The conference was organized by the UNDP’s Special Unit for South-South Cooperation (SUSSC) under the theme Building Productive Capacities of Least Developed Countries through South-South, Triangular and Public-Private Partnerships.
The event was held within the framework of the Global Business Partnership Forum on the occasion of the Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Gokcen was among the speakers in the first segment of the agenda, which was moderated by Director of SUSSC Yiping Zhou. Gokcen said that the topic of the conference was a priority for the OIC, given that all its 57 member states are in the south or have emerging economies. Therefore it recognized the relevance of the concept of South-South cooperation and of Triangular cooperation to the member states’ national and collective self-reliance and development.
He stated that the OIC and concerning institutions, namely the Islamic Development Bank and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had taken some serious and determined steps toward that end. In some of these endeavors, the OIC had the cooperation and partnership of UNDP, particularly its SUSSC.
Much of it was not only complementary to the objectives and trajectory of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, but also in line with the spirit of the OIC’s Ten Year Program of Action.
Gokcen announced the launch of a joint program of OIC/SUSSC collaboration in support of OIC member states, especially LDCs recovering from the effects of major conflicts, natural disasters and critical humanitarian situations, using South-South cooperation modalities in the effort.
“Under this program, it is envisaged that the OIC and the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation will jointly work for country-specific projects, and channel the funds to the projects in the countries in need through the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation that has been established by the General Assembly with support from the OIC member states and others,” said Gokcen.
The first joint campaign being launched under this program is in Somalia, a LDC where the conflict-ridden situation has seriously affected the country’s education and health-care systems, and the people are in dire need of livelihood recovery and rehabilitation. The Joint OIC/SUSSC program will address some of these needs through South-South cooperation arrangements between Somali institutions and those of other OIC member countries that are in a position to help. For this, a target of $20 million is being raised through voluntary contributions.
Following Somalia, the intention is to focus on other countries critically in need of such assistance, such as the flood-affected areas of Pakistan, and post-conflict recovery situations in Afghanistan, Darfur in Sudan, and possibly Iraq, said Gokcen.
