The 20th session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation will meet on 1-4 June 2021 to review progress made in implementing the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, the new directions strategy for South-South cooperation, the Nairobi outcome document of the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation and the Buenos Aires outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40). Convening on 11 May, the Organizational Meeting of the twentieth session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation elected the Bureau for its 20th session and adopted its agenda.
Delegates, at this first High-level Committee following BAPA+40, will also consider follow-up actions arising from previous sessions of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, notably at its nineteenth session, in 2016. Deliberations will also focus on actions arising out of the consideration of the Report of the Secretary-General to the nineteenth session (SSC/19/2), which contained a comprehensive proposal on concrete ways to enhance the role and impact of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, as well as the key measures taken to improve the coordination and coherence of United Nations support to South-South cooperation.
The thematic discussion of the twentieth session, decided by the Bureau of the High-level Committee, will be focused on “Accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through effective implementation of the BAPA+40 outcome document while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and similar global crises”.
At the request of the Secretary-General, UNOSSC coordinated the preparation of the United Nations system-wide South-South strategy on South-South and triangulation cooperation for sustainable development with the engagement of the United Nations Inter-Agency Mechanism for South-South and Triangular Cooperation and other stakeholders. As requested by the BAPA+40 outcome (A/RES/73/291, para 27 (f)), Member States will be informed about the Strategy during the 20th Session of the High-level Committee.
- An indicative list of High-level Committee meetings (1-4 June 2021)