The op-ed was originally published in Jakarta Post on September 19, 2017, and raises the prospects and possibilities of increased and enhanced South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Specifically, Foreign Ministers Mrs. Retno Marsudi of Indonesia and Mr. Børge Brende of Norway raises four aspects that need attention when moving ahead with this agenda.
- First, South-South and triangular cooperation needs to focus more on people, be it in implementing the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change or Sustaining Peace agenda.
- Second, the UN, the international development banks, regional and subregional organizations should share best practices and lessons learned more systematically in order to develop more effective approaches.
- Third, strong partnerships inside and outside the UN are essential. New information technology and social media should also be utilized to cultivate partnerships and support for South-South and triangular cooperation.
- Fourth, increased financial and political investment in South-South and triangular cooperation in conflict prevention and peacebuilding will be money well spent. The costs in dealing with the consequences of conflicts will always be substantially higher than the costs of preventing them.
Read the op-ed in full here.