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TCDC Cooperation Framework (1997-1999)

• Introduction
• The Global Development Situation
• Results and Lessons Learn
• Strategy and Thematic Areas
• Management Arrangements

INTRODUCTION

1. This document describes the overall cooperation framework for TCDC during the period 1997-1999 based on resources made available for this purpose by the UNDP Executive Board and also those likely to be available from other sources, including the Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation established by the Administrator in accordance with the provisions of UN General Assembly resolution 50/119.

2. The document is based largely on the policy and operational recommendations contained in the report on New Directions for TCDC which was approved by the ninth session of the High Level Committee on TCDC and endorsed by the UNDP Executive Board, ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly at its 50th session. (resolution 50/119). It is also conceived in the context of the Buenos Airs Plan of Action (BAPA) which continues to provide the overall conceptual and operational framework for the promotion of TCDC.

3. The preparation of the New Directions Report, which forms the basis of the present Cooperation Framework, benefited from both internal and external consultations, culminating in a meeting of an external panel of experts which met in New York from 6-7 March 1995. The report also benefited from detailed comments and suggestions received from individual governments, UN organizations and agencies, selected inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in response to a comprehensive questionnaire prepared by the Special Unit for TCDC (SU/TCDC). It was also subject to extensive review at various regional and inter-regional meetings of the developing countries.

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THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT SITUATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR TCDC AS A STRATEGY IN SUPPORT OF SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

4. The profound changes that have occurred in the global economy since the late 1980s have had a significant impact on traditional multilateral development cooperation and have also influenced the future prospects of TCDC as an instrument in support of sustainable human development.

5. The implementation of structural adjustment policies and programmes by the developing countries during the 1980s, which, in contrast to the traditional emphasis on economic planning and the notion of a developmental state orchestrating widespread interventions in the development process, were premised on increased reliance on the private sector and market forces, has produced improved macroeconomic stability and economic efficiency in some cases but has failed to resolve a number of fundamental problems facing the developing countries, in terms of the persistence of poverty and social deprivation.

6. The situation has been further complicated by the phenomena of globalisation and economic liberalisation which have been accentuated with the conclusion of the Uruguay Round negotiations within the GATT and the formal establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the institutional expression of the commitment to a liberalised global trading regime based on a number of binding rules.

7. While the newly emerging order provides opportunities for some of the more advanced developing countries to capitalise on increased market access and new investment possibilities, a number of other developing countries, particularly in the case of Africa, which lack a sufficiently developed productive capacity face the threat of marginalisation in the global economy, unless special measures are adopted by the international community in support of these countries.

8. These developments have occurred against the backdrop of a decline in official development assistance (ODA) which is projected to decrease by an estimated 25 per cent between 1992 and 1996, partly as a result of a slow down in growth rates and increasing fiscal constraints faced by traditional donor countries. The significant increase in foreign direct investment which has occurred in recent years has not compensated for the decline in ODA since such investment has been concentrated in a select number of developing countries, mainly in East Asia and Latin America.

9. It is noteworthy, that against the background of these developments, a number of developing countries have achieved significant levels of economic growth. This is particularly true in the case of the newly industrialising economies in East Asia and some countries in Latin America experiencing economic revival. This increasing differentiation among the developing countries provides a solid basis for the transfer of experiences among them, particularly in terms of new and innovative techniques and approaches to the organization of production, such as flexible specialisation and cross-functional management principles, which have enabled the newly industrialised economies of East Asia to increase productivity output and overall competitiveness in the global economy. In this regard, it should be pointed out that the development of increased technical and organisational capacities in some of these countries is not unrelated to the significant contribution made over the years in the form of traditional international development cooperation. It will be important therefore to capitalise on this rich investment by harnessing the capacities existing in these countries and transferring them to other developing countries through the TCDC modality which not only represents a cost- effective approach to technical cooperation but also has the merit of tapping experiences that are much closer and therefore more relevant to the development circumstances and realities of other developing countries facing similar challenges. Many developing countries have in fact allocated resources from their own national budget or from the UNDP country allocation to finance TCDC activities.

10. In addition, the impressive rates of growth achieved by some developing countries, suggests that while in the past the developed countries had served as the main engine of growth for the developing countries, the faster growing economies of the South could in future play an increasingly important role in stimulating growth in other developing countries. Consequently, South-South trade is likely to assume increased importance in the future.

11. These factors, namely, the decline in ODA, the need for continued solidarity and collective action on the part of the developing countries in seeking to shape the forces of globalisation and economic liberalisation, together with the prospect of increased technical exchanges and trade expansion among the developing countries, have led to an increased emphasis on TCDC, and South-South Cooperation in general, as a strategic dimension of international development cooperation in support of sustainable human development, as is exemplified by the adoption of UN General Assembly resolution 50/119 on the subject and the several ministerial declarations of the Group of 77 reiterating their commitment to the principle.

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RESULTS AND LESSONS OF PAST COOPERATION

12. The fifth cycle (1992-1996) TCDC programme, which was funded mainly from Special Programme Resources (SPR), focused on four broad areas of activities, namely, (I) Promotion of TCDC through Information and Sensitization; (ii) Matching of Needs and Capacities and Inter-country Workshops in specific priority sectors; (iii) Capacity Enhancement for the Application of TCDC; and (iv) Support for TCDC Modalities and Activities through Studies and Evaluation. The resources, which amounted to $13.25m were allocated to the above-mentioned four sub-programmes in the following percentages:

(i) 33%; (ii) 48%; (iii) 11%; and (iv) 8%. Altogether, the programme managed 173 different interventions globally.

13. Significant support was provided to a variety of activities including training workshops, colloquia, policy fora and practical exchanges among developing countries which sought to address such issues as poverty, the environment, trade and investment, job creation, the transfer of technology, governance and gender. A number of specific interventions were also designed to increase awareness of TCDC and to strengthen the capacity of national, regional and inter-regional organisations in the promotion and management of TCDC activities.

14. Special emphasis was, however, placed on Capacity and Needs Matching Exercises (CNMs) as an instrument for multiplying the number of exchanges among developing countries geared to targeted sectors and themes. For example, major CNM exercises were held as follows: Coconut Industry (Indonesia, March 1992); Management and Training (Singapore, April 1992); Civil Aviation (Pakistan 1992). Industry Services and Training Institutions (Uganda 1993), Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development (Nigeria, 1994), Mining (Zimbabwe 1994), Rural Credit and Poverty (Bangladesh 1994). These exercises resulted in the conclusion of approximately 1400 agreements among the various participating countries.

15. During the latter part of the cycle, it was also agreed to limit the number of new CNMs and to focus instead on the actual implementation of the agreements concluded under previous exercises and to provide further selective assistance to unblock bottlenecks in their implementation. During this period, the methodology for carrying out CNMs was also refined in order to improve the effectiveness of the process. Specific modifications were introduced to ensure the more active involvement of the national TCDC focal points and other relevant government agencies as well as the UNDP country office in the preparation of the CNM document reflecting the proposed bilateral agreements and ensuring its distribution to the participating countries with sufficient lead time before the actual convening of the CNM. Similarly, national focal points, supported by the relevant UNDP country offices, were assigned responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the various agreements. In addition, it was decided that SU/TCDC would monitor progress in the implementation of such agreements and provide assistance, where necessary, to facilitate their implementation.

16. The fifth cycle TCDC programme also played an active role in support of the preparation and follow-up to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) held in Barbados in April/May 1994; the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) held in Beijing in September 1995; and Habitat II held in Istanbul in June 1996.

17. In the area of capacity enhancement for TCDC, a number of workshops were supported in various regions to assist national, regional and interregional organisations to increase the application of the TCDC modality as an instrument of international development cooperation. Regional TCDC focal point meetings were also held in all regions to update participants on developments in TCDC and to assist them to better understand the scope of their functions and responsibilities as agents for promoting and implementing TCDC activities in a rapidly changing global environment.

18. In terms of its overall impact, the SPR-funded fifth cycle TCDC programme contributed significantly to the elaboration of TCDC, both as a strategy and a modality in support of a number of practical exchanges among developing countries. It also served to strengthen national capacities for the management of TCDC, particularly through the creation of improved awareness among national focal points as well as within regional and inter-regional institutions active in the field of South-South Cooperation. In addition, TCDC-INRES, which represents the most comprehensive data base on institutional capacities in the developing world, continues to serve as a significant resource for South-South Cooperation. Finally, the programme provided a number of important opportunities for collaboration with the Group of 77 in the elaboration of the objectives of South-South Cooperation and also contributed to the strengthening of the capacity of the Group to provide effective oversight of the Caracas Programme of Action on Cooperation Among Developing Countries.

19. The mid-term external evaluation of the (SPR) Programme concluded that activities implemented under the Programme had been essentially well planned and executed. It found that, SU/TCDC, in cooperation with the UNDP country office network and the various UN organisations and agencies had done a thorough job in capturing the SPR mandate for the promotion of TCDC and in sponsoring a variety of activities as promotional instruments. It noted that resources had been effectively applied for the expansion of TCDC through workshops, studies, CNMs, networking arrangements and an improved TCDC-INRES data base. It also found that planned activities had been successfully implemented and that they had served to demonstrate the continuing relevance of TCDC as an important dimension of international development cooperation.

20. The evaluation report urged that increased efforts should be made at all levels to operationalise TCDC as an effective instrument of international technical cooperation and reiterated that, in keeping with ECOSOC resolution 1992/41, TCDC should be given ‘first consideration’ in the design of technical cooperation projects and that it should be more fully inscribed in all phases of UNDP projects, covering identification, appraisal, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The report recommended that further work should be carried out by SU/TCDC in terms of the identification of successful experiences as a basis for their replication, particularly in priority development areas of special concern to the developing countries. It also urged that greater use should be made of regional technical institutions and other centres of excellence in the promotion of TCDC.

21. Since April 1995, the findings and recommendations of the evaluation exercise have been used to reorient the activities supported by SU/TCDC. They have also shaped the content and orientation of the Report on New Directions for TCDC which provides the conceptual underpinning of the present Cooperation Framework.

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PROPOSED STRATEGY AND THEMATIC AREAS

22. The strategy for TCDC during the period 1997-1999 is based essentially on the analysis and recommendations contained in the Report on New Directions for TCDC which set out a new and bold vision for the promotion of TCDC in the context of the new circumstances and realities created by the fundamental changes that have occurred in the global environment in recent years and which will continue to exercise a profound influence on the economic fortunes of the developing countries during the remainder of the millennium.

(i) Overall Strategic Thrust

23. In terms of its overall policy and operational thrust, the New Directions proposals call for the adoption of a more strategic orientation for TCDC, focusing on a number high priority areas such as trade and investment, debt, poverty eradication, environment, production and employment, macroeconomic policy coordination, as well as health, education, the transfer of technology and rural development, and the promotion of activities in these areas which are likely to have a major development impact on a large number of developing countries. New Directions also call for a closer operational integration between TCDC and ECDC as a key element in fostering broader economic cooperation schemes among developing countries as well as the identification of "pivotal countries" in each region to serve as catalysts for the promotion of TCDC activities. Finally, the report recommends that TCDC-INRES should be expanded into a multi-dimensional information system containing information not only on institutional capacities but also individual expertise, centres of excellence and innovative technical cooperation experiences capable of replication in other developing countries.

(ii) Principles and Criteria

24. In carrying out the overall strategy, a number of principles and criteria will be applied in order to ensure that initiatives supported under the TCDC programme achieve an optimal development impact. Firstly, priority emphasis will be placed on initiatives which document effective technical cooperation practices in the selected areas of focus of the programme and which have the potential for replication in other developing countries. Secondly, special emphasis will be placed on the development of national, subregional, regional and inter-regional capacities in formulating and managing TCDC initiatives of a strategic nature. Thirdly, particular attention will be paid to TCDC initiatives which have the potential to support wider economic cooperation schemes among developing countries. Fourthly, efforts will be made to encourage TCDC initiatives aimed at increasing the capacity of developing countries to adopt a coordinated approach to major global economic issues which impinge on their development prospects. Fifth, TCDC activities which contribute to the coordinated follow-up to the various global conferences will receive special attention. The programme will, nevertheless, maintain some flexibility to respond, on an ad hoc basis, to initiatives which demonstrate creativity and innovation and which have the potential to make a significant contribution to the advancement of the development interests of the developing countries.

(iii) Specific Areas of Focus

25. The Programme will focus on two broad categories of activities, namely: (i) Support for SHD through TCDC, and (ii) the Promotion of TCDC, which, together will encompass a number of sub-categories. Support for SHD will encompass activities dealing with Poverty Eradication; Environment; Production and Employment; and Trade, Investment and Macroeconomic Management, while the Promotion of TCDC will embrace TCDC Policy Formulation and Coordination; Capacity Enhancement for the Management of TCDC; and Information Support Activities.

26. The nature of the interventions in these areas is detailed in the following sections of the document.

(A) Support for SHD through TCDC

(i) Poverty Eradication

27. Poverty eradication has been identified as a central objective of contemporary development policy. The commitment of the international community in dealing with the problem is underlined by the declaration of the First International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) by the UN General Assembly and the emphasis given to poverty eradication as part of a wider development strategy in the Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit on Social Development (WSSD). Poverty eradication is also an overriding priority for UNDP.

28. The TCDC strategy in this area is based on a two-pronged approach which will involve specific interventions as the grass-roots level, as well as more upstream interventions designed to address some of the structural underpinnings of poverty.

29. Within this framework, SU/TCDC will collaborate closely with the Regional Bureaux in supporting aspects of the implementation of the various subregional and regional poverty eradication programmes being undertaken by them. The entry point for TCDC interventions will centre on the documentation of effective poverty reduction strategies that can be replicated in other countries. These strategies will cover a variety of areas, including innovative income generation and employment activities, access to credit, the provision of food and shelter, the delivery of social services to the poor such as health, education, water supply, sanitation and waste management. The TCDC programme will also serve as a catalyst in transmitting successful experiences in poverty eradication between the various regions.

30. Specific initiatives will be carried out in cooperation with RBLAC in support of a comprehensive regional poverty eradication effort, with RBAP, in respect of its South Asian and South-East Asian subregional Poverty Reduction Programmes and with RBAS in respect of its Regional Poverty Alleviation Programme. In the case of Africa,

SU/TCDC will work closely with the Regional Bureau in building on the lessons learnt from an initial pilot activity, which resulted in the documentation of nine successful case studies based on the establishment of an effective partnership among governments, donors and civil society organisations, in designing and implementing poverty eradication programme. The TCDC programme to be carried out in collaboration with the Regional Bureau will seek to promote the wider application of these principles in the Civil Society Empowerment Initiative aimed at promoting the increased participation of civil society in policy-making in the context of the overall strategy for achieving the objectives of the Special Initiative for Africa.

31. The TCDC programme in the area of poverty eradication will also focus on the follow-up and implementation of agreements concluded under relevant Capacities and Needs Matching Exercises (CNMs) supported by SU/TCDC. For example, SU/TCDC will support the implementation, a select number of high priority TCDC agreements concluded among the participating countries during the CNM on Credit and Rural Poverty held in Comilla, Bangladesh in December 1994, which have not yet been implemented due to a lack of suitable external funding. This approach represents an attempt to implement the recommendations of the mid-term evaluation of the fifth cycle programme which suggested that SU/TCDC should engage in longer-term interventions and follow-up in order to ensure the successful implementation of previously agreed commitments.

32. Finally, the successful experience of the modified Capacities and Needs Matching Exercise (CNM) carried out n November 1995 in support of Haiti’s reconstruction and poverty eradication effort, in which 15 Latin American countries agreed to fund some 50 projects in a number of critical areas, including poverty eradication and social development, will be replicated in other countries.

(ii) Environment

33. The environment provides a rich and fertile area for the application of the TCDC modality. The TCDC programme in this area will pay special attention to two major global initiatives, namely, the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted at the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), held in Barbados from 25 April to 6 May 1994, and for which SU/TCDC has been assigned responsibility for coordinating the UNDP follow-up to the Conference; and the follow-up to the HABITAT II Conference, in respect of which SU/TCDC played an active role in supporting a number of preparatory activities.

34. In the case of SIDS, SU/TCDC will build upon the SIDS Technical Assistance Programme (SIDS/TAP) which it has prepared as a basis for implementing the Barbados Programme of Action, by carrying out a comprehensive assessment of the priority technical cooperation needs under the 14 chapters of the Programme which could be implemented on a TCDC basis. The implementation of a programme of this nature will be facilitated by the work previously carried out by the Unit in terms of the preparation of a four-volume Directory of Experts and Institutions in the SIDS that could be tapped for the purpose of such a programme.

35. Support for the follow-up to HABITAT II will take the form of replicating, on a TCDC basis, the successful urban management experiences documented in the Monograph on Best Urban Management Practices which was prepared by SU/TCDC, in conjunction with the Management Development and Governance Division of BPPS and Megacities, and which served as the basis for a series of regional meetings of mayors and municipal authorities held in Accra, Amman, Bangkok, Quito and Kathmandu and also the Inter-regional Symposium of Mayors held in Istanbul during HABITAT II. Some of the initiatives to be carried out within this framework are already under way in the Latin America and Caribbean region based on a series of SU/TCDC-sponsored exchanges between municipalities in the region. These exchanges are aimed at finding solutions to common problems and the elaboration of strategies for advancing the HABITAT II agenda in the various regions.

36. Specific assistance will also be provided in support of the establishment of regional biological defence networks in the Pacific (PACINET), Asia (ASEANET) and East Africa (EAFRINET) designed to document and exchange knowledge, experiences, policies and practices on bio-systematics, which is the proper identification and classification of micro-organisms, insects and nematodes in the respective regions. The establishment of these networks is designed to build capacity in the participating countries in the various regions to undertake bio-systematics on their own. The proper identification and classification of micro-organisms, insects and nematodes have important implications for the management of bio-diverse resources, agriculture and food production and is in accordance with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and other relevant international conventions on the subject

37. SU/TCDC will also provide selective technical inputs for the implementation of the Plan of Action adopted at the SU/TCDC-sponsored workshop on Improved Water Management Technology for Sustainable Agricultural Development held in Cairo for the 12 countries of the region with similar climatic and environmental conditions. The Plan of Action covers areas such as water management, irrigation, agronomy and engineering in support of increased agricultural output and improved environmental protection.

38. Specific TCDC support is also contemplated in a number of other areas, including the convening of a regional CNM on Forestry Management (Malaysia) and workshops on the development of strategies and the formulation of bankable projects in environmental management for the SADC region (Lesotho); and the formulation of a strategic environment plan in respect of the African Timber Industry (Gabon).

39. These activities are designed to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to deal with the multifaceted challenge of environmental management which exercises a significant influence on their future development prospects.

(iii) Production and Employment

40. This area which focuses largely on jobs and sustainable livelihood, is obviously of vital importance to the achievement of sustainable human development since stimulating an expansion of output is critically linked to the increase in employment and income generation. Recent studies have also indicated that "joblessness" is the surest road to poverty. Consequently, in addition to promoting specific interventions at the grass-roots level and working with NGOs and other civil society organizations, the TCDC programme will also pay special attention to opportunities for transferring techniques aimed at stimulating increases in productivity output in the developing countries in order to enable them to compete effectively in the global economy.

41. A substantial number of TCDC interventions in this focus area will involve joint efforts with the Regional Bureaux, the Private Sector Development Programme of BPPS, ILO as well as relevant intergovernmental organisations and NGOs. In keeping with this thrust, SU/TCDC, in collaboration with the Private Sector Development Division of BPPS and the Latin American Economic System (SELA), will support a programme of exchanges among small and medium-size enterprises designed to identify successful strategies for optimizing the output of these enterprises within the framework of the various economic integration arrangements in the region. The programme will be elaborated on the basis of the strategy adopted at the workshop held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 28-31 October, 1996. In addition, the TCDC programme will sponsor a pilot activity on industrial development through the sharing of industrial techniques and patterns of industrial organization between Asia and Africa. SU/TCDC will work closely with RBA and UNIFEM in the development of an African Network on Micro Credit which is designed to provide assistance to women entrepreneurs in order to enable them to operate businesses and generate employment and income. Collaboration with RBA is also envisaged in the context of the Special Initiative for Africa in the implementation of a Multisectoral TCDC Network to promote the exchange of technical skills between countries in Asia and Africa in support of improved efficiency in production and output.

42. In the case of Africa, special assistance will also be provided to facilitate the exchange and application of research results on new genetic strains of disease-resistant rice developed by the West African Rice Development Association (WARDA), which was is critical to increased agricultural output and food security in parts of Africa. The potential also exists to transfer this technology to Asian countries which are also dependent on rice production.

43. Other strategic initiatives aimed at increasing production and employment will be identified during the further elaboration of the programme. In particular, efforts will be made to identify TCDC activities in support of the work of the ACC Task Force on Employment and Sustainable Livelihood headed by ILO.

(iv) Trade, Investment and Macroeconomic Management

44. The structure of trade and investment represents a critical dimension of the overall development equation in the developing countries since the terms of trade and the level of investment exercise an important influence in determining the nature of their participation in the global economy. Similarly, effective macroeconomic management constitutes an essential element in promoting overall economic stability and in creating the conditions for economic growth and sustainable human development.

45. The TCDC programme will therefore support the efforts of the developing countries in adapting to the newly emerging global economy and to respond to the challenges faced by the increasing shift towards the creation of a liberalized global trading regime and the establishment of the WTO.

46. In this regard, assistance will be provided to the Group of 77, the South Centre and the Third World Network (TWN) and UNCTAD to enable them to analyze the implications of the agreements concluded during the Uruguay Round negotiations and other issues of common concern to the developing countries and also to identify collective strategies to be pursued by them in order to ensure their optimal integration in the newly emerging global economic order.

47. Given the importance of South-South trade and integration, SU/TCDC will seek to support an exchange of experience among integration arrangements in order to identify ways in which the requirements of such schemes could be adapted to the new global economic realities. Similarly, TCDC will support the development of increasing technical exchanges and trading arrangements between Latin America and Asia, between Asia and Africa and between the ASEAN countries and some of the CIS countries.

48. A major initiative supported by the TCDC programme is the Group of 77-sponsored South-South Conference on Trade, Finance and Investment held in Costa Rica from 13-15 January, 1997, and, more particularly, the follow-up to the conference which formulated a comprehensive programme of action for cooperation in these areas that will involve both the government and the private sector. This initiative provides an important opportunity to forge a closer operational integration between TCDC and ECDC, as was recommended in the mid-term evaluation report of the fifth cycle programme and as is envisaged in the New Directions proposals.

49. Another important initiative relates to the promotion of increased trade and investment opportunities, and other forms of technical exchange between Asia and Africa in the context of the Asia/Africa Forum framework adopted in Bandung in December, 1994. Preliminary exchanges have already taken place between Indonesia and a number of African countries designed to identify opportunities for future collaboration. The TCDC programme will seek to broaden the scope of collaboration by expanding the number of countries in each region involved in these exchanges. Similarly, efforts will be made to promote exchanges between ASEAN countries and Europe/CIS countries and also between Latin America and ASEAN as well as Europe/CIS countries.

50. In the area of macroeconomic management, during the past decade, a large number of developing countries have implemented comprehensive structural adjustment programmes which have involved the articulation of overall macroeconomic policy, privatisation and the adoption of market mechanisms. Although the experience with such programmes has varied among countries, there is a sufficiently developed body of experience with structural adjustment processes that can be shared among the developing countries. Issues such as the sequencing and timing of adjustment measures, interest rate policy, the control of inflation, the reduction of public sector deficits and the integration of financial and industrial policy, not to mention the nature of the relationship between adjustment and poverty eradication, have proved extremely complex and challenging and therefore invite cross-country comparison and analysis.

51. SU/TCDC has in fact already supported an initiative aimed at exchanging experiences between Latin America and the CIS countries in respect of structural adjustment with special reference to privatisation, macroeconomic policy formulation, social equity, and aid management and coordination, since it was felt that the latter could benefit from the experience of the former in dealing with these issues. The new TCDC programme will continue to explore opportunities for further exchanges between these two regions and also within and between other regions in respect of these issues.

52. The initiative described above will be linked to related initiatives supported by the Regional Bureaux in order to optimise the use of resources in support of these objectives.

(B) The Promotion of TCDC

53. In addition to the substantive interventions in support of SHD detailed above, SU/TCDC has been assigned responsibility by the High Level Committee (HLC) on the Review of TCDC and by ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly to work with governments, sub-regional, regional and inter-regional organizations as well as with the various organizations and agencies of the UN system to promote TCDC as a vibrant instrument of multilateral development cooperation. In fact, ECOSOC resolution 1992/41 has requested that ‘first consideration’ be given to TCDC in the implementation of technical cooperation activities.

54. SU/TCDC will carry out this mandate in the following broad areas, namely, (i) TCDC Policy Formulation and Coordination; (ii) Capacity Enhancement for the Management of TCDC; and (iii) Information Support.

55. In respect of TCDC Policy Formulation and Coordination, SU/TCDC will continue to prepare analyses and progress reports on the implementation of TCDC programmes globally and also submit specific reports requested by the High level Committee which meets biennially.

56. It will also work closely with the Group of 77 in order to strengthen its substantive analytical capacity for policy formulation in respect of TCDC and for its promotion in the relevant intergovernmental forums. This will take the form of limited technical support for the convening of the Intergovernmental Follow-up Coordinating Committee (IFCC) and periodic technical and sectoral meetings convened by the Group within the framework of the Caracas Programme of Action on Economic Cooperation Among Developing Countries. In this regard, appropriate support will also be provided to the South Centre to carry out relevant research designed to strengthen the capacity of the Group to promote South-South cooperation.

57. In respect of capacity enhancement for the management of TCDC, SU/TCDC will continue to sponsor periodic TCDC focal points meetings, as was requested by the HLC, and to use the opportunity to inform participants about global developments in TCDC. As was the case in the African focal points meeting held in Accra, in April 1995, a select number of representatives from other regions will be invited to participate in future meetings in order to ensure an appropriate cross-fertilization of knowledge and experience.

58. In addition, TCDC workshops will be held to provide training for participants from national and appropriate sub-regional, regional and inter-regional organizations in the application of TCDC. Such workshops will however be increasingly oriented towards the identification of opportunities for practical TCDC exchanges among participating countries instead of focusing exclusively on a theoretical exposition of TCDC principles.

59. Finally, since the promotion of increased awareness of the role of TCDC in the development process is a necessary precondition for its application, SU/TCDC will continue to publish Cooperation South as a vehicle for the substantive exchange of ideas and experiences on TCDC and South-South cooperation in general. It should be mentioned that the publication will continue to be refined in order to convert it into an authoritative and respected journal on TCDC policies and practices.

60. An important aspect of information support is embodied in TCDC-INRES which will be converted into a multi-dimensional information system, containing information not only on institutional capacities in the developing countries but also individual experts, centres of excellence and innovative technical cooperation activities capable of replication in other developing countries. The Directory of SIDS Experts and Institutions, which has been published by SU/TCDC, will in due course be integrated into INRES. INRES will therefore serve not only as an important source of expertise but will also facilitate networking arrangements among institutions and the exchange of knowledge and practical experiences and approaches that have proved effective in promoting sustainable human development.

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MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

(i) Programme/Project Approval Process

61. The 1997-99 TCDC Programme will be managed by SU/TCDC on the basis of the strategies, principles, criteria, instrumentalities and the agreed areas of focus discussed in the preceding sections of this document. This responsibility will be carried out in close collaboration with appropriate national, sub-regional, regional and inter-regional agencies, UNDP country offices, the Regional Bureaux, BPPS, other UN organizations and agencies and, as appropriate, in consultation with NGOs and other civil society organizations. An internal SU/TCDC Project Appraisal Committee (PAC), comprising staff from the Unit, other UNDP Bureaux and Units and, as appropriate, outside participants, will make recommendations to the Director of SU/TCDC in respect of proposals submitted for consideration.

(ii) Resource Mobilisation

62. In keeping with the decision of the UNDP Executive Board to allocate .05 % of overall programme resources for TCDC, the actual resources likely to be available for this purpose is estimated to be US $15 million.

63. In addition, as is indicated in the Table on the Resource Mobilisation Target in Annex I, supplementary resources will be mobilized under the Trust Fund on South-South Cooperation, established in response to UN General Assembly resolution 50/119, which is expected to yield an additional US$10 million, and also on an ad hoc basis in support of specific TCDC initiatives.

(iii) Execution Arrangements

64. UN/OPS has played a predominant role in the execution of TCDC projects funded from the SPR allocated during the fifth cycle programme. Given the wide range of TCDC activities, this execution modality had the advantage of facilitating accounting and allowed for a timely and accurate rendering of expenditure. However, a special effort will be made under the new programme to assign execution responsibility to national entities as well as recognised sub-regional, regional and inter-regional organisations representing the developing countries in order to ensure that ownership and responsibility are vested in the developing countries for the management of TCDC programmes.

(iv) Monitoring, Review and Reporting

65. Individual proposals submitted for funding will be required to establish both qualitative and quantitative benchmarks in order to facilitate monitoring, review and evaluation in terms of actual outputs. The SU/TCDC proposal format will be modified accordingly in order to ensure that such criteria are reviewed at the design stage of the proposal.

66. The overall TCDC programme will be subject to a mid-term review that will also seek to determine its achievements in terms of concrete results measured against its stated strategies and objectives. The output-oriented Programme Matrix shown in Annex II should facilitate this exercise.

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