ONE UN - South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Innovative Partnerships and Solutions for Urbanizing Global South (WUF13)

Urbanization is at its most rapid pace in the Global South, with cities projected to emerge or grow fastest in the next decades in the developing countries of Africa and Asia. Providing basic or essential services like housing to a growing population has always been crucial to the inclusive, sustainable growth and resilience of cities and of countries as a whole. In the current landscape of interlocking development challenges, geopolitical shifts, and economic uncertainties, building cities as home to nearly half of humanity (growing to two-thirds by 2050) and as engines of growth (where most of a country's GDP is generated, accounting for 80% of global GDP) requires strategies anchored in the context of the Global South and solutions that lean on the knowledge and capacities of stakeholders in the Global South. South-South and triangular cooperation can enable, facilitate, and broaden avenues for countries and their cities facing similar challenges to share knowledge, lend technical support, and build collective capacities (human, institutional, technological, etc.) in a manner that ensures mutual benefit and poses no burden. These cooperation modalities are increasingly viewed as essential as governments navigate declining official development assistance (ODA) and tight financial space. The transformation of the Global South is also elevating not only the evolving needs unique to their socio-economic landscape but also the new capacities they can draw on for Southern-led solutions. This dialogue is designed to enable exchanges between regions on how to leverage South-South and triangular cooperation (SS&TrC) for building inclusive and resilient cities and economies, with a focus on housing and basic services. It will involve speakers who can elaborate particularly on the socio-economic dimensions of the priorities, the Southern-anchored approaches and strategies responding to those, and the footprint of as well as prospects for Southern-led collaborations. It will: - Address interlocking challenges, the need for coordinated responses, and need for innovative and empowering solutions and support - Convene stakeholders to help build the knowledge base for Southern-led strategies and replicable practices or approaches - Connect potential partners; Broaden or deepen partnerships and collaborations - Enable sustained and systematic channel and platform for strategic support for strengthening action.

Facilitators:

Dima Al Khatib

Partners:

UNOSSC - UN Office for South-South Cooperation (United States of America)

UN-Habitat (Kenya)