TRIANGULAR CO-OPERATION IN THE ERA OF THE 2030 AGENDA SHARING EVIDENCE AND STORIES FROM THE FIELD GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE ON EFFECTIVE TRIANGULAR CO-OPERATION 1 │ Triangular Co-operation in the Era of the 2030 Agenda Sharing evidence and stories from the field 2 │ Foreword by the OECD Secretary-General The Second UN High-level Conference on South-South Co-operation (BAPA +40) held in Buenos Aires, 20-22 March 2019,was a historical event: 40 years after the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) was agreed, over 150 countries came back to Argentina to show that South-South and triangular co-operation are central elements of international co- operation. Moreover, BAPA+40 was instrumental in putting into action the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by calling for more and stronger partnerships with civil society organisations, research institutes, philanthropic organisations, and the private sector – just to name some partners beyond governments. Partnerships are at the heart of the OECD’s work and values. We believe that in a world where all countries and people are interconnected, the only way forward is to engage in inclusive partnerships. Triangular co-operation is such an example. It is a way to transcend binary spatial divides of ‘South’ and ‘North’, building trust and generating innovation through co-creation. Trilateral partnerships contribute to tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change. In order to achieve the 2030 Agenda, horizontal partnerships, where each partner has lessons to share as well as lessons to learn – irrespective of income status or geographic location – are crucial to shaping the future of development co-operation. That is why the OECD has been working on promoting triangular co-operation as a versatile and complementary means of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BAPA +40 has highlighted again that triangular co-operation complements North-South and South-South Co-operation by combining the best of both– achieving greater results than the individual sum of the parts would have yielded. This report itself is proof of a great partnership. The OECD has been supportive of the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) on Effective Triangular Co-operation since its founding days in Nairobi, in 2016. Together with our partners from the GPI core group, we are analysing how countries and institutions in all regions of the world conduct triangular co- operation. Most of our findings and conclusions are summarised in this report. The Islamic Development Bank is a key partner for the OECD and in the GPI, where the IsDB has contributed to scaling-up and making this a truly global initiative. In our goal to foster cross-regional global dialogue and policy exchanges on triangular co-operation, we look for new approaches, good practices and lessons learnt, hoping to contribute to better development policies for better lives. Angel Gurría OECD Secretary-General 3 │ Foreword by the President of the Islamic Development Bank Since the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries (BAPA) at the 1978 United Nations Conference in Buenos Aires, the development landscape has shifted, and international development cooperation dynamics and modalities have evolved. In March 2019, the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA +40) prominently featured Triangular Cooperation in its themes and sub-themes. The overarching theme of BAPA +40 was the Role of South-South Cooperation and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities. To further support the initiatives on South-South and Triangular Cooperation, the IsDB and the OECD, together with the members of the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) on Effective Triangular Cooperation collaborated on the production of this publication “Triangular Cooperation in the Era of the 2030 Agenda –Sharing Evidence and Stories from the Field”. This publication is a truly global effort. It gives voice to the inspiring experiences from 24 countries across four continents, nine international and regional organizations, and eleven representatives from civil society, private sector, philanthropy, research institutions, and sub-national actors. The IsDB and its member countries have contributed extensively to this significant publication that shares compelling evidence and experiences from the field. The IsDB has a long-standing commitment to South-South and Triangular Cooperation. This experience in promoting South-South and Triangular Cooperation, is reflected in our mechanism called 'Reverse Linkage' that seeks to maximise the benefits derived from South-South and Triangular Cooperation and to adequately address the emerging demands of its member countries. This is reflected extensively in the publication. The BAPA +40 Outcome Document recognizes that Triangular Cooperation is a modality that builds partnerships and trust, among all partners, and that combines diverse resources and capacities, under the ownership of the requesting developing country, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It goes on to highlight the importance of context-based development solutions and agreed shared modalities. We commit to the set of Voluntary Guidelines for effective Triangular Cooperation. Based on the key lessons and challenges that emerged from the stories from the field and the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, the IsDB is both willing and able to contribute to the implementation of South-South and Triangular Cooperation to achieve the SDGs. H.E. Dr. Bandar M.H Hajjar, President, Islamic Development Bank 4 │ 5 │ Acknowledgements Triangular Co-operation in the Era of the 2030 Agenda is a publication by the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) on Effective Triangular Co-operation. It was prepared by a team led by the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate, consisting of Nadine Piefer (lead, OECD), Jeets Hargovan (Strategic Alternatives, South Africa), and Rebecca McKimm (OECD), with the extensive support and collaboration of Riad Ragueb and Abdelhakim Yessouf (Islamic Development Bank), as well as the GPI core group: Global Affairs Canada, Ibero-American Programme for the Strengthening of South-South Co-operation (PIFCSS), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Ryutaro Murotani and Atsushi Okada of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), Laura Elena Carrillo Cubillas, Noel Gonzalez Segura, Maria Rodriguez Dominguez and Alicia Hernandez Arriaga of the Mexican Agency for International Development Co-operation (AMEXCID), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Office for South-South Co-operation (UNOSSC). All core group members have contributed substantially to the different sections of this report, provided valuable feedback and paved the way for the GPI side event at the Second High-Level United Nations Conference on South-South Co-operation (BAPA +40) on 20 March 2019 in Buenos Aires. This report would not have been possible without the inspiring case stories, views and experiences that were shared by 45 contributors from the larger GPI membership. Thank you very much for showing a global effort on triangular co-operation on the road towards BAPA +40. Since 2016, the GPI members have met at various international events and exchanged ideas on triangular co-operation. The outcomes of these discussions are reflected throughout the Chapters of this report. Major contributions and comments were also received from colleagues of the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate: Ana Fernandes, Juan Casado-Asensio, Jack Taggart, Thomas Böhler, Karin Fällman, and Rachel Morris. The report provides a snapshot of where triangular co-operation stands today, presenting extensive evidence from the field about the importance and relevance of this co-operation modality. The report has taken up new ideas and inputs during BAPA +40. Disclaimer: The views outlined in the publication do not necessarily reflect the policy position of the GPI core group members. The GPI core group members do not make any representation on warranty as to the accuracy or completeness or otherwise of the publication, or any assumption on which the publication may be based. 6 │ Table of contents Foreword by the OECD Secretary-General ........................................................................................ 2 Foreword by the President of the Islamic Development Bank .......................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ 5 Executive summary ............................................................................................................................. 10 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 1. Triangular co-operation at a glance ............................................................................... 16 1.1. Triangular co-operation connects all regions and is increasingly multi-stakeholder .................. 20 1.2. Triangular co-operation contributes to all SDGs ........................................................................ 22 1.3. Triangular co-operation provides low-cost, flexible and adapted solutions ..............................