EU Presidency Statement - Review of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries

Mr. President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, as well as the associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway have aligned themselves with this statement.

It is only one year ago that Heads of State and Government, through the Financing for Development Conference, called for an enhanced South-South capacity development in areas such as institutional infrastructure, human resource development, public finance, public administration, social and gender budget policies, debt management and early warning and crisis prevention. The European Union believes that in the context of the Monterrey Consensus as well as in the context of the Millennium Declaration, of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries and of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation the South-South Cooperation has proven to be a crucial factor for development.

Still the biggest challenge for enhancing technical cooperation among developing countries is the full implementation of the various action plans for cooperation.

However, what is more required in the short term planning is a strategic approach to technical cooperation, in terms of adopting policies and programmes to prepare developing countries for entering into global markets and a sufficient system of reliable estimates that will show that governments have given priority to technical cooperation in their broader development policies. Poverty reduction strategies and long-term partnerships are means to address the existing shortcomings in that regard.

When it comes to progress, the European Union is pleased to note in the findings of the reports before us, that a number of developing countries are already applying strong programmes in support of South-South cooperation. The use of the existing expertise and the experiences available in the more advanced developing countries are a major element to this effect. We also note that as regional and sub-regional integration proceeds, more opportunities for technical cooperation will be emerging.

The importance of regional integration in supporting sustainable development was confirmed at the World Summit in Johannesburg. Regional integration amongst developing countries can contribute substantively to supporting the national development agenda by creating a wider platform for change and by increasing the credibility of policy change by locking in reforms. In this context it can help to overcome the limitations of small economic size, enhance efficiency and increase attractiveness for FDI, enable economies of scale secure greater bargaining power, in short contribute significantly to a progressive participation in the global economy and to accelerated development.

Furthermore, South-South cooperation has drawn substantial and increasing support from developed countries and the importance of triangular cooperation has proven its merits in several occasions dealing with financing arrangements, partnerships and information sharing.

The European Union appreciates that the NGO involvement in the South-South cooperation is increasing and that the UN system, through UNDP, its specialized agencies and programmes and the regional commissions has continued to support South-South Cooperation by seeking innovative development practices, such as the initiative of countering HIV/AIDS via the education system.

The European Union continues to support the work of the UN system to promote TCDC activities in all relevant programmes. The European Union emphasizes the importance and the benefits of new technologies, especially of information and communication technologies in bridging the "digital divide". We look forward to the next Summit on the Information Society, making an important contribution to that objective.

In the framework of the promotion of TCDC within the UN system, the European Union will be giving due consideration to the revised guidelines for the Review of Policies and Procedures concerning Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, together with the common results framework that was annexed to the report of the Administrator.

The efficiency and effectiveness of TCDC should be further enhanced by better coordination and streamlining of the various institutions and initiatives dealing with TCDC. In this regard we believe that the Special Unit for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries has a pivotal role in the institutional architecture for the coordination, promotion and management of South-South Cooperation.

Mr. President,

The Union acknowledges the essential role of TCDC in development cooperation as it is spelled out in the Buenos Aires Plan of Action and in the report on New Directions. Given that the primary responsibility for TCDC belongs to the developing countries themselves, the EU joins the UN development system in supporting their efforts. We believe that a strategic perspective of the role of TCDC and the implementation of action plans for cooperative action will contribute to the ultimate goal of national and collective self-reliance. These are conditions that can render South-South Cooperation a key factor in the achievement of the internationally agreed development agenda. The EU will continue to be a reliable partner in this respect.

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• EU Presidency Statement - Promotion and Implementation of TCDC (28/5/2003)