In Message to Development Fund, Secretary-General Calls Mutual Learning among South-South, North-South Partners Critical to 2030 Agenda

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the side event organized by the India, Brazil, South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA Fund), delivered by Under-Secretary General Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet, during the intersessional session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, on 8 September:

I am pleased to greet the participants in this important side event.

Later this month, world leaders will gather in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  As we celebrate this historic step, we must remind ourselves that this is just the beginning of a long journey towards sustainable development.  The real test will be in the implementation of this agenda.

The 2030 Agenda speaks to all dimensions of sustainable development, and calls for action from everyone, everywhere.  It demands unprecedented financial and non-financial support from all countries and all actors.  It is strong political will and leadership at all levels that will ultimately make sustainable development goals a reality.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can and must lead us towards a new social compact between citizens and their representatives — between people and their leaders.  Only then will we be able to transform our world and build a safer, more prosperous and sustainable future for all.

Our ambitious agenda also calls on us to strengthen international development cooperation and maximize its effectiveness, transparency, impact and results.

While North-South cooperation can and should continue to be an important channel of international cooperation for development, the past few decades have seen robust growth of South-South cooperation.

The continued progress of the global South provides impetus for South-South cooperation in the post-2015 era.

I commend India, Brazil and South Africa for their role in promoting South-South cooperation.  The lessons learned from the IBSA Fund and South-South partnerships in general should inform our efforts to renew the global partnership for sustainable development.

I encourage Southern partners to share their experiences with the global community through existing platforms of the United Nations General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, including the Development Cooperation Forum.

The United Nations has long been a strong supporter of South-South cooperation.  As we reflect on how the UN system can best support Member States in implementing the 2030 Agenda, we must consider whether our policies, funding architecture, operations and systems are fit for various forms of partnerships, including South-South cooperation.

Mutual learning among South-South and North-South partners is extremely important.  IBSA countries have lot to share with the world.

In that spirit, please accept my best wishes for a successful event.