United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation (UNFSSC) is a voluntary trust fund established in 1996 by the Member States to support South-South cooperation partnerships for the benefit of developing countries around the world. It constitutes a core element of the United Nations system support to the Member States in their strategy to engage partners and mobilize resources for the joint implementation of innovative and transformative South-South cooperation activities. Since its inception, the Member States and partners have contributed to UNFSSC through pooled funding, in-kind contributions and dedicated facilities to support United Nations platforms for South-South cooperation or for initiatives of particular relevance to the South. The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) serves as Fund Manager for UNFSSC.
During the reporting period, UNFSSC continued serving as a pooled funding mechanism with multiple contributing partners. It also served as an umbrella fund that hosts sub-funds such as the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. The contributions were received in cash and in-kind.
The contributions received under UNFSSC are allocated and utilized through projects, initiatives or dedicated facilities to better implement the priorities of the UNOSSC strategic framework, 2018–2021.
In 2018 and 2019, UNOSSC further strengthened and utilized UNFSSC to better respond to the demands of the Member States and partners. It used the Fund as a key framework to mobilize resources in achieving the planned results of the Office. For example, through voluntary contributions to UNFSSC, meaningful participation of the representatives from the least developed countries was ensured during BAPA+40.
Moreover, contributions to UNFSSC remained instrumental in organizing the tenth annual Global South-South Development Expo in 2018 in New York. The largest to date, the Expo brought together over 120 representatives of Member States and more than 1,000 participants from United Nations agencies, the private sector, civil society and academia.
The Expo showcased over 250 successful South-South and triangular cooperation development solutions.
UNFSSC was instrumental in helping UNOSSC to better collaborate with the Member States, United Nations agencies and partners in advancing the green-economy agenda, connecting cities to advance SDG implementation, expanding global networks of centres of excellence for South-South and triangular cooperation, strengthening collaboration with Southern think tanks, and promoting the application of science and technology for poverty reduction, among others, through South-South and triangular cooperation.
Building on the achievements made to date and lessons learned, UNOSSC will continue its efforts to further strengthen and utilize UNFSSC together with Member States and United Nations agencies to engage partners and pool resources to better contribute to the achievement of the SDGs and BAPA+40 recommendations while responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Through this UNFSSC report, UNOSSC is pleased to share some of the key achievements of the projects and initiatives delivered. UNOSSC would also like to convey its gratitude to the Members States and organizations that supported and advanced them. UNOSSC is committed to further expanding the activities of UNFSSC on a demand-driven basis.
