2025 UN High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation Side-event: Empowering Global South - Personnel Exchange Cooperation

2025 UN High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation Side-event: Empowering Global South - Personnel Exchange Cooperation

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  2025 UN High-levelCommittee on South-South Cooperation Side-event: Empowering Global South  Personnel Exchange Cooperation When: Wednesday, 28 May 2025; 8:15am-9:45am (EDT Time) (Light breakfast will be provided) Event type: Hybrid: In-person and Online Venue: Doha Conference Room, UNOSSC, FF Building, 304 East 45th Street; Registration: Zoom: https://undp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DUA4HxRcTsOO5p_jVU7zdw For more details: https://southsouth-galaxy.org/events/save-the-date-hlc-on-ssc-side-event-on- empowering-global-south-personnel-exchange-cooperation/ Co-Organizers:  Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations  Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec)  United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Introduction: South-South Cooperation and triangular cooperation have emerged as vital mechanisms for fostering development partnerships among countries in the Global South. These modalities of cooperation are based on the principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, and the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and resources. In this context, Personnel exchange cooperation represents an innovative approach to international development cooperation that transcends traditional donor-recipient models. By facilitating the placement of experts, professionals, and volunteers between countries, these programs create powerful mechanisms for horizontal learning, capacity building, and cultural understanding. The approach uniquely enables direct knowledge transfer, allowing professionals from different Global South countries to share context-appropriate expertise, innovative solutions, and practical experiences.
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  Personell exchanges fosterreciprocity and trust in global partnerships for sustainable development while sigficantly enhancing participants' professional competence. Exchange participants develop essential cognitive, self-efficacy, and interpersonal skills identified by the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs reports as critical in the evolving global skills outlook. This approach not only contributes to innovative solutions for sustainable development but also addresses the needs of the future global workforce. In 2024, UNOSSC and Norec completed a joint study on Personnel Exchange as a Cooperation Model within the South-South and triangular cooperation frameworks. The study highlighted the significant role of these exchanges in facilitating knowledge transfer, capacity-building, and cultural understanding among Global South countries. Objective: The upcoming High-level Committee side event on South-South presents a pivotal opportunity to explore transformative approaches to international development cooperation through personnel exchange programs. Building on a comprehensive joint study by the UNOSSC and Norec, the event will illuminate the strategic potential of knowledge sharing across developing countries. This side event will:  Highlight successful personnel exchange models  Demonstrate the unique value of horizontal knowledge sharing and skills development  Address challenges and propose innovative solutions  Promote sustainable development through people-to-people connections Themes in Focus: The event will delve into critical themes of knowledge exchange, emphasizing how personnel exchanges challenge conventional development paradigms. Participants will explore practical mechanisms for skill transfer, hands-on mentoring, and the creation of lasting professional networks across diverse global contexts. Special attention will be given to demonstrating how these exchanges foster mutual learning, with both sending and receiving countries gaining valuable insights and capabilities. In addition, the contribution of professional exchanges towards developing essential skills for the future of jobs will be highlighted. Potential commitments, actions and partnerships to advance South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives: The event is being planned building on the continued partnership and commitment between Norec and UNOSSC under the South-South Global Thinkers initiative. The event will further relay the findings and recommendations of the UNOSSC and Norec joint study on personnel exchange as a cooperation model within the South-South and Triangular Cooperation frameworks completed in 2024. The study highlighted the significant role of these exchanges in facilitating knowledge transfer, capacity- building, and cultural understanding among Global South countries. By fostering a deeper understanding of personnel exchange cooperation and its potential, the side event aims to catalyze increased support and implementation of such initiatives, ultimately contributing to the accelerated development and empowerment of the Global South. The discussion will build on the findings of the joint study, share experiences from countries engaged in personnel exchange cooperation and explore strategies for improving and expanding this modality to benefit the broader Global South. This event is being organized under UNOSSC South-South Global Thinkers Initiative for evidence-based reach and policy advocacy, strengthening Triangular Cooperation. As follow up to the event, UNOSSC will be keen to explore potential partnership and collaboration under the aforementioned initiative with the partners engaged.
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  Approach and Impact:The event programme is designed by bringing in a mix of key stakeholders including governments, beneficiaries on the exchange programme from the Global South and think tanks. Organized by the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations, Norec, and UNOSSC, the event aims to catalyze support for personnel exchange initiatives. It will showcase successful models, address implementation challenges, and propose innovative strategies for expanding these programs. The event agenda will prioritize multi-stakeholder approaches with emphasis on gender balance. Target Audience:  Representatives from countries involved in personnel exchange programs  Member States/ UN Permanent Representatives  Think tanks and academia  Development practitioners and policymakers  UN Entities Agenda (90 minutes) Moderated by: Ms. Tehetena Woldemariam, Head of Section, Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec) Time Agenda Item Programme 8:15-8:25 Opening Remarks (10 mins)  Remarks Ms. Tehetena Woldemariam, Head of Section, Norec  Welcome by Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, UNOSSC Director  Remarks by Mr. Andreas Løvold, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Norway 8:25-8:40 Setting the Context (15 mins)  Presentation of key findings from the study by Dr. Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy institute (SDPI), Pakistan (Member of UNOSSC South-South Global Thinkers Network) 8:40-9:30 Panel Discussion: Experiences and Lessons Learned in Personnel Exchanges (50 mins) Guiding Questions: i. South-South & Triangular Cooperation and Personnel Exchanges  How have personnel exchange programs exemplified and strengthened South-South Cooperation principles?  How do personnel exchanges contribute to mutual learning and capacity building among Global South countries?  How can innovative approaches be leveraged to enhance and optimize personnel exchange programs within the context of South-South Cooperation? ii. Challenges and Solutions  What unique challenges have you encountered in implementing personnel exchanges within SSC frameworks, and how have you addressed them?  How do you address resource constraints while ensuring the sustainability of exchange programs in the context of SSC? iii. Ensuring Sustainable Outcomes  What strategies have you employed to sustain the gains and results from personnel exchange cooperation after the exchanges conclude?
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  iv. Scaling andIntegration  What strategies would you recommend for scaling up successful personnel exchange programs in the Global South?  How can personnel exchanges be better integrated with broader South-South and Triangular Cooperation initiatives? Panelists: 1. Mr. Daniel Roduner, Vice-President of Unité (the Swiss Association for the Exchange of Personnel in Development Cooperation) and Director of Comundo 2. Dr. Christian Hülshörster, Director, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Cairo Office 3. Mr. Arnold Tsunga, African Judges and Jurists Forum in South Africa 4. Ms. Grytė Kuliešiūtė-Pirlot, Project Officer, The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Support Office c/o EUROCHAMBRES 5. Mr. Takahiro Mizukami, Partnerships Specialist, Japan Unit, Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA/UNDP), on secondment from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 9:30-9:40 Q&A (10 mins) 9:40-9:45 Wrap up and way forward (05 mins) By Mr. Zanofer Ismalebbe, ,Chief, Knowledge management, UNOSSC  Closing remarks and call for continued collaboration and knowledge sharing