UNGA76 Science Summit

South-South/North  Science  Capacity  Building  and  Research  Collaboration  for
the SDGs 


The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation [UNOSSC] is a knowledge hub
providing advisory and consulting services that works to nurture South-South linkages
through research and analysis that inform intergovernmental dialogue, leading to policy
decisions on strategies and practical programmes essential to the deepening of South-South
cooperation.

Guided by the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, its policy work includes
advocating for the adoption of South-South approaches to development globally and in the
United Nations system. In this area, the activities of UNOSSC are designed to enable
developing countries to effectively face their development challenges and harness
opportunities to address them by improved collective problem-solving. Through a better
conceptual understanding of the real value of South-South cooperation efforts to achieve
internationally agreed development goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals can be
met.

The work of UNOSSC in this area also includes technical advice to United Nations Member
States and other partners on measures to integrate South-South and triangular cooperation
into the operational programmes and policy advisory services of the United Nations
Development Programme [UNDP] and United Nations country teams.

The majority of the policy work of UNOSSC is carried out through:
§ effective servicing of intergovernmental bodies, including the High-level Committee
(HLC) on South-South Cooperation (SSC), enabling policymakers to take informed
decisions on issues and strategies relevant to SSC in bilateral, regional,
intergovernmental and multilateral processes;

§ enhancing the effectiveness of United Nations system support, especially that of
UNDP, to SSC for development; and

§ assisting developing countries to integrate SSC into their national development
policies, strategies, and programmes.

Recognising the enormous scope for the contribution of science and innovation to the SSC
process, and the holistic collaboration of the South South with the North Professor Mammo
Muchie, Tshwane University of Technology, will lead a roundtable meeting within the context
of the UNGA76 Science Summit which will take place virtually from 14 September to 30
November 2021.

Entitled South-South/North Science Capacity Building and Research Collaboration for
Advancing the SDGs, the session will contribute to raising awareness of the contribution of
science, collaborative research and development and innovation to addressing the challenges
set out in the SDGs, and how responses can be developed, in particular, ensuring innovative
science capacity building across the South-South and connecting this process to North
initiatives for a truly global response. The session will look at the enabling policy and
regulatory environment impacting science performance. Regarding themes, the session will
be cross-thematic, focusing on environment and health, recognising the interplay between the
SDG Sunday science and innovation response mechanisms.

Ensuring access by the South-South community to scientific data at global level, including
ongoing research resources, patent data and information, best practice and use cases, as well as stimulating inclusive collaborations and in particular, promotion South-South actors in
North research initiatives, infrastructures and capacity building initiatives which support
science at the global level.


AGENDA  is attached as a document.