Statement

by H.E. Ambassador Bui The Giang

Deputy Permanent Representative of Viet Nam

at the 16^th Session of the High Level Committee

on South-South Cooperation

New York, 4 February 2010

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Mr. Chairman,

 

Allow me at the outset to extend my warmest congratulations to you and other members of the Bureau on your elections to the leadership of this important Committee. I am confident that your seasoned and wise guidance will bring the work of this Committee to fruition. You can stay assured of my Delegation’s full support and cooperation in the discharge of your responsibilities. I wish to again thank the Government of Kenya for hosting the High-level United Nations Conference on South-South cooperation in December last year.

 

          My Delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the distinguished representative of the Republic of Yemen on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

 

          Mr. Chairman,

 

The changing dynamics in the global south in terms of increased intra-south trade, investment, technology transfer, and information and experience sharing has become a globally recognized reality. South-South cooperation has evidently become a development agenda vital to the development efforts of all developing countries. South-South cooperation, including triangular cooperation, is not a substitute but rather an equal and a complimentary to North-South cooperation and is indispensable in the current international architecture for development cooperation in an endeavor to fight global hunger and poverty, and building a world of peace, security and sustainable development.

 

          The High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation in Nairobi, Kenya, early December last year marked a new development with a significant outcome document that contributes not only to strengthening and further invigorating South-South cooperation but also to promoting integrated policies guaranteeing mutual respect, equity, cooperation, and development among states of the world. Furthermore, this document reaffirms the goal, principles, guidelines in promoting South-South and triangular cooperation and the roles played by major actors, especially the United Nations system, toward this end. It also highlights once again one of the most important principles for South-South cooperation, one of solidarity among states, particularly among peoples and countries of the South, and one that raises development prospects of one another regardless of level of development and consolidates the aggregate strength in addressing socio-economic challenges toward the achievement of all internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.

 

In this connection, we strongly urge the North to honor its commitments of development assistance for the South through North-South cooperation and North-South-South cooperation, thus facilitating trade and investment flows, market access, environmental protection, and transfer and dissemination of knowledge, technology and know-how for developing countries. As South-South cooperation, particularly triangular cooperation, requires greater attention and resources support from the North, it is imperative to set up an appropriate mechanism to mobilize adequate resources from the North for the South, while fostering inclusive partnerships for South-South cooperation, including triangular and public-private partnerships with a view to enhancing the overall effectiveness of development assistance to the developing world. In this regard, we sincerely expect the United Nations system to further extend its central role to bridge and coordinate supports from various entities for the development of the South, including promotion of South-South and triangular cooperation.

 

In the context of the growingly challenging globalization and development process, especially under the impacts of the global economic and financial crisis, South-South and triangular cooperation has proved to be practically sound and fruitful for developing countries. However, given the vast potentials remaining not yet fully tapped among countries of the South, we believe that this model of cooperation needs to be further strengthened, and its lessons more extensively shared and better used. For this to be possible, more in-depth efforts should be made to identify concrete measures and strategies, and suitable mechanisms to exchange information, promote dialogue, ensure financing, and intensify coordination among countries of the South and between them and all other partners.  

 

Mr. Chairman,

 

Viet Nam attaches great importance to South-South cooperation and pledges to do its utmost to promote South-South and triangular cooperation. We welcome initiatives and arrangements to scale up South-South and triangular cooperation and stand ready to cooperate with all partners in the interest of our respective national well-beings, national and collective self-reliance and the attainment of internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs.

 

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.