Promoting South-South Cooperation on Child Rights in Asia-Pacific

1. Promoting South-South Cooperation on Child Rights in Asia-Pacific United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific High Level Meeting on Cooperation for Child Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region Beijing, 4-6 November 2010

2. Overview • UN – global framework for South-South cooperation • ESCAP – Asia-Pacific platform for South-South cooperation • Opportunities to strengthen regional South-South cooperation on child rights

3. UN – global framework for SSC • Driven by developing countries – Group of 77 • Key modality for UN, including for MDG achievement • Reflects increasing role of developing countries in UN • Based on principles of: • ‘Partnership amongst equals, based on solidarity’ • National sovereignty, ownership, leadership and freedom from conditionality • Complements other forms of international cooperation (e.g. North-South)

4. UN – global framework for SSC (Cont’d) • Underpinned by international commitments: • Buenos Aires Plan of Action & New Directions Strategy for Technical Cooperation among Development Countries (1978) • Nairobi Outcome Document from UN High Level Meeting on SSC (December 2009) • Supported by Special Unit for South-South Cooperation & SSC national focal points • Regional Commissions – regional platform for promoting SSC

5. ESCAP – regional arm of UN for Asia-Pacific • Part of UN Secretariat • 62 member states – 58 are regional members • Most comprehensive UN regional platform dedicated to development • Covers world’s most populous region - two thirds of humanity • Members range from world’s largest to some of smallest

6. ESCAP – regional arm of UN for Asia-Pacific • Fosters: • regional cooperation to promote social and economic development • normative, analytical & technical cooperation work of regional nature • Exercises regional intergovernmental convening power • Mandated by ECOSOC to coordinate regional UN system work in economic and social sectors • Focuses on multi-disciplinary responses

7. Platform for South-South cooperation in Asia-Pacific ESCAP member States called for: Stronger leadership in ‘promoting South-South cooperation as a key instrument or enhancing development assistance in the region’ Almaty Declaration, May 2007

8. Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) ESCAP Intergovernmental Conference • Annual Commission session (ministerial) • 8 Committees on thematic areas • Ministerial Conferences/High-Level Meetings on specific themes & issues

9. Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) • Intergovernmental dialogue & consensus building on transnational issues • Development of shared priorities & regional solutions to common problems • Policy advocacy & options • Analysis of regional trends, issues, gaps & policy options (joint MDG Report with ADB and UNDP; Annual Statistical Survey)

10. Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) • Links with sub-regional processes – SAARC, ASEAN, PIF, SPC, ECO, SCO • Access to experience of other regions through 4 other Regional Commissions • Ability to link Asian & Pacific experience • Links with civil society & other stakeholders at regional level • Priority on LDCs, LLDCs & Pacific island developing countries

11. Platform for SSC in Asia-Pacific (Cont’d) • Capacity development through: • sharing of good practice, knowledge & lessons • technical cooperation • ESCAP work programme – focus on: • inclusive & sustainable development • addressing development gaps, including MDG achievement • regional connectivity

12. SSC in Asia-Pacific – regional context • Increasing momentum & dynamism for SSC • Reinforced by triple crises (economic, food and fuel) • Brings increased opportunities for scaling-up • Diversity of ESCAP members - rich opportunities for sharing good practices, experience, knowledge and skills • Rise of ‘pivotal counties’ within region – e.g. China, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand • Potential for increased triangular cooperation

13. SSC for child rights in Asia-Pacific • Focus of SSC to date on trade, ICT, transport • Growing cooperation in other areas –disaster risk reduction, environment, gender, disability, migration, social protection • Potential for increased SSC on child rights at regional level • Conference offers opportunity • ESCAP as intergovernmental platform

14. SSC for child rights – foundations to build on Important to building on existing momentum, including: • Existing sub-regional cooperation • SAARC, ASEAN, PIF, SPC, ECO, SCO • transnational initiatives (e.g. migration, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS)

15. Foundations to build on • Recent ESCAP initiatives which mainstream child rights & protection: • Gender – Beijing + 15 review, November 2009 • International migration – High Level Meeting, September 2010 • Statistics capacity building – VAW statistics workshop, September 2010 • Disability –Committee on Social Development , October 2010 • Social protection – Stakeholder Consultation, October 2010

16. Way Forward on SCC for child rights • Governments prioritize child rights within ESCAP policy processes • Further mainstream into existing regional SSC initiatives • Build on existing sub-regional initiatives and role of pivotal countries • Increase triangular cooperation • Prioritise child rights within regional analysis, including on MDGs

17. Way Forward • Strengthen national statistical capacity to inform policy & programmes, including at regional level • Increase engagement of civil society in SCC for child rights at regional level • Document & disseminate good practices in regional SSC for application in other areas, including child rights • Strengthen focus on results

18. ‘Now, more than ever, is the time to focus on innovative South-South cooperation, as the challenges we face collectively can only be overcome together’Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonMessage for UN Day for South-South cooperation, December 2007

19. Thank you