WIPO and the United Nations South-South Cooperation Framework

1. WIPO and the United Nations South-South Cooperation Framework Geneva 22 November 2013 Nathalie Montillot Assistant Project Officer

2. South-South Cooperation in the UN: Institutional Framework • High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation • Main policy-making body on SSC in UN system • Subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly • Provides policy guidance on SSC • Ensures that efforts to strengthen SSC are sustained within the UN system, including through the allocation of adequate resources for SSC • Reviews the progress made in implementing the recommendations of BAPA on SSC • Meets biannually

3. South-South Cooperation in the UN: Institutional Framework • UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) • Formerly “Special Unit for South-South Cooperation” • Serves as the Secretariat to the HLC on SSC • Organizes the sessions of the HLC • Carries out research to inform policy decisions on the deepening of SSC • Advocates for SS approaches to development in the UN system and provides advisory services to UN Member States and agencies • Overall promotes, coordinates and supports SSC globally and within the UN system

4. South-South Cooperation in the UN: UNOSSC multilateral support architecture

5. South-South Cooperation in the UN: Key Policy Documents • Buenos Aires Plan of Action (1978) • Technical cooperation among developing countries described as a: “vital force for initiating, designing, organizing and promoting co-operation among developing countries so that they can create, acquire, adapt, transfer and pool knowledge and experience for their mutual benefit and for achieving national and collective self-reliance, which are essential for their social and economic development” BAPA, paragraph 5

6. South-South Cooperation in the UN: Key Policy Documents • Nairobi Conference Outcome Document (2009) • To date the most comprehensive internationally agreed documentation of SSC principles • Increasing relevance of SSC as a complement to North-South Cooperation • Importance of triangular cooperation • Urges UN organizations and specialized agencies to take concrete measures and mobilize resources to further promote SS knowledge-sharing, networking and capacity-building

7. WIPO and UNOSSC • Participation in 17th session of the HLC (NY, May 2012) • Participation in 2012 and 2013 editions of GSSD Expo • GSSD Expo 2012 (Vienna, November 2012) • GSSD Expo 2013 (Nairobi, October 2013) • Building Inclusive Green Economies: SSC for Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication • New partnership between WIPO GREEN and SS-GATE (sharing of green technologies and IP advice)

8. WIPO and UNOSSC • High-level Forum for Development Cooperation • Forum for UN system practitioners to share experiences and best practices in the management and support of SSC • Showcase developments and SSC initiatives at the national/regional/international level • Broad participation from Member States and a large number of IOs

9. High-level Forum for Development Cooperation – GSSD Expo 2013Distribution

10. High-level Forum for Development Cooperation – GSSD Expo 2013Distribution • Africa: Angola, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia • Arab States: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar Sudan, Tunisia • Asia: Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka • Europe & CIS: Slovakia, Turkey, Uzbekistan • LAC: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela • Donor countries: Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway, UK, USA • IOs: FAO, IFAD, ILO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNECE, UNEP, UNIDO, UN-OHRLLS, UNOSSC, WBI, WHO, WIPO, AfDB, ICCIA Total: 129 participants

11. High-level Forum for Development Cooperation – GSSD Expo 2013Overview • Review of national and regional SSC initiatives highlights a growing use of SSC at all levels: • increase in SSC programs • Increase in SSC funds • Increase in policies and strategies for SSC • New SSC institutional frameworks • Large number of triangular cooperation projects with the support from donor countries (Japan and USA in the lead)

12. High-level Forum for Development Cooperation – GSSD Expo 2013Overview • International level: UN funds, programs and specialized agencies are also increasingly placing emphasis on SSC • Development of new web-based platforms to foster the sharing of knowledge and experience • Documentation of solutions and best practices • Establishment of hubs & centers of excellence to promote SSC • Formulation of SSC strategies • Emergence of dedicated SSC units

13. High-level Forum for Development Cooperation GSSD Expo 2013Lessons Learned • Better capture and disseminate experiences and good practices from the South • Engage the private sector&civil society/encourage PPPs • Strengthen resources, capacities and institutional frameworks for SSC • Use SSC as a tool to support, in particular, LDCs, landlocked and small island developing countries • Strengthen SSC management practices (monitoring and review mechanisms, coordination mechanisms) • UNOSSC study on capacity development for SSC • Encourage further use of and partnerships with SS-GATE for exchange of technologies&assets

14. Conclusion • SSC has become an important mechanism for developing countries and LDCs to help them achieve their development agenda • The multilateral system and donor countries are increasingly supporting SSC helping to scale up these initiatives and acting as knowledge-brokers and catalysts • More efforts need to be made in terms of strengthening capacities and improving SSC management practices • WIPO will continue to work closely with UNOSSC to follow up on UN system-wide developments and contribute to the enhancement of SSC in the field of IP • Lessonslearned will be taken into account in future work of South-South project subject to MS decision

15. Thank you