Southsouth-Galaxy

ITU Innovation Challenges 2020: Rethinking the Digital Economy’s Value Chains During COVID-19

June 3, 2020
The 2020 edition of the ITU Innovation Challenge will be taking place amid a global pandemic caused by Covid-19. This has resulted in stress on value chains and countries’ readiness for a digital economy, significantly affecting social conditions worldwide. Global supply, production, consumption and delivery chains are disrupted. Traditional economies are struggling, as industries have not been digitalized and infrastructure is inadequate to cope with current stress levels.

Policy-makers and innovators worldwide are under pressure. Their communities must embrace a digital economy so that a semblance of normalcy can be maintained in these uncertain conditions. Therefore, the overall theme of this year’s challenges is Rethinking the digital economy’s value chains during the Covid-19 pandemic. The challenge is a global open competition platform for innovators and ecosystem builders to present their ideas and projects, empowering them to transform their communities into thriving digital societies.

For more details and submission, please visit the ITU website. 

Call for Submission

The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) is pleased to invite submissions of good practices. We seek examples of South-South and triangular cooperation that showcase innovative, impactful, and scalable solutions, demonstrating collaborative efforts among countries of the Global South as well as supported through triangular cooperation involving traditional donors, multilateral organizations, and developed countries.

These good practices will be featured on South-South Galaxy, UNOSSC’s global knowledge-sharing and partnership brokering platform. South-South Galaxy serves as a dynamic digital repository where development practitioners can access solutions, connect with partners, and engage in knowledge exchange. The platform enables real-time access to development solutions, direct connections with solution providers, and interactive learning opportunities.

The call for submissions aims to identify, document, and disseminate good practices that demonstrate the transformative potential of South-South and triangular Cooperation in addressing shared development challenges. By highlighting successful initiatives, UNOSSC aims to inspire further collaboration, foster knowledge exchange, and strengthen the global South-South and triangular Cooperation ecosystem.

Key Objectives

Showcase Success Stories

Highlight effective and replicable South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives that have contributed to sustainable development, poverty reduction, and the achievement of the SDGs

Knowledge Sharing

Facilitate the exchange of experiences, lessons learned, and innovative approaches among stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector

Strengthen Partnerships

Encourage new and strengthened partnerships by demonstrating the value of South-South and triangular cooperation in addressing global challenges and fostering mutual learning

Inform Policy & Practice

Provide evidence-based insights to inform policymaking and programming at national, regional, and global levels

Focus Areas for Submissions

Submissions are welcome for all 17 SDGs. In particular, the submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following thematic areas

Poverty alleviation & Social Inclusion

Education and skills development

Debt Management & Sustainability

Migration & Diaspora Engagement

Climate & Environmental Sustainability

Digital Transformation & Innovation

Food Security & Agricultural Development

Technology Transfer & Capacity Building

    Health & Well-being

    Infrastructure Growth & Connectivity

      Renewable Energy & Energy Access

        Personnel Exchange

        Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment

        Trade, Investment, & Economic Cooperation

        Disaster Risk Reduction & Resilience Development

        Submission Criteria

        Horizontal Cooperation

        Horizontal cooperation between two or more countries of the South

        Knowledge Exchange

        Facilitates systematic knowledge transfer between for mutual benefit, addressing complex transnational challenges that require collaborative solutions.

        Innovative

        Present creative approaches to development challenges and/or establishes more effective collaboration methods that enhance developing countries’ competitive advantages.

        Replicable and Adaptable

        Shows potential for implementation in diverse contexts with similar objectives, supported by successful applications or thorough feasibility studies.

        Sustainable

        Advances one or more SDGs through environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable practices that create lasting positive impact without compromising future needs.

        Effective

        Demonstrates strategic relevance in achieving specific SDG-related objectives, with evidence of successful implementation, scaling, and positive impact on communities.

        Technically Feasible

        Features straightforward learning curves and implementation processes.

        Participatory

        Fosters shared ownership of decisions and actions among all stakeholders.

        Who can apply:

        We welcome submissions from a wide range of entities, including but not limited to:

        • UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes
        • International Financial Institutions and multilateral development organizations
        • Government Agencies/ Ministries
        • Civil society organizations
        • Academic and research institutions
        • Private sector entities
        • Philanthropic foundations
        • Regional and sub-regional organizations
        • Centers of Excellence

        Submission Process:

        The submission process has two steps. Complete the Good Practices submission template (MS Word) and submit to naveeda.nazir@unossc.org; Cc: southsouth-galaxy@unossc.org. All submissions will undergo a review process managed by UNOSSC to ensure quality assurance as per the aforementioned criteria for quality assurance. Once reviewed and cleared, the partner organizations can upload the final submission via the South-South Galaxy Online Solutions Submission Form. Please note that registration on South-South Galaxy is required to access the submission form.

        Interested parties are invited to submit their good practices by 15 May 2025.

        Be part of our efforts to harness the power of South-South and triangular Cooperation in driving sustainable development and building a more equitable world. We look forward to receiving your submissions!