA, an international association of European Parliamentarians. It works in cooperation with African Parliaments to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Africa, to keep Africa high on the political agenda in Europe, and to facilitate African-European Parliamentary dialogue. 40 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT Helping Latin America Help Itself South-South cooperation as an innovative development tool BY PAMELA COX effort. They did it as they tried to cope with their own losses-- the UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince had collapsed killing EVEN BEFORE THE MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE struck Haiti 101 people, the largest single loss of life in the history of early this year, the country was one of the biggest beneficiar- United Nations peacekeeping. ies of South-South cooperation in the Americas. In fact, since 2004, the first UN peacekeeping mission made up mostly of Helping neighbors South American forces has been serving in the beleaguered Caribbean nation. ASIDE FROM the official international presence, scores of Not surprisingly, in the first days after the disaster, Latin American nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), MINUSTAH, as the UN mission is known, played a crucial role many of them World Bank partners, were also quickly at work in maintaining order and coordinating the massive relief tending to victims. Brazil's prominent NGO, Viva Rio, which PRACTICES Members of the Colombian Red Cross prepare boxes of supplies to send to Haiti in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 41 had been running social and violence prevention programs in improve forest management, for instance, included study Haiti, quickly adapted its mission in the earthquake's after- tours and virtual workshops that allowed Mexican indigenous math. It turned its community center into temporary shelter, representatives to share their practical knowledge with offered capoeira classes to homeless children, and operated a indigenous peoples from Nicaragua. project to turn human waste into fuel. (Capoeira is an Afro- An important element of knowledge exchange is to bring Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, players with similar problems and missions around the same music, and dance.) table with the hope that by joining forces and sharing experi- Meanwhile, Argentina's Pro Huerta Project, which helps ences they can more easily arrive at solutions. One such Haitians grow their own food in small-scale organic gardens exchange recently took place between parties from Brazil, to improve nutrition, redoubled its efforts in areas badly Mexico, and South Africa who were all seeking to develop a affected by the earthquake. Within weeks after the quake, legal and regulatory framework to provide microinsurance to Argentina announced the shipment of thousands of seed low-income households and microbusinesses. Their hope was packets and tilling tools, aiming to increase its contributions to come up with an innovative delivery mechanism that would in the island by 50 percent. reduce operational costs, educate consumers, and facilitate There is no question that Haiti's tragedy helped trigger a widespread coverage. tremendous outpouring of solidarity from developing and even poor nations. And while the levels of support may have The challenges ahead been unprecedented, this display of South-South cooperation was not altogether new in the development arena. In recent A L L T H E S E A DVA N C E S don't necessarily mean that this type years, the exchange of expertise and resources between gov- of cooperation among equals is easier or less challenging than ernments, organizations, and individuals in the developing traditional assistance from rich to poor nations. In fact, there world has proven to be an effective tool for relevant and sus- are several stumbling blocks that stand in the way of turning tainable reform. this form of exchange into a more established form of assis- In Latin America, Brazil has emerged as a leading force in tance. Exchanges need to be better organized and have an this form of assistance. The South American giant participates established forum. Many current exchanges are largely inci- in a variety of expertise-sharing ventures in Latin America and dental, motivated by disaster or similar events, which allows around the world, many supported by the World Bank. Bolsa little time for proper sharing and development of ideas. Familia, Brazil's successful conditional cash transfer program More significantly, there is insufficient funding for South- that provides a subsidy to poor families in exchange for keep- South cooperation and what little is available goes mostly to ing children in school and receiving regular medical checkups, the world's poorest nations, particularly in Africa. For Latin has been a centerpiece of Brazilian cooperation. Bolsa Familia America and the Caribbean the challenge then is to identify technical experts have shared their knowledge and discussed interested donors and sources of finance that have begun to their challenges with counterparts from neighboring countries recognize the potential of this form of cooperation. such as Peru and Colombia as well as distant India and China. So far, most of the projects in the region have secured Mexico too is a pioneer in this type of targeted welfare and its funding from the participating countries themselves, often Oportunidades program is being replicated throughout the with the World Bank playing a facilitator role as the convening hemisphere, including in New York City. With World Bank entity that provides the platform for the exchange to take assistance, Mexico has also been involved in improving social place. Yet since these projects are not a mainstream form of conditions in Latin American countries, especially those with assistance, governments often fail to plan for these activities large indigenous populations such as Bolivia. as they make budget decisions. There is no question that South-South cooperation is gaining Sharing what they know recognition as a promising form of assistance. The best proof is that today a tremendous amount of demand for it­and interest in C O O P E R AT I O N A M O N G nonrich nations does not revolve only supplying it­remains unmet. That too is an indication of the around common poverty challenges. In fact, the current list of work that remains to be done to tap its full potential. projects backed by the Bank covers a broad spectrum of issues ranging from early childhood development and pension sys- Pamela Cox is the World Bank's Vice President for Latin America and tem reform to health care access and mitigation of the effects of the Caribbean. natural disasters. In the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Brazil has also gained international recognition for its work in devel- oping generic antiretroviral drugs. In recent months, it has assisted Mozambique, a country where AIDS is the main cause of death and hospitalization among adults, to develop its own capacity for providing these medications. While government-to-government exchanges are com- mon, cooperation can also be among nongovernmental organizations or civil society groups. A project designed to 42 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT Making South-South Happen Ten years of knowledge exchange through the Global Development Learning Network BY STEFFEN SOULEJMAN JANUS providing both knowledge and inspiration. As one participant AND MOR SECK remarked "I was there... I could see people from different coun- tries. I could talk. I could share my experience." Today the we want to find how we can network " A S B U S I N E S SWO M E N , women's business chamber of Tanzania is a well established and cost effectively. We have a better future, because when you net- active organization with more women joining every day. work, you get markets, you get experience, you get success stories This is just one of many examples of South-South knowl- from different places." These were the comments made by Dina edge exchange where practitioners from different parts of the Bina, a small flower shop owner in Dar es Salaam and the Chair world were able to share their experiences with peers who may of the Tanzania Women's Chamber of Commerce. Two years have faced and overcome similar challenges. It is this power- prior, Dina and a number of fellow businesswomen in Tanzania ful notion of learning from those who "have been there" that had learned from their peers in Kenya and South Africa how to makes the South-South approach so attractive. organize a business chamber. Through a videoconference-facil- But making South-South happen is also hard work. Rarely itated South-South knowledge exchange program, the local does everything turn out as planned. On top of this, ensuring women connected with their peers from other African countries, that practical learning takes place can be even more difficult. PRACTICES A Global Development Learning Network Studio. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 43 That is where the Global Development Learning Network site delivery. The network's biggest asset, its diversity, carries (GDLN) plays a key role as an instrument for the design and with it an inherent management challenge. implementation of South-South exchanges. There is a need for common standards to facilitate plan- Established in 2000 by then-World Bank president James ning and manage expectations. The network is currently Wolfensohn to help bridge the knowledge divide by linking addressing these issues by developing a global governance distance learning centers in selected countries, the network mechanism comprised of a network board, representing each has since matured into an active, independent global player region and important partners, and a global secretariat that with a secretariat housed at the World Bank Institute (WBI). will serve as its executive arm. Today GDLN provides access to thousands of learning venues Constrained by these challenges, how can a global, inde- through a network of 120 affiliates in more than 80 countries. pendent mechanism such as the GDLN still be an asset for Many GDLN affiliates can also connect to additional in-coun- South-South knowledge exchange? What has worked and what try networks. In Indonesia for example, the network can link remains a challenge? Here are some takeaways after ten years to 350 videoconferencing sites across the country through the of operation. national educational INHERENT Network. 1) Get the audience right. For knowledge exchange activities Affiliates include the Asian Institute of Management, the to result in useable knowledge transfer and follow-up Ethiopian Civil Service College, the Islamic Development actions, it is critical to invite the right stakeholders to the Bank, and Pontifícia Universidad Católica of Peru. Each year, table. A case in point is a dialogue between widowed they put together about 1,500 learning and knowledge women in Indonesia who shared their experiences on rev- exchange activities--more than two thirds of which can be enue-generating activities and education programs with characterized as South-South engagements. Every affiliate is peers in Vietnam, India, Afghanistan, Cambodia, and, Sri capable of providing standard knowledge exchange services Lanka. For this program, key change agents in the respec- such as videoconferencing facilities and multimedia distance tive countries were identified. They were either women learning rooms, but they also possess other capabilities. who themselves already had significant experience with The network operates on three levels. First, there is the similar projects, or organizations that were about to physical infrastructure (videoconferencing venues, comput- embark on a project to empower widows in their country. er, and multimedia facilities and internet access) that pro- 2) Plan medium to long term instead of one-off. A good vides safe havens for learning and knowledge sharing in capi- example is the Affiliated Network for Social tals and in remote sites. Second, the network offers a broad set Accountability--Africa (ANSA). It brings together individ- of advisory and implementation services: from needs assess- uals and civil society organizations, nongovernmental ments to the design, implementation, and evaluation of learn- organizations, local academics, and the media for joint ing activities and products. On a third level, GDLN has access knowledge exchange and learning activities both at the to a wealth of know-how and sector expertise through its country level and in regionwide dialogues. The program renowned university and civil service education members. has established itself as an effective mechanism to foster Many national and multilateral development players such as demand for good governance from the bottom up. All par- the World Bank, regional Development Banks, the United ticipating country actors engage with their audiences and Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the hold regular meetings and activities. This powerful combi- United Nations Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Japan nation of mutual trust, active participation, capacity build- International Cooperation Agency (JICA) use GDLN's servic- ing, and strong personal linkages between people helps es and its well-established linkages to policy makers, practi- achieve lasting development impact. tioners, academia, and civil society. Increasingly, entities 3) Design for local ownership. Local buy-in to programs is from the South are also using the network. Innovation critical for long-term success. That is the case for the Africa Environnement Développement Afrique (IED) in Senegal, Local Government Action Forum, in which participants the Higher Education Commission in Pakistan, and the from all levels of society in seven African nations participate Ministry for Family Affairs in Nicaragua use the network for in monthly knowledge exchanges by videoconferencing. knowledge exchange and capacity development programs Since 2000, they have been sharing their personal experi- linking up with other Southern partners in their regions and ences on participatory budgeting and local economic devel- around the world. opment. The program has yielded a strong community of While GDLN has made enormous advances in connecting practitioners who have, over time, built trust and a sense of people globally, the network still faces considerable challenges. community that goes beyond national borders. Critical to its On a global level, these include providing adequate coordina- success was a long-term vision to hold regularly scheduled tion of activities, setting standards and ensuring quality, ensur- monthly meetings by videoconferencing to help keep down ing good communications between affiliates across regions, and costs. A francophone chapter has been added to the pro- fostering business development. Regionally, the governance gram, now linking 18 countries in the region. structures are heterogeneous and rely on business models that have yet to be proven effective. At the country level, the vastly diverse sizes, missions, capacities and geographic locations of Making South-South Happen continued on page 47 the affiliate institutions can militate against a seamless multi- 44 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE SPECIAL REPORT Asia's Deepening Regionalism Brings Shared Prosperity BY RAJAT M. NAG creating ASEAN+3. And integration continues to expand through the East Asia Summit process3 and other initiatives. A S I A ' S C O M I N G O F AG E has been the development story of Asia's revival began with Japan's remarkable economic the past 40 years. The reasons for this are varied. But some of surge in the post-war period and subsequent entry into the the more significant factors have been knowledge exchange, Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development technology transfer, and increased economic integration and (OECD) in 1964. Japan's success convinced much of develop- cooperation between governments of developing economies. ing Asia to shift away from import-substitution toward a more Asia's success is in part the result of increased dialogue open, export-oriented development model. between regional partners, formalized through institutions Today, the development model is changing yet again. As such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia's economies have expanded, they have also become more which expanded from its original five-member core1 in 1967 to closely integrated through trade, investment, and financial encompass all Southeast Asia by mid-19992 and aims to estab- flows. Cooperation among developing Asian economies and lish an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. In response to their integration with the region's more mature and larger the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis, the People's Republic of economies has helped Asia become much stronger. China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea joined the process, PRACTICES Vietnamese store in southwest China's Yunnan Province, which borders on Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. As a result of the China-ASEAN free trade area (FTA) and Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) program, some 100,000 people trade here every day. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 45 In practice, knowledge exchange, technological transfer, ment, creating a training center, and better financial manage- and increased economic integration in Asia stemmed natural- ment (to avoid the need for government subsidies), were all ly from increased private sector integration as economies part of the knowledge transfer process. The success of this opened up in the 1990s and globalization became the mantra. twinning agreement has a spillover effect--BIWASE can now The region's strong production networks of multinational and assist other Vietnamese utilities by passing on their newly regional firms have led to greater interdependence. This mar- acquired knowledge and experience. The main lesson of this ket-led process led to the creation of Factory Asia and has been project is that engineers across cultures and borders still backed by unilateral, nondiscriminatory trade liberalization. speak the same technological language and share the same This process has also demonstrated that regional integration aims and goals. ADB has adopted and improved on twinning does not necessarily have to be achieved at the cost of global as a development strategy for its Water Operators' Partnership interconnectedness. Asia is now more regionally integrated, Program, which promotes knowledge sharing and builds the while remaining steadfastly globally connected. capacity of water operators and utilities in the Asia and the Asia's approach to regionalism has been pragmatic and Pacific region. It has identified potential twinning of 20 water flexible, as it has largely adopted a bottom-up approach of utilities and operators in the region. subregional cooperation across myriad economic subsets, Since the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis, broader dialogue thereby creating a platform for multitrack and multispeed and initiatives have also brought greater regional strength. The "open" regionalism. This approach acknowledges different creation of ASEAN+3 represented a degree of cooperation dif- levels of development and needs across the region, and arrives ficult to imagine before the onset of the crisis. The 1997/98 at a consensus on what needs to be done, how to finance it, and currency and banking crises gave authorities in the region an how to make it work. impetus to look beyond existing multilateral remedies for help. There are many examples of this approach across Asia, with ASEAN+3 spurred a host of monetary and financial coop- the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Program gaining par- eration initiatives--the Chiang Mai Initiative, which is a web ticular prominence. Since 1992, Cambodia, the Lao People's of bilateral swap arrangements to supply liquidity during a Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, Viet crisis; the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) and Asian Nam, and Yunnan province in the People's Republic of China Bond Funds (ABF) to develop local currency bond markets; a (PRC) have joined together to promote development by taking system for strengthening macroeconomic surveillance; and advantage of natural economic linkages. an Economic Review and Policy Dialogue (ERPD). A web of Much has been achieved since 1992 in the GMS where bilateral and plurilateral free-trade agreements (FTAs)-- some of the poorest riparian countries fought bitter wars sometimes referred to as the Asian "noodle bowl"--has also against each other only a few decades ago. It has created a emerged. The region has now put in place a multilateralized sense of common purpose that is essential for enhancing foreign exchange reserve pooling arrangement--the Chiang regional cooperation, stability, and peace. Infrastructure val- Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM)--and also agreed to ued at nearly $11 billion is either in place or being built, establish an ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Surveillance Office. including an East­West Economic Corridor across the region While ASEAN+3 has made progress on regional financial that will eventually extend from the Andaman Sea on the coast cooperation and integration, it is also expanding into other of Myanmar to Da Nang in Viet Nam. economic and social sectors. And assessments show that investments in regional proj- The process of regional integration, though largely cen- ects, particularly cross-border infrastructure, can be highly tered around East Asia in its initial stages, has been pushed rewarding. For instance, analysis of the impacts of the Second forward through a broader regionwide arrangement. The East Mekong International Bridge between Mukdahan province in Asia Summit process was established in 2005 as a regional Thailand and Savannakhet province in Lao PDR show that such leaders' forum for strategic dialogue on key challenges facing an investment can reduce poverty by a full percentage point in the region, including financial cooperation, trade, climate the long run. Furthermore, the findings contradict the com- change, and natural disaster management. However, it still mon presumption that the benefits from cross-border infra- remains a leaders-led institutional arrangement responding structure projects occur only, or overwhelmingly, in the richer to emerging regional and global challenges. region. In this case, Savannakhet enjoys a greater increase in Given emerging Asia's diverse and complex social and eco- welfare through consumption, and a larger reduction in pover- nomic landscape, economic cooperation and integration in ty incidence, both in absolute and in percentage terms. past decades have been uneven across sectors and regions. For Another specific example is the "twinning" arrangement example, a detailed analysis of Asia's trade interdependence between Cambodia's Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority suggests that it is largely based on trade in parts and compo- (PPWSA) and Viet Nam's Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage nents. Whereas 56.3 percent of East Asia's trade in parts and Environment Company Limited (BIWASE), which began in components was within the subregion in 2008, intra-subre- 2007. The goal of this twinning, initiated by the Asian gional trade in parts and components was a mere 1.2 percent Development Bank (ADB) with the support of the South East for Central Asia and 1.3 percent for South Asia. Asian Water Utilities Network, is to strengthen Viet Nam's While trade between India and the PRC is growing, not all BIWASE where Cambodia's PPWSA is stronger. Reducing parts of South Asia and not all sectors are participating in this leakage, improving customer service, upgrading manage- process. The intra-subregional trade share among members 46 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation thinking globally, coordinating regionally, and--most impor- (SAARC) is less than 6 percent . Apart from policy impedi- tantly--acting nationally for the common good. ments and political hurdles to regional cooperation, South Asia is also hamstrung by the fact that the overall trade-to- Rajat M. Nag is the Managing Director General of the Asian GDP ratio for the subregion is 41.5 percent, compared with Development Bank. 63.2 percent for the whole of Asia. However, SAARC has launched a series of iconic projects and initiatives, such as the Endnotes South Asian University, that have a broad impact on civil soci- 1 Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. ety and can also raise popular appeal for regional cooperation. 2 Brunei Darussalam joined in 1984, Viet Nam in 1995, Lao People's The central Asian region has also taken some impressive Democratic Republic and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. strides in regional cooperation. The Central Asia Regional 3 ASEAN+3 plus Australia, India, and New Zealand. Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, which brings together eight central Asian countries, is advancing regional cooperation through transport and trade connectivity. CAREC partners are set to mark a decade of successful operations in Making South-South Happen 2011, with close to $15 billion in investments that contribute continued from page 44 to sustainable economic growth and improved living stan- dards in the subregion. However, indicators suggest that regionalism has advanced 4) Mix and blend delivery methods to respond to existing unevenly. It has been mainly focused on production integra- constraints. Although face-to-face activities still make up tion in East Asia, with other subregions and sectors much less most of the knowledge exchanges and learning interven- integrated. Asia has to move forward and look beyond inte- tions, other methods such as online delivery or videocon- grated trade and production networks. In doing so, it cannot ferencing are also being used. Program designers mix and solely rely on market forces. Building the right institutional match delivery modalities to suit time, budget, partici- framework for Asian integration is crucial to cement the exist- pants' geographic dispersion, political stability, and safety ing gains, and support the next steps for regional cooperation needs. A recently developed knowledge exchange program and integration. on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), for example, allows Asia does not lack institutions for regionalism. It possess- practitioners worldwide to discuss experiences and es a dense web of institutions, yet the institutional structure is emerging trends in various sectors using traditional con- "lite" as most organizations lack a strong secretariat, agenda- ference-type events, videoconference-enabled knowledge setting powers, and a stronger mandate from national govern- exchange workshops, e-discussions, blogs, and chats on a ments. dedicated online platform. Consolidation and strengthening of existing subregional 5) Ensure adequate planning and follow-up. Carefully and regional institutions is perhaps the first step toward cre- planning and design is critical to the success of any learn- ating more effective institutions to support Asian regional- ing activity. Agendas or curricula need to support the ism. The next logical step will be to link subregional institu- achievement of desired outcomes. Roles and responsibili- tions to tap existing synergies as well as explore other poten- ties need to be clearly defined and activities properly tial areas of cooperation. structured, providing a good balance between content Developing institutions to exploit compelling functional delivery, interactive dialogue, and reflection. Similarly, opportunities and creating new pan-Asian forums and insti- follow-up activities to monitor agreed milestones are a tutions are some of the key requirements for comprehensive critical factor in the quest for results. Asian integration. While this is by no means a comprehensive list, it can serve Our long-term vision is that of a strong, prosperous, out- as a starting point for thinking about the "how to" of planning, ward-looking Asian Economic Community that might eventu- design, and implementation of South-South Knowledge ally evolve into a single regional market connected seamlessly exchange. Global mechanisms such as the GDLN will contin- by world-class infrastructure, where goods and services move ue to learn by doing as they respond to the changing require- freely across borders, and capital can similarly be transferred ments of a multipolar world. to efficiently allocate resources for investment. Asia's model of open regionalism combines national, Steffen Soulejman Janus is Head of the Global Development regional, and global responsibilities. It has yielded dividends to Learning Network (GDLN) Secretariat. individual countries, the region as a whole, and the rest of the Mor Seck is Director of the Senegal Distance Learning Center and world. Asia's economic influence has increased significantly as President of the African Association of Distance Learning Centers the region continues to help pull the global economy out of the (AADLC). recent crisis with its strong domestic investment, effective macroeconomic stimulus, and robust intraregional trade. Despite all the accolades about emerging Asia's achieve- ments, the future presents huge challenges and requires O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 47 SPECIAL REPORT The Bogotá Spirit South-South peers and partners at the practice-policy nexus BY NILS-SJARD SCHULZ al learning left the participants of the Bogotá High Level Event on South-South cooperation and Capacity Development clear O N A WA R M E V E N I N G I N L AT E M A R C H O F T H I S Y E A R , more headed and with a long list of ideas, projects and plans, for than 500 enthusiastic delegates from around the world poured their countries and regions, and for their multilateral, parlia- out of the Chamber of Commerce building in Bogotá, with a mentary, civil society, and research organizations. A ground- shared vision that South-South cooperation would reshape breaking format, including "talk show" sessions, video broad- today's development cooperation landscape. Despite the casting and case story presentations, promoted lively discus- Colombian capital's dizzying altitude of 2,800 meters, their sions on South-South and triangular cooperation and result- zeal for effective South-South knowledge exchange and mutu- ed in the Bogotá Statement, a forward-looking manifesto for THE BOGOTÁ PROCESS Participants at the High-Level Bogotá event included Bertram Leroy Johnson, Delegate from the Government of Barbados, and Marcio Lopes Correa, Brasil, Coordinator for Multilateral Technical Cooperation, Brazilian Agency of International Cooperation, ABD. 48 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE inclusive and effective policy making within the shifting development cooperation architecture. An evolving process lie 8,200 kilometers T H E R O OT S O F T H E B O G OT Á P R O C E S S westward, in Accra. Here, in Ghana's buzzing capital, a High Level Forum (HLF) of some 1,800 representatives gathered in September 2008 to endorse the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) which reinforces the promise of better quality aid expressed three years earlier in the Paris Declaration. The journey from Paris's Ile-de-France, the host location of the previous HLF, to the former Gold Coast, and in Africa's first country to gain independence from colonial rule, was not a mere symbolic con- cession to the increasing voice of developing countries in glob- al development policy making. With Southern leaders from dozens of low- and middle-income countries coordinating their priorities, this turned out to be a real opportunity for hor- Task Team on South-South cooperation (TT-SSC), with strong izontal policy making. As a result, the AAA reflects sensitive leadership in countries such as Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, policy commitments in areas such as the increased use of Mexico, Peru, South Africa, and Thailand, was to ensure that national budgets for channeling aid, the reduction of condi- South-South cooperation and the aid effectiveness agenda tionalities, and a groundbreaking approach to South-South would enrich and complement each other. This would be a cooperation as part of the aid effectiveness agenda. natural process emerging from the more proactive and inno- Not surprisingly, it was a member of the Accra developing vative role in global policy making being played by the devel- countries' caucus who took up the mandate to explore South- oping world. South cooperation for aid effectiveness, enshrined in article 19 of the AAA. From late 2008, an international debate start- Analysis based on experience ed to look into South-South cooperation as a way of fostering horizontal partnerships and drawing on the full potential of A F T E R A S S E S S I N G T H E L O N G H I S T O R Y of South-South developing countries, in particular middle-income countries, cooperation and the complex evolution of the aid effective- as both recipients and providers of development cooperation. ness agenda, the founding members of the TT-SSC quickly With the strong backing of countries and organizations repre- identified the recipe for success: Explore and analyze the sented in the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness hosted at the practices and experiences of South-South cooperation, and in OECD-DAC, Colombia proposed in March 2009 the creation particular South-South knowledge exchange. Focusing on a of a specialized task team which was launched with amazing clear-cut niche, South-South technical cooperation and energy during a two-day, globally connected event in capacity development, they would draw on real-life practice to September 2009 in Washington DC. From that moment, the help inform and ensure relevant and consistent policy recom- mendations. Two milestones were already visible: The Bogotá High-Level Event on the very near horizon (in March 2010), would be a mid-term conference on the way to the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Korea in late 2011. Energized by the immediacy the Bogotá HLE, in late November 2009 the TT-SSC put out a call for case stories about South-South technical cooperation in the context of aid effectiveness. These stories could cover three themes: Adapting the aid effectiveness principles to South-South technical cooperation, enriching the aid effectiveness agenda with the practice of South-South knowledge exchange, and identifying complementarities between South-South and North-South cooperation. Partner countries in particular, but also donors and nongovernmental actors were invited to share their experiences. The TT-SSC members were explicit in their Sanjit Bunker Roy, Director and Founder of Barefoot College, India; Laura Bocalandro, Coordinator of the Regional Public Goods Program, desire to explore what works and what doesn't, and to classify Inter-American Development Bank; Alfonso Quiñonez, Secretary for and systematize the results. External Relations, Organization of American States; and Maria Claudia The TT-SSC engaged with regional organizations including Camacho, Labor Specialist and Coordinator of RIAL, OAS. the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 49 of the case stories, the Bogotá HLE was an inspiring example of how results can be achieved under tight deadlines by draw- ing on the commitment of a diverse group of champions from developing countries and multilateral institutions. In addition to the practices illustrated in the previous section of this issue, the following pages present a selection of six case stories. They provide a snapshot of the impressive diversity of experiences and lessons learned through South-South knowledge exchange. Take for instance Indonesia's collaboration with countries such as Uganda to establish sustainable sharia-based microfinance systems. Or Ecuador's support to Bolivia's capacity to fight a dramatic dengue outbreak, saving lives and contributing to the development of Bolivia's health sector capacities. Conventional donors are increasingly engaging through triangular cooperation, as shown in Ireland's horizontal partner- ship with Liberia and East Timor to pro- Maximo Romero Jimenez, Director General for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign mote women's rights, peace and security, Affairs, Mexico. or Japan's engagement in third country training programs with ASEAN members. And yet, peers and partner have only started to extend the Bogotá spirit and Bank, and the Organization of American States. At the global much can be expected in the coming months. At the launch of level, the World Bank Institute helped connect practitioners, its second phase work plan, the TT-SSC members, a growing and a global core team of communication and policy advisors community of more than 90 countries and organizations (as of guided the process. This approach enabled practitioners July 2010), have agreed to extend the analysis by preparing around the world to access just-in-time support, engage in additional case studies. So, as you read through this issue of peer networks, formulate regional perspectives, and build an Development Outreach, the practitioners and policy makers enabling environment to make best use of the limited time in dozens of countries and organizations are conducting in- that many leaders and champions in developing countries depth reviews of their experiences on South-South knowledge could commit to new initiatives. exchange, hand-in-hand with local and regional academic institutions. All this will provide more good practices and pol- Stories of challenge and success icy guidance for the Korea HLF and beyond, including the emerging G20 development agenda and the policy discussions T H E R E S P O N S E from the countries and organizations sur- at the United Nations Development Cooperation Forum passed expectations: 110 case stories were presented in only (UNDCF). Indeed, the time has come for an ambitious and nine weeks. The showcased experiences involve 133 countries innovative developing world to guide global policy makers from around the world, as well as 10 multilateral organiza- toward a more effective system for governing development in tions, 4 civil society organizations, and 3 parliamentary bod- a multipolar world. Enjoy the read! ies. Case story drafts were discussed at meetings in Addis Ababa, Bogotá, Brussels, Mexico City, Pretoria, Seoul, and More information: Washington, DC. Indeed, the Bogotá process is likely to be the Even more cases at http://www.southsouthcases.info broadest universe of country-led experiences ever collected. Follow the TT-SSC at http://www.southsouth.info The case story process also shows the immense potential of Be in touch at southsouthcases@gmail.com engaging Southern practitioners and policy makers in global and regional decision making. Experience-sharing is a priority for many developing countries, and learning is a powerful, yet Nils-Sjard Schulz is Policy Adviser to the Task Team on South-South underexplored tool for adapting the global development archi- cooperation (TT-SSC). tecture to the shifting poles of wealth and development. With its highly energized plenary sessions and roundtables discussions 50 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE COLOMBIAN COOPERATION INITIATIVE WITH THE CARIBBEAN BASIN OVERVIEW The Colombian Cooperation Initiative with the Caribbean RESULTS THE WORKSHOPS YIELDED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS: Basin is a response to the needs expressed by the Caribbean Basin Countries (CBC) for knowledge exchange and Nearly 400 Caribbean citizens, from 25 countries, have capacity development on several themes that contribute to improving participated in on-site courses since January 2009, and 1200 have regional economic development. It includes five priority areas in registered in virtual courses. which the countries of the region have expressed particular interest: Recommendations generated during food security workshops were bilingualism, disaster prevention and risk management, academic adopted by the OAS Inter-American Commission for Social mobility, food security, and nutrition and technical education. Development, including the need to strengthen the linkage between food security policies and income generation programs. The workshops on disaster prevention and risk management CHALLENGE highlighted the work of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Make available to the CBC the best of Colombian Management Agency, which had been unknown to some institutions, including their models of operation, best participating countries, and the need to consolidate regional practices, and lessons learned. The initiative promotes social and networks where information and lessons learned can be shared. economic development by strengthening capacities, exchanging In the workshops on technical education, regional needs were experiences, and building communities of practitioners. identified: expanding the use of ICTs in professional development; and creating models and curricula around core competencies and learning programs. APPROACH Methodologies to teach second languages were strengthened THIS DEMAND-DRIVEN PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED USING THE among high school and university professors. FOLLOWING STEPS: The Caribbean Initiative has develop the Alliance Fair, a space for Colombian and Caribbean basin universities to build working Formulation of a needs assessment within the region networks and exchange experiences as ways of increasing Organization of workshops and exercises to match the CBC's demand academic mobility among them. with what Colombian institutions could supply in the priority areas Germany and Israel supported the program through triangular Implementation of knowledge transfer cooperation, making their technologies and know-how available in Scaling up of the knowledge acquired and lessons learned during the technical education courses on agriculture and welding. first phase of the program to a wider audience through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) To ensure the sustainability of this initiative, it is crucial that knowledge transfer and capacity building happen at the A team, led by Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), institutional and individual levels. During the second phase, designed and coordinated the implementation of the work plan, workshops and seminars were delivered in beneficiary countries with the participation of several institutions from academia and the to scale up the program to a wider community, adapt the Colombian Government. knowledge transfer to the specific needs of the practitioners involved, and strengthen relations among countries. A web THE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: platform has also been created to facilitate further exchange Seminars and field visits to gather knowledge on methodologies and among participants in on-site activities and to disseminate practices in each priority area courses and workshops more widely. Workshops on technical assistance held in Colombia and selected CBC Scholarships for graduate degree programs in Colombian Universities Virtual courses on technical education and languages (Spanish, English, French) ORGANIZATION(S): Lead organization: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia. Other organizations: State Entities from the twenty-five countries of the Caribbean basin; Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation; Pan-American Development Foundation; Heart Trust NTA; Association of Caribbean States; Organization of American States; Public Colombian institutions: Ministry of Education; SENA; ICETEX; ICBF; Universidad Nacional de Colombia; and RESA COUNTRIES: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela LENGTH: First phase: January-December 2009. Second phase: January-December, 2010. PRIMARY CONTACT PERSON(S): Andrey Molina, Acting Director of An employee of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium to International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Bogota Support Cassava Research and Development (CLAYUCA) fills the tank (Colombia). Phone: +57.1.3814000 Ext. 1746 of a car with hydrous ethanol made out of cassava roots in Colombia. E-mail: andrey.molina@cancilleria.gov.co ECUADOR-BOLIVIA--FIGHTING TOGETHER AGAINST DENGUE OVERVIEW In 2009, an outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever RESULTS The initiative helped strengthen relations between occurred in Bolivia's tropical areas, affecting some 7,000 Ecuador and Bolivia and has opened new possibilities people. The Bolivian government declared a public health emergency for cooperation in other thematic areas. and appealed for international support. Its neighbor, Ecuador, had faced similar health crises in the past and had developed the The principal achievements are: technical capacity to control the disease. The Ecuadorian government responded to Bolivia's request by sending ten experts to help control Bolivia was able to control the state of emergency and developed the epidemic. Thanks to their history of cooperation, as well as the the capacity to deal with future outbreaks, and is now developing similarities in their public health and sanitation needs, both health policies to deal with dengue. ministries were able to quickly develop a program to address the health emergency. Ecuador proposed a continental strategy for controlling dengue outbreaks and reducing mortality related to the disease. This strategy was approved by the Union of South American Nations CHALLENGE Dengue infection is a leading cause of illness and death in in 2009. the tropics and subtropics. As many as 100 million people are infected every year, and dengue has become one of the main The member countries of the Union of South American Nations health threats in the Americas. adopted the program as a continent-wide initiative and have requested that it be further developed for implementation. APPROACH The approach, which was coordinated by the ministries of The results indicate that this initiative can easily be replicated health in Ecuador and Bolivia, was funded by the United in countries that run the risk of dengue outbreaks brought on by Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for climatic changes in the region. It will be important to include a Project Services (UNOPS) at a very low cost. comprehensive monitoring and evaluation component in the program. It included: Ten experts being dispatched to the field, Donations in the form of medical equipment, and A knowledge exchange component for capacity building in the affected regions (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cochabamba, Pando y Beni). It focused on: epidemiologic surveillance, outbreak control, community participation and inter-institutional coordination, and appropriate clinical management of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever. ORGANIZATION: Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador COUNTRIES: Ecuador partnering with Bolivia DURATION: Ten days, from March 20­29, 2009 PRIMARY CONTACT PERSON(S): Gustavo Adolfo Giler Alarcón, International Cooperation Coordinator, MPH, Quito (Ecuador) Above: A sanitary worker sprays disinfectant in Santa Cruz City, Bolivia. Some 3,000 soldiers, policemen, and medical workers attended the disinfection operation to prevent dengue fever. Left: Bolivian President Evo Morales shakes hands with a resident during his inspection of a dengue-affected area in Santa Cruz City. INDONESIA-JAPAN--INSTITUTIONALIZING MICROFINANCE IN AFRICA OVERVIEW Building on the success of the microfinance training RESULTS The BHP has now been institutionalized and, programs they had held in Jakarta, South Africa and to date, 78 Ugandan participants have been trained in Bangladesh, the governments of Indonesia and Japan teamed up to microfinance, many of them attracted by the develop a training series for countries in Africa. Since 2004, the nonconventional, interest free, Sharia-based banking program has been delivered by the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for system developed in Indonesia. South-South Cooperation (NAM CSSTC)1, first covering the operational aspects of microfinance, and then the establishment and A follow-up evaluation showed that the Ugandans had acquired a management of microfinance institutions (MFIs). strong grasp of microfinance policies and procedures and that they were implementing it correctly. CHALLENGE Compared with Asia, microfinance programs in Africa have The program succeeded because participants came from strategic had a mixed record. The success of microfinance projects organizations dealing with microfinance. The Ugandans took depends heavily on timely and accurate information, and on adequate ownership of the agenda and built an equal partnership with the knowledge policies, procedures, and controls. Because of its resource country. Graduates created an association of alumni to expertise, NAM CSSTC was chosen to help develop and implement share their experiences. microcredit programs in its member countries and in Africa. The plan now is to disseminate the experiences from Uganda through training institutions and training of trainers. APPROACH The objective of the program was to provide African participants with an opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills in microfinance, and to create a forum where they could exchange ideas, information, and experiences and learn from each other at a practical operational level. After gaining knowledge and skills in economics, banking, and the principles of microfinance each participant produced a Back Home Plan (BHP) reflecting what they had learned and how they would apply it. Upon returning to their home country in 2008, two Ugandan participants recommended in their BHP that a Sharia-based noninterest system of lending be introduced in their country. Using funds from their own government and from the governments of Indonesia and Japan, including from NAM-CSSTC, they invited the Indonesian team to help them implement the program in Uganda. The first training series began in July 2009 and in February 2010, the governments of Indonesia and Japan sent a follow-up survey mission to evaluate results and make plans for the remaining 2 years of the training program. A bank in Jinja, Uganda. ORGANIZATION(S): Directorate of Technical Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Indonesia, Japan International Cooperation Agency/JICA, Government of Japan, and Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Cooperation (NAM-CSSTC) TRAINED COUNTRIES: Indonesia, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa DURATION: On average, each training program lasts about two weeks. CONTACT(S): Achmad Rofi'ie, Assistant Director for Program, NAM-CSSTC, Jakarta (Indonesia) Note 1 Established in 1995 during the Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the mission of the Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South- South Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) is to enhance the collective self- reliance of its member countries in attaining sustained people- centered economic and social development and allow developing Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda shakes hands with Uganda's nations to become equal partners in international relations. Aside from President Yoweri Museveni during a meeting held on the sideline of the being a forum for dialogue, NAM CSSTC also mobilizes resources from 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in government agencies to achieve the development objectives of both its 2008. member and non-member countries. IRELAND-LIBERIA­TIMOR-LESTE--TRILATERAL LEARNING ON WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY OVERVIEW To share knowledge among people who have been directly RESULTS The process has already had a number of beneficial affected by conflict, the Irish Department of Foreign outcomes. It has contributed to forging closer Affairs is connecting women and men from Ireland, Northern Ireland, linkages between government and civil society and to Liberia, and Timor-Leste in a cross-learning initiative on how to fostering practical cooperation among the three countries. The promote and protect women's leadership and interests in conflict women and men at the conferences were able to share their resolution and peace building. The process is informed by the United experiences in a safe and confidential setting, often broaching Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace, culturally sensitive issues. While recognizing that each of their and Security. countries was different, they realized that they had significant lessons to share. Participants said that they no longer felt alone in their work--the conference "brought the world home." CHALLENGE The unanimous adoption of Resolution 1325 in October 2000, which calls for all UN member states to take action, Furthermore, the cross-training was beneficial at several levels: was a watershed in the history of women's rights and peace and security. This initiative also highlights the disparate effects that war At the individual level, participants said they had gained a great has on men and women; and recognizes that women should be active deal from sharing experiences with counterparts from other participants in rebuilding their communities and nations after countries, and with people they would not otherwise have conflict. interacted with in their daily lives. At the organizational level, participants learned about how other APPROACH The cross-learning process was an innovative initiative organizations are responding creatively to needs on the ground, because it included people who had directly experienced often with limited resources. the dangers and inequities of conflict, allowing them to share their experiences and successful coping mechanisms. At a systemic level, the government, through its support and implementation of the initiative, became a stakeholder in the The initiative will: process, thereby demonstrating its commitment to the key Inform Ireland's National Action Plan on 1325, messages. Encourage further South-South/North-South cooperation among the three countries, While some gaps were identified, participants adopted Strengthen international efforts to implement UNSCR 1325, and recommendations to the international community and civil society Provide input to policy discussions at the UN, the European Union, designed to tackle these obstacles in the future. It is important the African Union, and the Organization for Security and that these recommendations be implemented to ensure that the Cooperation in Europe. objectives of this cross-learning initiative are achieved. Between June 2009 and April 2010, a series of events was organized in the three countries for experts from government, civil society, and academia. Each event focused on one of the "3 Ps" of Resolution 1325: Increasing Women's PARTICIPATION, encouraging the PROTECTION of Women from Gender-Based Violence, and encouraging a Gender PERSPECTIVE in peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peace building. Each one-week event featured a high-level discussion on Resolution 1325 and group sessions on model-sharing, culminating in a set of recommendations. The outcomes are expected to feed into the overall cross-learning report which will be presented to the UN before the tenth anniversary of UNSCR 1325 in October 2010. LEAD ORGANIZATION(S): Department of Foreign Affairs (Conflict Resolution Unit) COUNTRY(IES): Ireland, Northern Ireland, Timor-Leste, and Liberia PROJECT DURATION: January 2009 to completion in December 2010 CONTACT(S): Liz Higgins, Principal Development Specialist, Policy Planning and Effectiveness Unit, Irish Aid, Dublin (Ireland) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (L), President of Liberia, Tarja Halonen (C), President of Finland and Mary Robinson (R), former Prime Minister of Ireland before a 2009 meeting on Peace and Security through Women's Leadership at UN headquarters in New York. THAILAND--ASIA-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON DISABILITY OVERVIEW The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) RESULTS Since 2002, more than 70 training activities on provides training and information for persons with South-South Cooperation have been organized for disabilities (PWDs). APCD uses its wide regional network to mobilize more than 1,000 leaders. Feedback has shown that: resources at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. It works with more than thirty focal point organizations (government More than 90 percent of participants have transferred knowledge ministries and agencies in charge of disability) and some 200 to others within their countries and have participated in the associate organizations, including self-help groups and organizations policy-making process for PWDs, of PWDs, and grassroots nongovernmental organizations. Over 150 participants have been recognized as resource persons in their countries, and Among these local resource persons, more than 40 serve as CHALLENGE The United Nations estimates that there are about resource persons at the regional level. 400 million people in Asia and the Pacific who live with disabilities, or one out of ten people. Most of them are unlikely to One of the most notable results of APCD's initiatives involved the participate in community activities because of social and economic SM Supermalls (Shopping mall) in the Philippines. Soon after barriers. attending a South-South Cooperation Seminar organized by UNESCAP and APCD in 2007, several top executives from SM APCD was chosen to put together a program to empower PWDs by Supermalls decided to apply what they had learned by creating the creating groups or organizations that would tackle complex issues of Socially Inclusive Business Development program which included: disability and development. As a regional center on disability, APCD facilitates networking and collaboration among organizations of A series of staff training programs on disability, PWDs and others. Using its training and knowledge management A Program on Disability Affairs in SM Supermalls, programs as a knowledge sharing platform, it facilitates innovative A background document (DVD) to share the learning process exchanges between the government and nongovernmental according to the Story-based Knowledge Management (SbKM) organizations. method, and A film disseminated in more than 30 shopping malls which has helped train 160,000 employees. APPROACH The APCD's activities are based on three main principles that help participants acquire the knowledge and SM Supermalls has also been collaborating with the government experience to become agents of change. At the individual level, they such as the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) in the are trained on disability-related issues. At the organizational level, Philippines, and it has been sharing its disability initiatives with they learn about concepts, approaches, and practical guidelines to the Philippine Retailers Association. strengthen their own groups from the community perspective. At the societal level, they use their acquired knowledge to develop APCD has introduced disability-related issues in all its activities additional initiatives with other stakeholders in disability-inclusive with key stakeholders including: United Nations Economic and ways. They then document and share the lessons learned using a Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the knowledge management approach. International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific APCD disseminates the lessons to neighboring countries through its and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International network of government ministries responsible for disability; and Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Bank (WB), and regional through its network of resource persons--a group of former trainees bodies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who have disabilities or who play a leading role in disability and (ASEAN). development. The main challenge to APCD's programs are the unforeseen changes in government staff responsible for disability. ORGANIZATION(S): Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) Government of Thailand, Foundation of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD Foundation), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) COUNTRY(IES): APCD has been collaborating with 34 countries in the Asia and Pacific region. PROJECT DURATION: Two phases: August 2002­July 2007 (Phase 1) and August 2007­July 2012 (Phase 2) CONTACT: Mr. Akiie Ninomiya, Executive Director, APCD, Bangkok (Thailand) Note 1 The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) was established in 2002 in collaboration between the Governments of Thailand A handicapped and Japan, following the legacy of the Asia Pacific Decade of Disabled White Thai man Persons (1993-2002). It has been endorsed by the United Nations splitting bamboo Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) as a as his son regional cooperative. Using the concept of trilateral cooperation, APCD has watches, in Mai produced several reports endorsed by over 30 governmental focal point Chau, Hoa Binh ministries/agencies in charge of disability as well as some 200 associate province, northern organizations. Vietnam. JAPAN--INNOVATIVE TRIANGULAR COOPERATION WITH ASEAN COUNTRIES (JARCOM) OVERVIEW The JICA-ASEAN Regional Cooperation Meeting (JARCOM) APPROACH JARCOM USED A 10-STEP APPROACH TO RESPOND TO AND was an innovative mechanism to formulate high-quality PRIORITIZE DEMANDS needs-oriented South-South cooperation (SSC) projects. Its inclusive, participatory, and transparent approach enhanced 1 In-country preconsultation: a series of consultations with domestic ownership by all stakeholders--both recipients and providers, and stakeholder in beneficiary countries at the project preparation promoted regional cooperation in South-East Asia. The JARCOM stage helped ensure wide participation. mechanism carried out annual consultations among member countries, project identification, needs-to-resource matching, and 2 Preannouncement of providers' aid policies: to help beneficiary project implementation, review, and follow-up. The Japan International countries determine what resources were available and from which Cooperation Agency (JICA) facilitated the process and provided agencies. technical and financial support. Beginning in 2010, the JARCOM mechanism became the J-SEAM mechanism (JICA-Southeast Asia 3 Needs-to-resource matching: a needs-resource matching process Meeting on South-South Cooperation). was carried out by email, fact-finding missions and teleconferences, before the annual meetings. CHALLENGE The overall goal of JARCOM was to address common 4 Annual plenary meetings: were organized only after prescreened challenges in ASEAN, to narrow the socioeconomic projects had been submitted for negotiation. disparities among ASEAN countries, and to help speed up regional integration. To this end, it mobilized resources and helped formulate 5 Participatory monitoring: the status of projects was monitored by good SSC projects, taking into account member countries' all actors and disseminated on a quarterly basis, to ensure an development needs and priorities on the one hand, and cooperation impartial and transparent negotiation process as well as timely policies and resources on the other. follow-up actions. JARCOM's participatory and transparent approach facilitated mutual 6 Joint formulation and incentives: once an informal agreement had learning and capacity development among all participants. It allowed been reached among stakeholders on a project, JICA would make recipient countries to strengthen their capacity to prioritize their additional resources available, on a first-come first-served basis, development needs and negotiate with donors. It also allowed middle- thereby creating an incentive for members to produce good quality income countries (MICs)--emerging providers of South-South reports. cooperation--to improve their delivery of aid programs: making them more relevant and aligned with the needs of recipient countries; and 7 Support to local staff network: an informal network consisting of helped make the MICs more prominent among other ASEAN countries. locally recruited staff was created to facilitate multilateral Finally, it helped JICA, as a Northern donor and long-time supporter of negotiations among geographically dispersed stakeholders. SSC, to improve SSC programs and maintain good relations with its neighbors; for regional organizations, it served as a vehicle for 8 Information management system: a web-based information addressing regional priorities. management system (http://www.jarcom.net) was set up so members could access project proposals and updates on regional JARCOM created a win-win-win approach to triangular cooperation. programs, thereby serving as a database for regional SSC. To avoid duplication and to harmonize regional priorities, it aligned its program with regional and subregional initiatives. 9 Partnership agreement and cost sharing: most of the financial and coordination costs of managing JARCOM's network and organizing the annual meetings were covered by JICA. However, during the implementation phase, the countries shared the cost of training and staffing. 10 Regional approach to project identification: in addition to the national priority-based approach, JARCOM later introduced a regional approach to help speed up discussions on regional integration. (L to R) Vietnam Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win, Brunei Foreign Minister Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Cambodia Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan reach for each others' hands during a group photo at the start of the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Plus Three (China, Japan and South Korea) ministerial meeting at the resort island of Phuket, July 2009. ORGANIZATION(S): Council for the Development of Cambodia; Bureau for RESULTS Between 2004 and 2009 JARCOM's participatory and Technical Cooperation, State Secretariat of Indonesia; Department of transparent process led to shared learning and International Cooperation of Lao People's Democratic Republic; Economic capacity development, and produced a number of Planning Unit of Malaysia; Foreign Economic Relations Department of other positive results: Myanmar; National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines; Technical Cooperation Directorate of Singapore; Thailand Out of 196 proposals, 119 projects were selected through JARCOM. International Development Cooperation Agency; Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam; National Directorate for Planning and External The "matching" rates increased from 28 percent to 61 percent Assistance Coordination of Timor-Leste (observer); and Japan International due to the improved efficiency of member countries in planning Cooperation Agency (JICA) and negotiating. COUNTRIES: Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Consequently, the quality of the projects improved and Vietnam, Timor-Leste (mainly as recipients), Indonesia, Malaysia, the competition among ASEAN member countries contributed to Philippines, Singapore, Thailand (mainly as providers), and Japan (donor improved design. for the triangular cooperation) The attendance rate by high-ranking government officials at the DURATION: 2002-2009 (Duration of JARCOM Annual Meetings) annual meetings showed their strong commitment to the program. CONTACTS: Ms. Yasuko Matsumi; Mr. Tatsuhiro Mitamura (focal point of JARCOM's networking activities with other regional stakeholders JICA headquarters) led to a partnership with the UNDP Regional South-South Unit. In addition to these results, some unexpected trends emerged: Recipient countries began offering training workshops to share Sadako Ogata, president of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), their own experiences. These new providers were now mobilizing during a visit to a project area in southern Mindanao island, where the their own resources, which led to the need to diversify regional government aid agency is running a literacy program for children. aid resources. The introduction of a regional approach to SSC led to regional programs such as the one on Avian Influenza and the standardization of Risk Management in Customs to be formulated through JARCOM. Cases compiled by Ramatoulaye George-Alleyne, Communications Officer, World Bank. KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES THE SOUTH-SOUTH high-level authorities of the hemisphere responsible for OPPORTUNITY technical cooperation by facilitating the exchange of A community of professionals information and methodologies that bring together dedicated to South-South regional initiatives on the effectiveness of cooperation Cooperation, Knowledge www.cooperanet.org Exchange, and Learning for development. Site content is SPECIAL UNIT FOR SOUTH-SOUTH group generated and offers a space to come together and COOPERATION exchange knowledge and ideas. The Special Unit for South-South www.southsouth.info Cooperation (SU/SSC) was established by the United Nations THE HIGH-LEVEL EVENT ON General Assembly in 1978. Hosted by SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION AND UNDP, their primary mandate is to promote, coordinate, CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT and support South-South and triangular cooperation on a Outcomes from the Bogota Global and United Nations system-wide basis. High Level Event on South-South http://ssc.undp.org Cooperation and Capacity Development, March 2010, SOUTH-SOUTH EXPERIENCE including roundtable summaries and videocasts. EXCHANGE TRUST FUND www.bogotahle.info The South-South Experience Exchange Trust Fund (SEETF) -- NEPAD which provides accessible, The Planning and Coordinating just-in-time funding for developing Agency for New Partnership for countries to share their knowledge and expertise-- aims to African Development (NEPAD) further the World Bank's knowledge sharing agenda by focuses part of its efforts on South- drawing directly upon the accumulated expertise of the South capacity development among African nations. Bank's partner countries. www.nepad.org http://go.worldbank.org/IXY2U54190 CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR HIGH LEVEL UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESS CONFERENCE ON SOUTH-SOUTH FACILITY COOPERATION The Capacity Development for United Nations Conference on Development Effectiveness Facility South-South Cooperation with the (facilitated by ADB and UNDP) brings Asian-Pacific overarching theme of Promotion of South-South countries together for peer learning and South-South Cooperation for Development. The General Assembly has exchanges around aid effectiveness issues. described South-South cooperation as "an important www.aideffectiveness.org/cdde element of international cooperation for development, which offers viable opportunities for developing countries COOPERACION SUR SUR in their individual and collective pursuits of sustained Iberoamerican Program on economic growth and sustainable development." Strengthening South-South http://southsouthconference.org cooperation, launched in 2008, with 16 participating countries EXPERIENCE SHARING PROGRAM from LAC, includes the following workstreams: training, ON DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN exchanges, information management and reporting. CHINA AND AFRICA www.cooperacionsursur.org A multiyear program of South-South exchanges for development between COOPERANET China and Africa, particularly on trade and investment flows. The Inter-American Cooperation http://info.worldbank.org/etools/ChinaAfricaKS/index.htm Network, is a mechanism that pro- motes ongoing dialogue among the 58 Development Outreach WORLD BANK INSTITUTE BOOKSHELF BOGOTA STATEMENT: Towards REPORT ON SOUTH-SOUTH Effective and Inclusive Development COOPERATION IN IBERO-AMERICA, Partnerships, by The Steering by Cristina Xalma, SEGIB, Madrid, 2009. Committee members of the Bogota High- For the first time published in Level Event, 2010. English, this third annual report The Bogota Statement was endorsed shows the country-led effort of Ibero- at the Bogota High Level Event on American states to generate and South-South cooperation and register data and analysis on South- Capacity Development on 24-25 South cooperation in Latin America March 2010. This global policy document offers clear-cut and the Caribbean. It facilitates deep insights on both the recommendations for improving the effectiveness of numbers and content of South-South cooperation in the South-South knowledge exchange. region. TASK TEAM ON SOUTH-SOUTH TRIANGULAR COOPERATION AND AID COOPERATION (TT-SSC): Boosting EFFECTIVENESS, by Talita Yamashiro Fordelone, South-South Cooperation in the OECD-DAC, Mexico, 2009. Context of Aid Effectiveness--Telling Reviewing DAC donor practices and experiences in the Story of Partners Involved in more triangular cooperation, the study gives deep insights than 110 Cases of South-South and in challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned. Triangular Cooperation, by Nils-Sjard Perspectives of how to include aid effectiveness Schulz, World Bank, 2010. principles are also explored in detail. Summarizing 110 case stories on South-South cooperation in the context of aid effectiveness, this report reflects on TRIANGULAR COOPERATION IN THE the potential to use aid effectiveness principles for South- CONTEXT OF AID EFFECTIVENESS-- South technical cooperation and enrich the global Experiences and Views of EU Donors, development policies with South-South practices. by Nils-Sjard Schulz. Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation TRENDS IN SOUTH-SOUTH AND Madrid, 2010. TRIANGULAR DEVELOPMENT: Drafted under the Spanish EU Background Study for the UN presidency, this concept note ECOSOC Development Cooperation explores the synergies between Forum, United Nations Development triangular cooperation and aid effectiveness. It is the Cooperation Forum, New York, 2008. first systematic effort within the EU context to A milestone in the analysis and conceptualize triangular cooperation as a tool for a assessment of South-South and new generation of horizontal development triangular cooperation, this report partnerships. offers an overview on scale, modalities, and allocation patterns. The document constitutes the basis of the SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVE ON TECHNICAL ongoing discussions at the Development Cooperation COOPERATION, by Scott, Zoë. GSDRC. Birmingham, 2009. Forum at UN-ECOSOC. This document provides an analytical review of Southern-led literature on technical cooperation, SOUTH-SOUTH AND TRIANGULAR COOPERATION IN highlighting the existing criticisms of tied aid, poor ASIA-PACIFIC: Toward a New Paradigm in Development TC design and lack of alignment, while highlighting Cooperation, by Nagesh Kumar, New Delhi, 2008. the potential value of using national or regional Summarizing the regional consultations of the UN expertise. Development Cooperation Forum and drawing on detailed information, the document explores the relevance and emerging patterns of South-South and triangular cooperation in Asia-Pacific, offering clear-cut recommendations of how to improve the scope and impact in the future. O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 59 DEVELOPMENT Outreach Subscription Order Form NAME __________________________________________________________________________ TITLE __________________________________________________________________________ ORGANIZATION __________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ CITY AND STATE OR PROVINCE ______________________________________________________ COUNTRY __________________________________________________________________________________ ZIP / POSTAL CODE ________________________________________________________________ PHONE ____________________________________________________________________________________ FAX ____________________________________________________________________________ E-MAIL __________________________________________________________________________ Mail order to: Editor, Development OUTREACH The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW, Room J4-108 Washington, DC 20433 USA