The UN@75 and South-South cooperation: evolving roles and responsibilities.

Event Type
Virtual Event

Location / Date
Online, 16.02.2021

Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Since 2013, the Conference of Southern Providers (Delhi Process) has been attracting international attention on issues and emerging challenges for South-South Cooperation (SSC). As a series of annual meetings to discuss frontier debates around SSC, it has established itself as a unique space for experts, practitioners, academia, think tanks, and international organisations to share their experience and knowledge.

In preparation for the Delhi VI Conference that will take place in 2021, the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST) is organising a series of virtual events alongside partners in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. The purpose is to liaise and connect with regional actors, nourish interests and address concerns regarding SSC efforts to support countries to better recover from the current COVID-19 crisis.

Against this backdrop, the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) are co-hosting a virtual event on The UN@75 and South-South cooperation: evolving roles and responsibilities. The session will take place on 16 February 2021 from 2:00 to 4:30 pm (Delhi time).

As the largest and most inclusive multilateral organisation, the United Nations (UN) has been a trusted partner for many developing countries. With their substantive thematic scope, broad geographic reach and strong normative mandates, UN entities have provided valuable support to member states in dealing with challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. UN support for SSC has been an integral part of these efforts, with Southern partners visibly expanding their clout across UN processes and fora.

The 75^th anniversary of the UN provides a landmark to examine how the relationship between the UN and the South – i.e. the majority of its member states – has evolved. In this virtual event, panellists present research and reflections on the South, South-South cooperation and the UN, and discuss what evolving patterns of engagement mean for the future of multilateralism.

Agenda

Opening Remarks

• Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)
• Dr Sven Grimm, Head of Research Programme on Inter- and Transnational Cooperation, German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Kick-off Remarks

• H.E. Ban Ki Moon, Deputy Chair of the Elders, Former UN Secretary-General and former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea

Chair

• H.E. Ambassador Vijay Nambiar, Former Indian diplomat and Special Advisor to UN Secretary General

Panel 1: The South and the UN: evolving multilateralism (60 minutes)

• Professor C. S. R. Murthy, Professor, Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
• Professor Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Chief Executive, South African Institute of International Affairs, South Africa
• Rashmi Banga, Senior Economic Affairs Officer, ECIDC-GDS, UNCTAD, Geneva
• Carlos M. Correa, Executive Director, South Centre, Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Moderator:

• Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary General, Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Geneva

Panel 2: South-South Cooperation and the UN development system

• Dr Sebastian Haug, DIE
• Professor Paulo Esteves, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) - UN and triangular cooperation: lessons from Brazilian experiences.

Discussants

• Anita Amorim, Head, Emerging and Special Partnerships Unit, International Labour Organisation (ILO)
• Professor Milindo Chakrabarti, Visiting Fellow, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)

Moderator

• Dr Silke Weinlich, Senior Researcher, DIE

Weaving the threads together: Key insights

• Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)
• Dr Silke Weinlich, Senior Researcher, DIE

Concluding Remarks

H.E. Ambassador Vijay Nambiar, Former Indian diplomat and Special Advisor to UN Secretary General

Hinweis

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