28/03/2023 Rome/Accra - South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) lays the building blocks to facilitate knowledge creation, catalyze investments, create networks and match making. 

As such, FAO via SSTC facilitates mutual learning, ensures that cooperating partners adhere to mutual commitments and that technology and knowledge are adaptable to local conditions environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and socially inclusive.

These matters and other items were discussed at today’s virtual Capacity Development workshop on Resource Mobilization for South-South and Triangular Cooperation: “Leveraging partnerships and resource mobilization for south-south and triangular cooperation for reducing poverty and hunger, and promoting sustainable food systems”.

The workshop aimed at improving the capacity of FAO’s decentralized offices to mainstream SSTC into agriculture policies, programmes and investment projects, in line with FAO’s strategic framework, the BAPA+40 plan of action, and as part of the Decade of Action, to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in particular SDG2 and SDG1.

This workshop was jointly organized for the Africa Region, by the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division (PST) and the Resource Mobilization and Private Sector Partnerships Division (PSR) in FAO. This is the first of a series of regional tailored SSTC Resource Mobilization (RM) trainings, which will run throughout this year and next. 

At the opening, Mr Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, noted that South-South and Triangular Cooperation is FAO's primary tool for implementing regional priority programs and mobilizing resources to support its regional and country-level initiatives. FAO can more effectively address the challenges and opportunities facing the region's agriculture and food security sector, by leveraging developing nations' expertise, knowledge, and resources, he added.

Also at the opening, Mr Anping Ye, Director of FAO’s South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division (PST) highlighted how, through collaboration between countries in the global south and other development partners, we can leverage knowledge, expertise, and resources to create sustainable, long-term solutions.

Participants also stressed the importance of capacity development for SSTC, which would involve collaboration between countries with different cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic conditions, and institutional frameworks.

FAO aims to broaden its partnership base with diverse groups of countries in the South, in line with FAO’s strategic framework and country needs, in order to mobilize adequate financial and technical resources, to implement impactful SSTC programs and initiatives.

The SSTC Guidelines for Action, a key instrument to scale up SSTC technical and financial partnerships to support agrifood systems transformation, were also presented, along with its new toolkit.

To further enrich the discussion, colleagues from the Africa Region and from FAO Headquarters, representing the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund teams, also provided valuable data and shared their experiences on arising opportunities and challenges faced, when designing, implementing and funding SSTC initiatives and projects.

Participants also acknowledged that involving the private sector in SSTC projects promotes the uptake of technological innovations through market mechanisms and private investment, thus ultimately effective partnerships and resource mobilization would require further capacity development.

Resource mobilization for SSTC in a competitive environment would also require effective fundraising strategies, stakeholder engagement, and showcasing project impact to attract funding.

Innovative solutions in the south are therefore key to tackling issues of food insecurity and poverty.