UNDP Support for LLDCs through South-South and Triangular Cooperation
Overview
Landlocked Developing Countries face unique development challenges.
With a lack of territorial access to seas and distance from larger markets, these 32 countries have long experienced significant impediments to achieving inclusive and sustainable growth, with higher trade costs, limited infrastructure, borders delays, and often undiversified export markets. The COVID-19 pandemic and the current geopolitical and global macroeconomic situation further exacerbated these structural challenges of LLDCs.
South-South and Triangular Cooperation provides a necessary avenue to realize development gains for LLDCs. By sharing good practices, solutions to common challenges and providing a collaboration platform to strength dialogue, LLDCs can harness deeper expertise that are cost-effective and adaptable.
To support LLDCs in their development ambitions, the draft Programme of Action will be endorsed at the Third UN Conference for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) in 2024, strengthening South-South and Triangular Cooperation across infrastructure development and maintenance, trade and connectivity, technology transfer, energy transition, and development finance. Its success will depend significantly on the support from their Northern and Southern partners.
Unlocking potential
UNDP invests in innovation and collaboration to harness the full potential of South-South and Triangular Cooperation in support of LLDCs. UNDP prioritizes strategic partnerships, knowledge exchange, and capacity building as key focus areas to unlock tangible development impact for LLDCs.
- Empowering Voices: Elevating local capacities to global stages, ensuring that every initiative is a step towards self-sufficiency.
- Nurturing Innovation: Sparking technological and methodological innovations that pave the way for sustainable growth.
- Building Bridges: Facilitating dynamic partnerships that are the bedrock of impactful development.
Note: the data is sourced from the 2023 Results-oriented Annual Reporting (ROAR)
UNDP in action
In 2023 UNDP implemented 57 South-South and Triangular Cooperation initiatives in more than 25 LLDCs.
31 South-South knowledge-sharing exchanges helped usher in solutions across borders to shared development challenges.
Examples
Nineteen capacity-building initiatives supported have empowered individuals and institutions in LLCDs across the Global South, ensuring enduring and inclusive progress.
Examples
20 South-South partnerships were facilitated in 2023, connecting governments with regional organizations, the private sector and civil society organization to help accelerate cooperation opportunities for LLDCs.
Examples
Bridging divides through innovation
UNDP leverages its extensive global footprint for the benefit of LLDCs, helping facilitate important learning, networking and capacity building opportunities for its partners and stakeholders though country-to-country engagements, regional collaborations, and cross-regional initiatives, constructing effective, multifaceted solutions.
Last year UNDP also facilitated more than 30 country-to-country exchanges in support of LLDCs, highlighting UNDP’s convening role at the national level. Additionally, it has played a significant role in over 18 regional and cross-regional exchanges, bolstering both inter-regional and regional collaboration and integration efforts to tackle common LLDC challenges, with initiatives aimed at leveraging South-South cooperation as a strategic approach.
Examples
Spotlight on Success
UNDP's engagement across LLDCs has notably contributed to the advancement of the SDGs, focusing on governance and peace (SDG 16), economic empowerment (SDG 8), climate resilience (SDG 13), gender equality (SDG 5), and sustainable innovation (SDG 9), and South-South partnerships (SDG 17).
Strategic partnerships have transformed economic landscapes, fostering inclusive, sustainable growth through trade and investment.
SSC initiatives have turned climate challenges into growth and innovation opportunities, setting a climate resilience benchmark.
Gender equality initiatives are breaking barriers, empowering women as drivers of development and change.
UNDP’s focus on sustainable industrialization is crafting eco-friendly pathways to prosperity, ensuring that development does not come at the cost of our planet.
UNDP's South-South and triangular cooperation initiatives are a testament to the indomitable spirit of global solidarity. They exemplify how, through collective effort and shared wisdom, LLDCs can transcend their geographical limitations, becoming vibrant contributors to the global sustainable development agenda.
