Towards a Global Partnership for Development
The UN
and
M exico’s S outh -S outh C ooper ation
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
The UN and Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
Copyright © UNDP 2014
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United Nations Development Programme
Directory
Directory
Marcia de Castro
United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP
Representative in Mexico
María del Carmen Sacasa
Deputy Resident Representative
Sebastian Haug
Global Affairs and South-South Cooperation Specialist
Paola García
Knowledge Management
and Capacity Development Advisor
Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation
Juan Manuel Valle Pereña
Executive Director
Bruno Figueroa Fischer
Daniela Borbolla Compean
General Director
for Technical and Scientific Cooperation
General Director
Planning and Policy Formulation
3
Prologues
7
Acknowledgements
11
In Numbers: UN Support for Mexico’s South-South Cooperation 14
1.
Introduction: South-South Cooperation in a Multipolar World
17
2.
Mexico’s Dual Role: Recipient and Provider
21
3.
UN Collaboration Framework for Supporting Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
27
4.
Strategic Partners in Mexico
31
5.
The Geography of Mexico’s South-South Cooperation Supported by the UN 32
6.
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation: Fostering Development Solutions 36
6.1 Supporting South-South Cooperation Schemes 38
6.2 Facilitating Networks
48
6.3 Systematizing Best Practices
50
6.4 Supporting Institutional and Operational Development for South-South Cooperation
52
7.
The UN and Mexico’s South-South Cooperation: Perspectives
55
Acronyms
58
Contents
Contents
5
International development cooperation is an
essential instrument of Mexico’s foreign policy by means of which it favours supportive
exchanges designed to produce social and
economic development, as well as to strengthen relations with the rest of the world. In its
dual role as a provider and recipient country,
Mexico has an extensive background in cooperation schemes that allow human, technical
and financial resources to be capitalized, and
for knowledge to be shared.
One the one hand, Mexico’s experience is
particularly relevant in view of the transformation of the global development cooperation architecture, the reduction and redeployment of Official Development Assistance,
and traditional donors’ financial and fiscal
limitations. On the other hand, international
economic dynamism has been increasingly
concentrated in Middle-Income Countries
(MICs), so that “Southern countries” are now
making a greater contribution to international
development. In this context Mexico is prepared to increase its role in the new structure
of international development cooperation, in
particular by strengthening South-South and
triangular cooperation (SSC and TC) schemes.
For Mexico, SSC is a highly beneficial and
solidarity-based cooperation model that facilitates the contextualized exchange of experiences and collective learning, and has become
a valuable regional development asset. As
effective development cooperation requires
continuously strengthened institutions and
clear coordination mechanisms, the Mexican
Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), established in 2011, acknowledges the challenge linked to its role as
coordinator of cooperation efforts. The AMEXCID is working towards achieving structured
planning and an administration focused on
results, with solid methodologies as well as
transparent registration and inter-institutional coordination systems.
Prologues
Prologue
To position Mexico as a “stakeholder with global responsibility,” strategic partnerships have
been established to foster innovative forms of
cooperation with a greater scope. The 20142019 United Nations Development Assistance
Framework (UNDAF) formalizes priority cooperation areas between the United Nations
(UN) and the Mexican Government. The UNDAF’s sixth cooperation area, “Global Partnership for Development”, emphasizes UN efforts
on SSC. The association with the UN in Mexico
offers operational and technical advantages
to the AMEXCID and those Mexican institutions that aim to both leverage the flow of SSC
7
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
and TC and expand their related institutional
capacities. With the activities falling under the
“Global Partnership for Development” cooperation area, the UN is expected to support
efforts to increase the scope and visibility of
Mexico’s SSC and, consequently, to strengthen the country’s position as an effective regional and global development actor.
In April 2014 Mexico confirmed its commitment to global development by hosting the
First High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) and taking over as Co-Chair of
this innovative and inclusive mechanism. In the
framework of the GPEDC, Mexico has been
promoting the principles of effective development cooperation​as a useful tool for the
generation of concrete country-level results
as well as the implementation of the post-2015
development agenda. Mexico will continue to
encourage the participation and inclusion of a
wide variety of actors and development visions, which, in turn, will allow to maximize
the impact of development cooperation.
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
In this context, the AMEXCID is pleased to
present –together with the UN in Mexico and
the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP)– the publication “Towards a Global
Partnership for Development: The United
Nations and Mexico’s South-South Cooperation.”
This publication is based on collaboration
initiatives between Mexican Government agencies and institutions, primarily from the Federal Government, and the UN to provide more
in-depth knowledge of the role played by the
UN specialized agencies, programmes and
funds in support of Mexico’s SSC. The more
general goal is to learn from the whole set of
analysed experiences and make proposals to
strengthen the strategic association between
the Mexican Government and the UN, and thus
foster Mexico’s SSC and TC.
Juan Manuel Valle Pereña
AMEXCID Executive Director
“The partnership with the UN in Mexico offers advantages,
both operational and technical, to promote and stimulate the flow
of South-South and triangular cooperation.”
8
Mexico’s commitment in favour of equitable global governance is a fundamental part
of the country’s foreign policy. Its active
role in building an inclusive multilateral architecture, one highlights the contribution
made by Southern countries to face development challenges, has led to its increasingly significant international leadership.
This commitment is embedded in the National Development Plan, whose fifth axis
aims to position Mexico as a country with
global responsibility.
Crucial steps in that direction have been taken by building a strategic institutional architecture for international development
cooperation. Under the leadership of the
Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), Mexico’s
devolpement cooperation that benefits
from the advanced solutions as well as the
regional and global prestige of dozens of Mexican Government institutions is being articulated and coordinated.
In recognition of Mexico’s leadership and the
importance given by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to SouthSouth cooperation (SSC) in emerging countries, in 2011 the AMEXCID and UNDP signed
a Collaboration Framework Agreement, establishing a strategic partnership to maximize
Mexico’s potential as a key international development actor.
Within that framework, we present the
publication “Towards a Global Partnership for Development: The United Nations and Mexico’s South-South Cooperation,” the result of an inter-agency collaboration process designed to map the United
Nation (UN)’s support for SSC initiatives led
by Mexican institutions. This publication
provides insights into the UN’s efforts in
supporting Mexico’s SSC and identifies opportunities for joint work with the Government in strategic areas, such as centres of
excellence and the systematization of best
practices.
Prologues
Prologue
The publication also reflects the voices of the
UN’s partners in Mexico and is based on 90
UN initiatives led by 30 Mexican institutions.
The analysis highlights the diversity of stakeholders with which the UN has established
collaboration partnerships, from federal
ministries to decentralized and autonomous
bodies, State Governments, judicial entities,
and academic institutions. It also demonstrates how the thematic focus of the UN’s
support is in line with Government priorities,
such as social inclusion, environmental sustainability and citizen security.
9
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
Internationally, 2014 has been an important
year for reflecting upon the advances and challenges of international development cooperation, by providing spaces for debate such as
the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) that promotes
reflection on SSC and aims to help defining
the implementation mechanisms of the
post-2015 development agenda. Mexico is one
of the most influential and active stakeholders in this process and, in April 2014, hosted
the First High-Level Meeting of the GPEDC.
In this line, we hope that the publication at
hand will not only provide elements for a
Mexican reflection on the UN’s role in development cooperation but also serve as a key
input for regional and global debates on the
new development agenda.
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
The publication at hand affirms the commitment of the Mexican Goverment, UNDP, and
the UN as a whole to promote international
development cooperation based on the
principles of respect, solidarity and horizontality and strengthen Mexico as a stakeholder with global responsibility. We are pleased
to go hand in hand with the AMEXCID in this
effort that represents another step towards
consolidating the Mexican international development cooperation system.
Marcia de Castro
United Nations Resident Coordinator
and UNDP Representative in Mexico
“The analysis highlights the diversity of stakeholders with whom the
UN has established partnerships and shows how the UN’s support for
South-South cooperation is aligned to Government priorities.”
10
This publication was prepared by Nils-Sjard Schulz (Multipolar Network), Paola García (UNDP)
and Sebastian Haug (UNDP). We would like to highlight the work and dedication of the
South-South cooperation focal points of UN agencies, programmes and funds in Mexico1
who provided substantial input and actively participated in compiling information for this
document:
Economic Commission for L atin A merica and the C aribbean (ECLAC)
•
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
•
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
•
International L abour Organization (ILO)
•
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
•
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
•
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
•
Pan A merican Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
•
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
•
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
•
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
•
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
•
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
•
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
•
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
•
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
•
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
•
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
1. For purposes of this publication
the term agencies is used to refer to the UN entities in Mexico.
11
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
We are grateful for the support of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) during the preparation of this publication and thankfully acknowledge the
feedback provided by the following institutions:
National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR)
•
National Population Council (CONAPO)
•
Mexican Water Technology Institute (IMTA)
•
National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI)
•
National Migration Institute (INM)
•
National Institute for Women (INMUJERES)
•
Ministry of Health (SALUD)
•
Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB)
•
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)
•
Ministry for Energy (SENER)
•
Ministry of L abour and Social Welfare (STPS)
•
Electoral Court of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF)
“Towards a Global Partnership for Development: The United Nations and Mexico’s SouthSouth Cooperation” is a joint effort bringing together the AMEXCID and the UN in Mexico with
a common goal: to strengthen Mexico’s South-South cooperation while underlining the UN’s
added value and potential to effectively contribute to national and global development goals.
This publication was made possible through UNDP’s Fund for Country-level Emerging Priorities
and Innovation (FCEPI). We would like to thank Michael O’Neill, UN Assistant-Secretary General
and Director of UNDP’s Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), and Jessica Faieta,
UN Assistant-Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as their teams for jointly supporting UNDP Mexico’s work on South-South cooperation.
12
Acknowledgements
For more details about UN initiatives that support
Mexico’s South-South cooperation see:
http://bit.ly/1kDv58e
For more general information visit the following websites:
AMEXCID
www.amexcid.gob.mx
UN Mexico
www.onu.org.mx
13
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
In Numbers: UN Support foir Mexico’s South-South
Cooperation2
Led by
30
Mexican institutions, the UN has supported
44
2. The majority of the analyzed initiatives are currently underway. For
details on the sources used for this
publication see the following page.
South-South cooperation projects and activities,
of which:
37
24
15
are directed towards Latin America
and the Caribbean,
focus on Central American
and Caribbean countries, and
In addition,
50
are subregional schemes.
South-South workshops and dialogue forums took place.
In total, the UN in Mexico has promoted more than
90
South-South cooperation initiatives.
18
14
funds, programmes, specialized agencies and commissions of the UN in Mexico have accompanied these initiatives.
Following two forums on SSC in September 2013, the UN agencies in Mexico identified
the need to collect and systematize their experiences in supporting Mexico’s SSC. Facilitated by UNDP and in collaboration with the AMEXCID they started to map their SSC
initiatives, based on extensive record cards completed by 18 UN agencies that are
represented in Mexico and contribute with substantive programmes to the country’s
development. In total more than 90 initiatives were shared, of which the vast majority
are currently underway. Among those initiatives, 44 SSC projects and activities led
by 30 Mexican institutions as well as 50 workshops and dialogue forums were
registered. To supplement this data, the authors organized a validation workshop with
UN agencies as well as a dozen in-depth interviews with representatives of the AMEXCID,
Mexican ministries and other entities as well as UN agencies in February 2014. The inputs
collected during this process form the basis for this publication that was made possible
by the generous support of the focal points involved.
The publication reflects the effort to provide a first account of the different ways through
which the UN supports Mexico’s SSC and is one of the first joint country-level analyses of UN SSC activities in the region. Building on this initial exercise, one of the key
challenges for the future lies in the systematic documentation and financial quantification of SSC initiatives supported by UN agencies.
To access the publication and a detailed list of initiatives go to:
http://bit.ly/1kDv58e
In Numbers: UN Support for Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
INFORMATION SOURCES FOR PREPARING
THIS PUBLICATION
15
Since the beginning of the 21st century southern
countries have been experiencing a sustained
period of development, allowing hundreds of
millions of people to get out of poverty and
supporting the consolidation of social and
economic development foundations on both
national and regional levels. As underlined by
the 2013 Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the growing group of
Middle-Income Countries (MICs) has benefitted from economic growth, greater trading
opportunities, as well as increasingly sophisticated information and communication technologies.
At the same time, developing countries have
been able to articulate and consolidate innovative public policies on a great variety of issues,
from green development and agriculture to
social protection and public finances reform.
In this context, and in response to structural
weaknesses, Southern governments have
made progress on modernizing and strengthening their public sectors, with strategies
adapted to their political and institutional
realities. A key ingredient for the South’s success lies in increasing willingness, commitment and capacities to promote development
by States and societies that are more competent, better prepared and increasingly receptive for knowledge and experience-based learning.
This new diversity of development has been
accelerated by a rebalancing of the global
economic system marked by the economic
and financial crisis of developed countries
since 2008, and by the appearance of a second generation of emerging economies
which, in the last five years, have extended
beyond the already “traditional” BRICS (Brazil,
Russia, India, China, and South Africa). Countries such as Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey
are now proof of a multipolar world in which
the MICs have an accumulated capital of experiences and solutions on how to promote
sustainable human development in such diverse areas as social protection, transport,
public health, natural disaster risk management, and national statistic systems.
Introduction:
South-South Cooperation in a Multipolar World
1.Introduction:
South-South Cooperation
in a Multipolar World
17
1
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
In this dynamic context, South-South cooperation (SSC) has been playing a key role in
shaping the future of the international development system, both in policies and in practice. While there are various definitions of SSC
in inter-governmental agreements at both
3. Paragraphs 5-8 of the Buenos Aires
Plan of Action for Promoting and
Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries
(1978); paragraphs 9-19 of the Final
Document of the Nairobi Conference (2009); section 1 of the Bogota
Report “Towards Efficient and Inclusive Development” (2010); and
paragraphs 30-31 of the Busan Partnership for Effective Development
Cooperation (2010).
4. In particular the definitions in the
Ibero-American South-South Cooperation Reports of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (since 2008).
5. Paragraph 9, Framework of Operational Guidelines on United Nations
Support to South-South and Triangular Cooperation, Note by the Secretary-General, SSC/17/3 (2012).
6. According to Article 4 of Mexico’s
International Development Cooperation Act (LCID), Triangular Cooperation is a “cooperation modality
in association with a bilateral or multilateral traditional source, in order
to jointly concur in actions in favour of a third demanding nation at
a lower or similar level of relative
development.” For purposes of
this publication we refer to “UN
support for Mexico’s SSC” in order
to recognize Mexico’s leadership
and the evolving role of the UN –beyond its status as a multilateral traditional source– regarding the development cooperation Mexico
provides.
18
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
global 3 and regional 4 levels, this publication
uses a working definition taken from the United Nations (UN) High-Level Panel on SouthSouth Cooperation that refers to South-South
cooperation for development as
“a process whereby two or more developing countries pursue their individual and/or
shared national capacity development objectives through exchanges of knowledge,
skills, resources and technical know-how, and through regional and interregional collective actions, including partnerships involving Governments, regional organizations,
civil society, academia and the private sector, for their individual and/or mutual benefit
within and across regions.” 5
Deeply rooted in the solidarity movement
of non-aligned countries during the Cold
War and supported by the UN, SSC is experiencing a period of growth thanks to the
extensive social and economic progress
made by developing countries as well as
their willingness to share their experiences
and knowledge with partners and peers.
Beyond the financial and investment flows
originating from Brazil, China and other
countries (particularly oil-producing economies), most SSC schemes are focusing on
the exchange of knowledge, mutual learning and the transfer of experiences and
specialized solutions. Based on their successful public policies, emerging economies and other MICs representing more
limited markets have become vital sources
of ideas and solutions to promote development in other countries.
Against this backdrop it is no surprise that
SSC, and in particular knowledge exchange,
has positioned itself as a model of horizontal association between Southern countries.
Its starting point tend to be confidence, equity and mutual benefit among the partners
involved, thus enriching traditional NorthSouth aid relations. While countries have
maintained their South-South ties for decades, and more recently have promoted
triangular cooperation (TC) with traditional
donors, 6 there is a great potential to fully include these cooperation modalities in the
global development system, particularly designing and implementing the post-2015 development agenda. Also, as shown by the
following overview, there are a range of reference frameworks that guide and reflect
the significance of SSC within the global development agenda.
International South-South Cooperation Reference Framework
E
BUENOS AIRES PLAN OF ACTION (1978)
E
NAIROBI OUTCOME DOCUMENT (2009)
The Outcome Document of the High-Level United Nations Conference on South-South
Cooperation in Nairobi (2009) underlines the UN’s key role supporting SSC
through all its funds, programmes, specialized agencies and regional commissions.
UN HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE ON SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
E
The UN High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation is a subsidiary body of the
General Assembly and the main normative entity regarding South-South Cooperation
within the UN.
HIGH-LEVEL PANEL ON THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
E
Introduction:
South-South Cooperation in a Multipolar World
The Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, a crucial milestone for SSC, was adopted by 138
states on the 12th of September 1978.
Within the broader framework of defining the post-2015 development agenda, the
High-Level Panel explicitly considers the contribution of South-South cooperation and
knowledge exchange to reaching the new development goals, particularly in thematic
areas with a clear demand of experiences from Middle Income Countries.
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
E
Stemming from the High-Level Forum in Busan (2011), the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) reflects a greater attention to South-South
cooperation and the proactive role of Middle-Income Countries in global development. The First High-Level Meeting of the GPEDC took place in April 2014 in Mexico
Source: Authors.
19
1
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
The publication at hand is embedded in this
dynamic global context. It analyses from UN
agencies’ support for SSC schemes led by
Mexican institutions and identifies elements
to improve both the scale and quality of this
multilateral effort. Facilitated by UNDP, this
process originates from reflections within
the UN on mechanisms and methods of collaborating with the Mexican Government in
its extensive political, institutional and operational commitment to SSC. In this line, the
publication is also part and proof of the
close collaboration between UN agencies
and the AMEXCID as the governing body of
Mexico’s SSC.
20
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
Mexico looks back on a long history as an international development cooperation partner and has implemented multiple pilot projects in order to gradually adapt the country’s
approach to a changing national and international context. Over the last years Mexico’s
role as a dual partner has come to the forefront, reflecting its identity as both a recipient and provider of development cooperation. As one of the most innovative countries
in building this new identity, Mexico is not
only a pioneer in advanced models for mobilizing and channelling external sources of development financing (on climate change, for
example) but has also designed a series of innovative SSC and TC models primarily directed towards Latin America and the Caribbean.
UN support provided to Mexico’s SSC directly responds to the country’s policy priorities. In line with Mexico’s 2013-2018 National Development Plan (PND), SSC is a foreign
policy tool for a “Mexico with Global Re-
sponsibility” (fifth axis), aimed at “expanding and strengthening Mexico’s presence in
the world,” with the AMEXCID as the key actor in the implementation and coordination
of Mexico‘s international development cooperation.
The publication of the International Development Cooperation Act (LCID) in the Official
Gazette of the Federation in April 2011 was a
milestone as it anticipates the instruments
needed to consolidate Mexico’s policy on the
issue and thus extend the scope and impact
of SSC initiatives. Drafted within a consensus-based and inclusive consultation process,
the LCID establishes the goals,7 principles8
and guidelines aimed at guaranteeing (1) that
SSC complements the countries’ own development efforts, (2) the self-sustainability of
development processes, and (3) the involvement of the recipients of Mexico’s SSC
through co-financing and other schemes
where all stakeholders contribute.
Mexico’s Dual Role:
Recipient and Provider
2.Mexico’s Dual Role:
Recipient and Provider
7. The eradication of poverty, unemployment, inequality, and social exclusion; the permanent raising of educational, technical,
scientific and cultural standards; the reduction of asymmetries between developed countries and developing countries;
the pursuit of environmental protection and the fight against climate change; as well as the strengthening of public security.
8. International solidarity, the defence and promotion of human rights, the strengthening of the rule of law, gender equity,
the promotion of sustainable development, transparency and accountability, and the criteria for appropriation, alignment,
harmonization, results-oriented management and mutual responsibility.
21
2
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
Regarding the institutional framework for Mexico’s international development cooperation,
the LCID anticipates the following instruments:
MEXICAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION (AMEXCID)
E
COORDINATION OF DEVELOPMENT
COOPERATION POLICY
The AMEXCID was set up in September 2011 as a decentralized body of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (SRE). Over the course of three years, it has initiated transformation
and reengineering processes aimed at responding to both the Act’s provisions and the
needs imposed by a continuosly changing national and international context.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
PROGRAMME (PROCID)
E
BASIS FOR PLANNING AND EXECUTING
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION SCHEMES
The PROCID is the cross-cutting programmatic framework for Mexico’s development
cooperation. It applies to several Federal public administration entities, reflecting the
fact that Mexico’s development cooperation in general and the successful implementation of cooperation projects in particular depend upon collaboration between minis-
22
E
TRUST FUND FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
Mexico’s Dual Role:
Recipient and Provider
NATIONAL FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COOPERATION (FONCID)
The setup of the FONCID will allow to improve the planning of development cooperation
projects and increase their impact. It is currently being developed and expected to be set
in motion in 2015.
NATIONAL REGISTRY AND INFORMATION
SYSTEM FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION (RENCID AND SICID)
E
TOOL FOR MONITORING AND REGISTERING
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
The RENCID and SICID build on previous efforts of the SRE to monitor and register
development cooperation, such as the International Cooperation Data System (SICOI)
and the Mexican International Development Cooperation Data System (SIMEXID).
They will allow to register projects, agreements, partner institutions, monetary values and other data related to Mexico’s development cooperation.
Source: Authors.
23
2
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
In this favourable context, the AMEXCID’s role
is particularly relevant regarding inter-sectorial coordination and the support for institutional and operational capacities of ministries
and other Federal entities that as development solutions providers, contribute to how
Mexico’s ‘brand’ is perceived abroad. The
main vehicles and resources of Mexico’s development cooperation are sectorial experts from Government institutions offering their knowledge, experience and contextual sensibility for the benefit of other
countries in the region. Within this context, the 2012 Catalogue of Mexican Capacities for International Development Cooperation, published in collaboration with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency
(JICA), is the Goverment’s first exercise to
gather expertise from various Mexican institutions with great potential and capacity to
participate in international development cooperation schemes. The Catalogue covers
areas such as environment, education, energy, government and civil society, as well
as agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
24
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
In addition to database on international development cooperation, the AMEXCID is consolidating a methodology to account for
human, financial and technical resources in
development cooperation. At the same time,
the AMEXCID is implementing an institutional capacity building strategy supported by
partners such as the German International
Cooperation Agency (GIZ), JICA, and UNDP.
Regarding the geographic focus of Mexico’s
SSC, the LCID establishes Central America and
Latin America and the Caribbean priorities.
Q Latin America and the Caribbean: 153
Q Regional: 18
Q Asia-Pacífic: 17
Q Africa: 1
Note: In total Mexico provided 212 SSC projects in 2012.
Source: AMEXCID’s 2012 internal activities report.
Bilaterally, most projects are designed for capacity building and institutional strengthening
in key sectors of the partner country. Regionally, high-impact projects implemented
under the Mesoamerican Integration and
Development Project and those financed by
the Infrastructure Fund for Mesoamerican and
Caribbean Countries are particularly relevant
for Mexico’s development cooperation. The
Infrastructure Fund, also known as the “Yucatán Agreement,” is a reflection of Mexico’s
commitment to Latin America. It was announced in 2001 and officially launched in
March 2012 as a regional cooperation mechanism to finance infrastructure programmes and projects and to support technical assistance as well as the commercial
exchange of goods and services associated
with infrastructure.
Mexico’s Dual Role:
Recipient and Provider
Graph 1
MEXICO’S SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION PROJECTS
With certain countries there has been a shift
towards horizontal cooperation programmes,
where benefits and costs are equally shared.
These bilateral schemes have been particularly relevant in South America and the Asia- Pacific region as well as under the umbrella of
programmes in Mesoamerica and Ibero America. The Joint Cooperation Funds that Mexico
has set up with Chile and Uruguay are emblematic mechanisms facilitating horizontal
cooperation. Recently, efforts have been
made to also apply this scheme with Costa
Rica. In terms of TC Mexico has positioned itself as a promoter of debate and reflection
and a strategic partner for the benefit of Latin American and Caribbean countries. During
2012 Mexico was involved in 23 triangular
projects, mostly in association with Japan,
Germany, Spain, and South Korea.
25
2
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
Different factors determine the role Mexico
has assumed as a bridge and facilitator in the
debate on the global development cooperation architecture. It is essential to acknowledge
the variety of Mexico’s roles as provider and
recipient, its identity as a MIC, as well as its
membership in the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD), and
specifically, as an observer on the organization’s Development Assistance Committee
(DAC).
Finally, Mexico has also promoted capacity
building and knowledge exchange in the
framework of the Group of 20 (G20) development agenda, during its G20 presidency in
26
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
2012. Mexico’s active engagement with international development cooperation and
the post-2015 development agenda has
been reflected discussions in the framework of the OEDC and the UN, particularly
in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
and the Ibero-American Summit. In the
context of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC),
Mexico is leading the debate on SSC and TC as
well as the role of MICs in the changing international development cooperation landscape. In April 2014 Mexico hosted the First
High-Level Meeting of the GPEDC and took
over as one of its Co-Chairs.
The 2014-2019 United Nations Development
Assistance Framework (UNDAF) establishes
the basis for the joint work of the UN and the
Government of Mexico and responds specifically to the country’s development challenges. Via its cooperation area VI “Global
Partnership for Development” the UNDAF
highlights the UN’s willingness to contribute
to Mexico’s responsible and proactive role on
the international level. Specifically, according to effect 13 of the UNDAF, “the Mexican
Government will have strengthened its position as an effective regional and global development partner for which it will have consolidated a pertinent international cooperation platform.”
Particularly UNDP already has a history of supporting Mexican SSC capabilities. The Collaboration Framework Agreement, signed in 2011
between the Government of Mexico and UNDP,
aims to ensure synergies between Mexico as
an international development partner and
UNDP’s national, regional and global programmes.
UN CFollaboration
Framework
UN Collaboration
ramework for
Supporting
for MM
exico
’s’sSouth
-S-S
outh
ooperation
exico
South
outhCC
ooperation
3.UN Collaboration Framework
for Supporting Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
In addition to the UNDAF, various UN agencies also have SSC reference frameworks established by their headquarters and regional
offices (see Graph 2). These general frameworks
provide multiple opportunities to ensure that
regional and global SSC guidelines can be
translated into national strategies adapted
to the country’s priorities, above all those
in line with the UNDAF.
UNDP: Signature of the AMEXCID-UNDP
Cooperation Programme (Mexico City, March 2013).
27
3
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
Graph 2
SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION STRATEGIES
AND FRAMEWORKS OF DIFFERENT UN AGENCIES
ECLAC: Based on resolutions adopted in 2004, ECLAC’s Regulatory and Operational South-South Cooperation
Frameworks seek to raise the profile of SSC in the Commission’s strategic and operational work, and to
support the direct link between supply of and demand for development solutions in Latin America and
the Caribbean.
UNICEF: In 2011 UNICEF headquarters published a Programme Guidance Note on South-South Cooperation
that pays special attention to the role of Middle Income Countries. The document is used as a central
reference in the 2014-2018 UNICEF Mexico Country Programme.
UNFPA: Adopted in 1997 and updated in 2010, UNFPA’s South-South Cooperation Strategy became the starting
point for the SSC strategy of its regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2012. In both cases
UNFPA defines its position as a broker between demand for and supply of development solutions.
ILO: Adopted in 2012, ILO’s strategy “South-South Cooperation and Triangular Cooperation: The Way Forward” anticipates, inter alia, promoting the exchange of knowledge fo cused on decent work and improving
operational capacities to implement SSC schemes.
UNDP:The Collaboration Framework Agreement signed with the Government of Mexico in 2011 provides
the basis for UNDP’s support in strengthening institutional capacities of the AMEXCID, identifying
Mexican centres of excellence, and promoting Mexico’s active participation in multilateral development dialogues.
Note: “Global Partnership for Development” is the cooperation area VI in the 2014-2019 UNDAF.
Source: Authors.
28
In June 2013, the UN agencies in Mexico identified UNDP as the lead agency on SSC. In this
context, UNDP started mapping Mexican SSC
initiatives supported by UN agencies and, in
February 2014, convened the first meeting of
the UN Inter-agency Group on SSC. In collaboration with the AMEXCID the Inter-agency
Group will offer a space to coordinate the contributions of UN agencies to Mexico’s SSC.
UN Mexico: Inter-agency Group on South-South Cooperation
(Mexico City, February 2014).
UN CFollaboration
Framework
UN Collaboration
ramework for
Supporting
for MM
exico
’s’sSouth
-S-S
outh
ooperation
exico
South
outhCC
ooperation
The Agreement is now also the framework for
more consistent collaboration with a view to
strengthen Mexico as an international development partner. The AMEXCID-UNDP Cooperation Programme, a joint capacity building project set up under the Agreement,
includes support for systematizing good
practices and strengthening centres of excellence. Since UNDP has signed similar agreements with six other emerging economies
(Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Africa
and Turkey), there are many opportunities for
a fluid and constant dialogue between the
AMEXCID and development cooperation agencies of other countries supported by UNDP.
29
3
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
The South-South cooperation initiatives supported by the UN are linked to the
6
areas of the 2014-2019 United Nations Development Assistance Framework
(UNDAF) in Mexico:
LA
C•I
OM • UNDP • UN
IDO
H
U
O•
N-H
T • UNDP • U
ABITA
NE
S CO
O • UN
DP • UN
CEF
FAO
•
UNI
PA
H
•
PA
IC A
EP
O
A•
CH
•O
PA
H
IOM
CO
R•
P•
ES
E
DC
A
CL
NO
C
O•
U
O
• FA
NID
• IC A
HCR • U N I CEF • U
O • I LO • I O M • O C H A •
A • UN
NFP
OH
•U
CH
NE
R•
U
ODC
•U
HC
UN
DP
T • U N Wo m e n
ABITA
• UN
F•
ITAT • UN Women • UN
H
N-H
CE
- HAB
UN
O
H
/W
UN
O•
HC
U
R•
NI
UNDP
30
•U
NF
O/
W
EC
4.Strategic Partners in Mexico
Q Decentralized and autonomous bodies : 13
Q Ministries: 10
Q Academic institutions : 3
Q State Governments : 2
Q Judiciary: 2
Note: This graph refers to the 44 SSC projects and activities (see Chapter 6).
Source: Authors.
UN SUPPORT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF MEXICAN PARTNERS
Strategic Partners in Mexico
Graph 3
THE UN’S STRATEGIC PARTNERS IN MEXICO FOR
SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION INITIATIVES
The process of preparing this publication included a consultation process with representatives
from several Mexican institutions. The meetings and interviews brought to light the extensive
record of entities such as the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the Ministries of Health and Environment, and the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF) regarding their regular exchanges with counterparts in other countries. In many
cases, their SSC trajectories began over 15 years ago. Among the current challenges these Mexican institutions face are sectorial strategic planning, access to financing and coordination,
both within the Government and with bilateral and multilateral agencies. At the sectorial level
multilateral support is perceived as part of a natural alliance, anchored in historic relationships
of joint work on specific development issues.
Mexican stakeholders perceive a range of advantages from UN agencies SSC support, including institutional and operational capacity development: mobilization and expansion of networks and regional dialogue spaces; the possibility of receiving logistical support in other
countries; and the deft handling of financial resources. Looking ahead, Mexican institutions
expect UN agencies to collaborate in the growing scale of SSC, accompanying the establishment
of centres of excellence, ensuring a better flow of information and supporting results-based
management in Mexico’s international development cooperation.
31
4
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
5.The Geography of Mexico’s
South-South Cooperation Supported by the UN
Most partners of Mexico’s UN-supported
South-South cooperation schemes are countries in the region. Of the 44 analysed projects and activities, 37 are directed towards
Latin America and the Caribbean, 24 focus
on Central America and the Caribbean and
15 are sub-regional. At the same time, initiatives have also been undertaken with countries in Africa and Asia.
Mexico’s international development cooperation has focused mainly on the Mesoamerican
region. In this line, UN support for Mesoamerican programmes and strategies on the
following topics has been particularly relevant: monitoring and evaluating compliance
with the Millennium Development Goals
(AMEXCID, supported by UNDP); road safety
(Ministry of Health, supported by PAHO/WHO);
food security (AMEXCID, in collaboration with
FAO); assistance to vulnerable migrants (Ministry for the Development of the Southern
Border of the Chiapas State Government, with
support from the international Organization for Migration, IOM); and environmental
32
sustainability (CONAFOR, together with
UNDP).
As for bilateral projects, two have been developed with Haiti (supported by ECLAC,
together with the College of Mexico and INEGI, respectively); two with Nicaragua (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, SAGARPA, supported by FAO); with the Dominican Republic (Ministry of the Interior, SEGOB, together
with UNDP and UNODC); and with Honduras and Panama (in each country, one initiative of the Ministry of the Environment and
Natural Resources, SEMARNAT, supported
by the United Nations Envitonment Programme, UNEP).
The Geography of Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
Supported by the UN
Graph 4
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS
Note: Countries in blue are part of at least one UN-supported SSC initiative that has been initiated by or includes Mexico. Mesoamerica (small blue circle) as well as Central America and the Caribbean (bigger blue circle) are geographic
priorities of Mexico’s UN-supported SSC schemes.
Source: Authors.
33
5
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
14 projects and activities have focused on
wider geographical areas in Latin America
and the Caribbean. Of those ten include the
whole region and two relate to specific
groups of South American countries. The Ibero-American area plays a role in a range of
projects and activities, such as the fight against
human trafficking and migrant smuggling
(Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SRE, with UNODC), and the Forums on Migration and Development (AMEXCID with UNHCR) as well as
Habitat (Centre for Housing and Urban Studies,
CENVI, with UN-HABITAT). Brazil and Colombia
are partners in bilateral projects in South
America promoted, among others, by UNICEF
(Seguro Popular 9) and UNFPA (local planning,
with the Puebla State Government).
Besides two global projects led by UN-HABITAT
to promote exchange between cities on economic development and public safety, the UN
has also contributed to SSC projects and activities with countries in other regions. This is
reflected in the work of UNICEF to coordinate
missions and visits of delegations from China
(the Ministry of Health on restructuring the
health sector), Vietnam (the AMEXCID and
other institutions on protecting ethnic minorities) and Morocco (the National Council
for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy, CONEVAL, on measuring multidimensional poverty).
Finally, it is worth noting that most initiatives
supported by UN agencies involve several
countries, often with a distinctly subregional
character, in both Central and South America.
Without underestimating their valuable contributions to bilateral relations, this concentration on multi-country projects and activities
appears to be in line with the potential of
many UN agencies to simultaneously mobilize
and facilitate exchanges between different
governments, through coordination with other country offices and facilitation by regional offices (see Graph 6). This aspect of the
UN’s contribution has the potential to effectively complement the strong concentration
of Mexico’s development cooperation on bilateral and triangular projects (92% of the total
of 212 projects in 2012, see chapter 2), in order
to increase the weight of regional and multicountry schemes.
9. Seguro Popular is Mexico’s public health insurance scheme.
34
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
Graph 5
REGIONAL AND SUBREGIONAL OFFICES OF UN AGENCIES
The Geography of Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
Supported by the UN
Washington • USA
PAHO/WHO
Mexico City • MEXICO
ECLAC, ICAO, UNIDO
San Jose • COSTA RICA
IOM
Panama City • PANAMA
FAO, OHCHR, UN Women,
UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UNICEF
Lima • PERU
ILO
Rio de Janeiro • BRAZIL
UN-HABITAT
Santiago de Chile • CHILE
ECLAC, FAO, UNESCO
Source: Authors.
35
5
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
6.Dimensions of UN Support
for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering Development Solutions
Support from UN agencies for SSC refers to
actions that promote, facilitate and catalyse
SSC schemes led by developing countries. This
type of support has been focusing on technical aspects, a task mostly undertaken by multilateral organizations offering services and
resources to member countries. For this publication four key dimensions of multilateral
support –particularly relevant for UN SCC
support have been identified (see Graph 6).
UNICEF: Signature of the Cooperation Agreement between UNICEF,
ProMéxico and the AMEXCID for the setup of a project on recruiting
potential suppliers on both national and regional levels
(Mexico City, August 2012).
UN Women: Signature of the Memorandum of Understanding
on gender statistic and indicators between SRE, INEGI,
INMUJERES and UN Women
(Mexico City, November 2013).
See http://saladeprensa.sre.gob.mx/index.php/comunicados/3404-444
36
1
2
Supporting SSC schemes
Facilitating Networks
Includes technical and/or financial collaboration
of UN agencies regarding (A) projects, (B) regional
schemes, (C) one-off activities and (D) workshops
and forums, all led by partner governments.
Refers to establishing and fostering networks
and communities of institutions and individuals,
and may consist of connecting the demand for
and supply of knowledge between countries (brokering).
3
Systematizing best practices
Related to knowledge management, this refers
to mapping, documenting and preparing successful policies and practices in order for them to be
shared with or transferred to other countries.
4
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
Graph 6
DIMENSIONS OF UN SUPPORT FOR COUNTRY-LED
SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
Supporting institutional and
operational development for SSC
Consists of contributing resources and strategies
to develop institutional and operational arrangements of Government entities implementing SSC
(including development cooperation agencies
and departments of ministries), in areas such as
planning, monitoring and evaluation, designing
cooperation modalities, and human resources
management.
Source: Authors.
37
6
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
6.1 Supporting South-South
Cooperation Schemes
A. Projects
The mapping exercise that provides the basis
for this publication(see page 14) identified 22
SSC projects directly supported by UN agencies. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has used this modality extensively with a total of five projects, followed by the Programme of the United Nations for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT)
with three, and the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC),
the Pan-American Health Organization/
World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
and UNDP with two projects each. The UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crime (UNODC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Fund
for Children (UNICEF) have each developed
one project.
Graph 7
TYPES OF DIRECT UN SUPPORT FOR
MEXICO’S SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION
Q Forums and workshops: 50
Q Projects: 22
Q Regional schemes: 11
Q One-off activities: 11
Note: Overall 94 initiatives were registered.
Source: Authors.
38
FAO AND UNDP - NATIONAL FORESTRY
COMMISSION (CONAFOR)
Implemented by the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) with support from UNDP and
FAO, a major component of the project “Strengthening
preparation process of REDD+ in
Fostering the
Development
Mexico and promoting South-South cooperation” focuses on experience sharing and SSC with
Solutions
countries in Central America to develop their National Monitoring, Reporting and Verification
Systems. In this line, and in coordination with the AMEXCID, collaboration has been promoted
with the Central American Integration System (SICA) and Colombia, particularly regarding
the development of the Mesoamerican Environmental Sustainability Strategy that is part of
the Mesoamerica Project. As central component of a broader SSC strategy, the project aims
at contributing to the development of a Virtual Centre of Excellence dedicated to forest monitoring, training workshops, experience and knowledge exchange, interagency agreements
and specialized technical assistance shared among countries in the region. Set up for a duration
of four years, the project has a SSC budget provided by the Government of Norway.
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
UNODC: Presentation of the project “Promoting cooperation between Mexico and Central America
to prevent and combat the illegal trafficking of migrants” (Mexico City, April 2013).
FAO - NATIONAL FISHERIES INSTITUTE (INAPESCA)
An example of a bilateral project is FAO’s support for restructuring lobster dive fishing in Nicaragua, involving experts from Government authorities and fishermen from both countries.
This ongoing intervention has allowed to engage with other Mexican institutions, including the
National Water Commission (CONAGUA) and the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA).
39
6
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
OHCHR - JUDICIARY
The OHCHR focuses its efforts on reproducing Mexico’s consolidated experience in the process
of implementing the methodological framework on human rights indicators in the judiciary
branches of Paraguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil. The publication “Constructing Human Rights
Indicators: Regional Experiences” summarizes this experience and was launched in 2013 both at
the Human Rights Council in Geneva and, through Mexico’s SRE, during the ECOSOC meeting
in New York. The successful processes of monitoring the right to fair trial in Mexico’s Federal
District as well as the States of Nayarit and Tamaulipas will be replicated across the country,
thanks to the leadership of the National Superior Tribunals Commission. On the federal level
a similar process has been initiated with the National Supreme Court and the Federal Judiciary Council. The above-mentioned methodology has also informed the monitoring of rights
foreseen under the San Salvador Protocol, in the framework of the Inter-American Human
Rights System.
“South-South collaboration between the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics,
ECLAC and INEGI aims to develop indicators for economic conditions in Haiti and serve as
a statistical tool to track changes in the economic sector. We believe that this initiative allows the country, the authorities and other institutional stakeholders to make quick
decisions based on direct access to information on how the economy evolves.”
Randolph Gilbert
Coordinator and Haiti Focal Point, ECLAC
40
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
ECLAC: Visit to the State of Zacatecas in the framework of a project with Haiti and the Colegio de México
on the experience of the remittances programme “3x1” (Zacatecas, April 2013).
41
6
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
B. Regional Schemes
A second form of direct SSC support consists
of regional cooperation schemes provided or
facilitated by the UN that contain a SSC component, for example facilitating exchanges
and technical cooperation between various
participating Government institutions. In this
category overall 11 initiatives were reported
–by UNEP and UNODC (two initiatives each)
as well as by the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO), IOM, PAHO/
WHO, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and
the Empowerment of Women (UN Women),
UNDP and UNESCO.
UN WOMEN-NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS AND
GEOGRAPHY (INEGI)
-NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN (INMUJERES)
Initiated fifteen years ago, the tripartite collaboration between UN Women, the National
Women’s Institute (INMUJERES) and INEGI focuses on gender statistics to support public policies aimed at achieving equality between women and men. From 2006 onwards, this continuing
effort has led to inter-institutional collaboration providing input to national exchanges in the
framework of the ECLAC Statistical Conference of the Americas (CEA). The programme activities of the CEA Working Group on Gender Statistics, chaired by INEGI, have been of particular
relevance, with ECLAC’S Division for Gender Affairs in charge of the technical secretariat and
INMUJERES and UN Women providing technical assistance. This cooperation modality has
allowed the systematization of experiences and the horizontal transfer of best practices on
gender statistics (mainly on time use and unpaid work, violence against women and poverty
measurement). In late 2013 the SRE joined this partnership by signing a Memorandum of
Understanding that formalizes and strengthens Mexico’s SSC on gender statistics.
42
The objective of the “Regional Capacity Building Programme for the Protection of and Assistance to Vulnerable Migrants in Mesoamerica” is to strengthen capacities to protect and assist
vulnerable migrants, through both (1) direct assistance tools with capacity building sessions
directed at migration officials, border police, civil society organizations (CSOs) and shelters,
and (2) improving the in-kind attention capacities. The Programme responds to necessities and
objectives identified by the Regional Migration Conference and brings together seven countries:
Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. At the same
time the Programme supports the improvement and harmonization of best practices regarding migrant services through organizing the Tapachula-San Marcos trans-border forums;
creating spaces for strengthening networks; and holding regional workshops.
UNESCO - MINISTRY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION (SEP)
In the framework of the Regional Teachers Strategy UNESCO and the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) have actively collaborated on knowledge development, based on the experience
of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In order to consolidate the goals formulated
under the Quality Education for All umbrella, both parties aim to generate input and best
practices that provide a platform for the design and implementation of education programmes.
In this line, UNESCO and the SEP have set up the necessary conditions for an exchange between
Ministers of Education in the region and other relevant stakeholders. This exchange informs Latin
America and the Caribbean’s Post-2015 Education Agenda that accounts for the region’s education-related challenges and tackles topics like citizenship and culture of peace education.
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
OIM - MINISTRY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE SOUTHERN BORDER (CHIAPAS)
43
6
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
FAO - MEXICAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION (AMEXCID)
Signed in May 2014 between FAO and the AMEXCID, “Mesoamerica Without Hunger” aims to
foster food and nutrition security in the Mesoamerica region as a complement to the cooperation between member states (Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama). Its main goal is to widen and strengthen
member state capacities and to help establish conditions that allow projects to provide concrete benefits for the societies in question. For the implementation of this regional initiative
the AMEXCID has established a cooperation framework with the regional offices of six UN
agencies: FAO, PAHO/WHO, UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.
Together, these agencies have suggested that “Mesoamerica Without Hunger” should prioritize the following four areas of action: (i) Political commitment and governance of food and
nutrition security; (ii) appropriate nutrition; (iii) strengthening of family farming; and (iv) reducing vulnerabilities. Based on this multi-agency agreement, FAO and the AMEXCID have
signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement that aims to support the design and implementation of projects on both national and Mesoamerican levels focusing on public policy in the
fields of food and nutrition security, family farming and rural poverty.
44
In addition to projects and regional cooperation schemes, the UN supports Mexico’s South-South cooperation also by
means of one-off activities such as exchange
and capacity-building missions. In this category 11 initiatives –in particular supported
by UNDP, UNEP, UNICEF and UNODC– have
been identified.
“UNDP’s effort to establish a platform for exchange of experience and knowledge
between electoral management bodies (EMBs) in Tanzania and Mexico will have a
crucial impact on democratic reform at both EMB and country levels. (...) The more
EMBs cooperate and exchange experiences and knowledge the more their skills are
enhanced and they become more resilient and efficient in executing their mandates.“
Jecha Salim Jecha
Chairman, Electoral Commission of Zanzibar, Tanzania
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
C. One-Off Activities
UNDP: Exchange between the electoral management bodies
of Mexico and Tanzania (Tanzania, February 2014).
45
6
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
UNICEF: Exchange between CONEVAL
and the National Human Development
Observatory of Morocco
(Morocco, May 2012).
“UNICEF has facilitated South-South collaboration between Morocco and Mexico in
the area of social development in favour of vulnerable populations including children.
This project is very relevant for the National Human Development Observatory (ONDH)
since its goal is to establish cooperation between ONDH, CONEVAL and UNICEF in
evaluating social development programmes, identifying poverty measurements, and
exchanging experiences and experts in the area of social development. ONDH wishes to
continue collaborating with CONEVAL and UNICEF to improve the situation of people
in poverty conditions in both countries.”
Rachid Benmokhtar Benabdellah
ONDH President, Morocco
46
Complementing their direct support to SSC,
UN agencies facilitate and/or accompany regional and global forums and workshops in
which the Mexican Government has played a
leading role. For this publication 50 SSC forums
and workshops supported by UN agencies in
Mexico were reported. Institutions with highly
specialized expertise such as the INEGI and the
TEPFJ indicate that they participate in some
80 regional and global dialogue events each
year. At times these forums lead to further
bilateral or multi-country partnerships to exchange experience in a more structured way.
In addition, multilateral agencies often play
a role of input suppliers or brokers that allow
the discussions to continue beyond one-off
exchanges. This form of cooperation can be
UNICEF:
First Regional Meeting on Childhood and Adolescence Indicators
(Mexico City, September 2011).
seen in UNHCR’s contributions to the Regional
Migration Conferences, and in the role of PAHO
/WHO regarding dialogue spaces on health.
Both organizations contribute with contacts,
knowledge and strategic contents to these
forums that have the potential to propel longterm action plans with SSC components.
PNUD: Closing Session of the First High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation,
hosted by the Mexican Government through the AMEXCID (Mexico City, April 2014).
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
D. Forums and Workshops
47
6
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
6.2 Facilitating Networks
In addition to direct SSC support, the UN facilitates networks to strengthen knowledge
sharing and link supply and demand. UNEP
and UNFPA have established two key examples of structured platforms that collect solu-
tions from certain countries and connect
them with the demand of others. In both
cases, facilities are provided by the agency’s
regional office while the office in Mexico endorses a liaison role.
UNEP - REGATTA
Since 2011, the UNEP REGATTA programme connects key institutions and centres of excellence
for climate change in areas such as agriculture, energy, transport and climate financing.
23 specialized Mexican institutions are involved in the REGATTA programme, mainly representing Federal Government institutes, research centres and CSOs.
UNFPA - SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION PLATFORM
UNFPA recently launched a regional platform for SSC on issues related to population policies.
In this framework –and in line with what it has done with other development cooperation
agencies in Latin America– UNFPA seeks to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the
AMEXCID in order to allow Mexico to strategically contribute to and benefit from the platform.
This would allow the coordinated participation of specialized Mexican entities in this area,
such as the National Population Council (CONAPO) and State Governments.
48
Karin Kramer
Presidential Agency for International Cooperation of Colombia
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
“UNFPA’s South-South cooperation platform is an important tool that helps countries
to get familiar with each other and identify both the good experiences that all of our
countries have as well as the challenges we are still facing in the region. In one
way or another, the platform will thus contribute to closing gaps and supporting
local development.“
UNFPA: First Regional Capacity-Building Workshop on South-South Cooperation
(Panama, April 2013).
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Towards a Global Partnership for Development
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
6.3 Systematizing Best Practices
Graph 8
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SYSTEMATIZING BEST PRACTICES
National Institute for Women
(INMUJERES):
Mexican Agency for International
Development Cooperation
(AMEXCID):
Advances in women’s political participation;
budgets with gender focus; the production
and analysis of information on violence
against women and femicide.
National Migration Institute
(INM):
Experiences of Beta Groups on
Humanitarian Assistance to Migrants.
Advances in the humanitarian
assistance architecture
Ministry of Public Administration
(SFP):
Designing corporate integrity incentives
in the fight against corruption.
National Statistics
and Geography Institute
(INEGI):
Ministry of Labour
and Social Welfare
(STPS):
Surveys on victimization
and crime classification.
Experiences of the System
for Integrated Measurement
and Productivity Improvement.
Centre for Housing and Urban Studies
(CENVI):
National Population Council
(CONAPO):
Capacities of urban communities,
through an Ibero-American forum.
Experiences and solutions concerning
population policies and practices.
Electoral Court of the Federal Judiciary
(TEPJF):
Electoral justice experiences.
50
Source: Authors.
experts and Government officials who are
available and capable of sharing the country’s
development solutions. On the other hand,
however, systematizing experiences may
lead to better results-based management
based on more formal knowledge-transfer
methodologies. The UN has the necessary instruments and capacities to become a key
support for systematization processes, building on both its sectorial-thematic networks
as well as relevant experience and reputation
to guarantee the quality of best practices
identified by the Government.
“The advice and experience transferred by Mexico’s Integrated Measurement and
Productivity Improvement System (SIMAPRO) through the ILO in Mexico helped us to
adapt it quickly to the Chilean context, and to avoid making the same mistakes, in
spite of the fact that we adapted Mexico’s experience to another sector: fruit. Being
part of the regional network on the issue keeps us up to date, provides a great opportunity to incorporate and share best practices, and, above all, serves as an effective
communication mechanism on innovation.”
Rodrigo López
General Manager
of the Fruit Export Training Institute of Chile
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
Knowledge management and the generation
of best practices are crucial prerequisites and
the foundation for SSC. Clearly identified and
systematized development solutions ready to
be transferred are key for engaging in meaningful SSC schemes with partners and peers
in other countries. The process of turning an
implicit experience (related to individual)
into explicit knowledge (documented and
ready to be shared, independent of individual experience) is a central challenge for SSC.
On the one hand, the desire to make SSC
grow may clash with the limited number of
“Mexico’s experience with the Integrated Measurement and Productivity Improvement
System (SIMAPRO) in the sugar industry allowed us to easily assimilate it as we were
dealing with a similar context. The flexibility of the methodology also allowed us to
focus on aspects that could be more easily integrated into our work – particularly its
philosophy: the social dialogue on improving productivity and working conditions.“
Juan Wright Council President of the El Angel
Sugar Mill, El Salvador
Noé Nerio
Secretary-General, El Angel
Sugar Mill Labour Union
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6.4 Supporting Institutional and Operational Development for South-South Cooperation
Regarding the UN’s support for institutional development for SSC, a couple of agencies are
already working with Mexican Government entities on their SSC capacity. Embedded in the 2011
Collaboration Framework Agreement, the joint project between the AMEXCID and UNDP
aims at strengthening the Agency’s institutional capacity and consists of three components:
1) Strengthening the AMEXCID’s immediate institutional capacity by supporting
the implementation of the RENCID, the national registry system that records relevant aspects of Mexico’s international development cooperation;
2) Identifying Mexican institutions with widely recognized experience on the
transfer of knowledge and practice to strengthen them as centres of excellence
for international development cooperation, based on UNDP’s experience in
countries such as Brazil, Singapore and Turkey; and
3) Systematizing best practices and public policies to facilitate strategic knowledge transfer.
UNDP: Conference on South-South
cooperation with representatives
from the AMEXCID, the UN, civil
society and development
cooperation agencies
(Mexico City, September 2013).
52
“The efforts of the Centre of Excellence to implement this meeting exemplify its
work on strengthening country capacities regarding victimization surveys.”
Salomé Flores Sierra Franzoni
Coordinator, INEGI-UNODC Centre of Excellence
UNODC -NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS
AND GEOGRAPHY (INEGI)
Dimensions of UN Support for South-South Cooperation:
Fostering
Development
Solutions
Fostering Solutions
in the
Development
Agenda
UNODC: First meeting of the Working Group on Security and Criminal Justice Statistics in the framework of
the ECLAC Statistics Commission of the Americas, organized by the INEGI-UNODC Centre of Excellence
(Mexico City, August 2013).
A flagship example for UN support to the institutional setup for SSC is the collaboration between UNODC and the INEGI, where the latter hosts the joint “Centre of excellence on government statistics, public security, victimization and justice”. This initiative is consolidating the
INEGI’s role as a provider of practical solutions on a regional-level in areas such as victimization surveys as well as security and criminal justice statistics. In this line, the Centre has an
immediate impact on the Institute’s capacities to articulate and lead associations with peers
from other countries.
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PAHO/WHO - COLLABORATING CENTRES
In 2013 PAHO/WHO launched a network of collaborating centres with nine Mexican institutions based on the historic cooperation with Mexico’s health science and research entities.
These centres usually lead and contribute to research initiatives and best practices shared
with institutions in other countries in Latin America and beyond.
“PAHO/WHO’s support allows us to share knowledge and methodological tools to
connect scientific knowledge with the development of policies and programmes. The
concrete expression of this support is reflected in both one-off support initiatives to
other countries and the creation of networks on specific issues such as climate change
or atmospheric contamination.”
Dr. Horacio Riojas Rodríguez
Director of Environmental Health
PAHO/WHO Collaboration Centre on Environmental Epidemiology
National Public Health Institute
54
Emerging economies and other MICs are
currently devoting considerable efforts to
strengthening their institutional and operational capacities in order to implement international development cooperation with greater
scope and impact. As an emblematic example
of this commitment, the Mexican Government
is assuming a proactive and responsible leadership on both regional and global levels, in the
midst of a development system in full transformation. Multiple initiatives and ongoing
processes aiming to lay the foundations for
Mexico’s SSC architecture reflect this commitment. Mexico’s willingness to assume leadership originates directly from the country’s
identity as a dual stakeholder that, on the
one hand, receives international assistance
in strategic areas, and, on the other hand,
increasingly contributes to tackling regional
and global development challenges.
At the same time, this commitment is embedded in and shaped by a context that provides
the historic opportunity of reformulating international development partnerships in order
to obtain more solid and visible input from
emerging economies. This is relevant for both
the new global development goals that are
currently being defined in the framework of
the post-2015 agenda, as well as new ways of
doing development cooperation that are examined in the framework of international
platforms such as the GPEDC. Mexico is in a
favourable position to help design mechanisms and contents adapted to the opportunities of a multipolar world which, in turn,
would allow to improve the country’s capacities to deal with extensive pending challenges on the domestic level, in areas such as inequality, green growth and social protection.
In this context, the UN agencies’ support for
Mexico’s commitment to regional and global
development is particularly relevant. UN
agencies offer multiple advantages in support of Mexico’s SSC based on their close links
to an extensive set of issues and niches. In
light of current plans of various agencies
represented in Mexico, this added value may
take shape even more extensively and strategically in the future. Increasing inter-agency articulation and coordination between the
UN and the Mexican Government concerning
SSC help to facilitate this dynamic process
The UN and Mexico’s South-South cooperation:
Perspectives
7. The UN and Mexico’s South-South Cooperation:
Perspectives
55
7
Towards a Global Partnership for Development
and are reflected in the joint publication at
hand. The outcome of a fruitful interaction
of multiple stakeholders (the AMEXCID,
ministries and other Federal entities, as well
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
as UN agencies), this pioneering exercise has
detected various dimensions of the added
value that comes with UN support to Mexico’s SSC.
UN Support for Mexico’s South-South Cooperation
THE UN HAS ADDED VALUE THANKS TO ITS:
sectors and issues relevant for the
�
Comprehensive coverage of
country.
�
Alignment with national priorities highlighted in the International
Development Cooperation Act, the PROCID, the National Development
Plan and Sectorial Plans.
�
In-depth penetration in specialized networks on national, regional
and global levels.
�
Connecting function between
�
Support for Mexican entities through “quality seals” for the develpment solutions they offer.
�
Extensive operating
in other countries.
� Support for
supply and demand (brokering).
structures through regional hubs and offices
institutional and operational development at the
sectorial level, particularly through centres of excellence.
56
AMEXCID´s support for intersectorial coordination.
The reflection on the future trajectory of UN
support to Mexico’s SSC is embedded in a
context of solid leadership by the Mexican
Government in coordinating, planning and financing SSC as a whole (through the AMEXCID) and in executing and learning about SSC
initiatives in practice (through Federal ministries and other Mexican entities). This permits to closely and strategically align multilateral activities with Mexico’s SSC. Both the
general political commitment and the sectorial variety of development solutions
strengthen Mexico’s SSC system for the benefit of partners and peers in Mexico’s fellow
nations.
The UN and Mexico’s South-South cooperation:
Perspectives
Looking ahead, UN agencies have an extensive potential to reinforce their support for
Mexico’s SSC by designing sectorial cooperation strategies and ensuring greater coordination among agencies in support of specific sectors and issues under the leadership
of the Mexican institution in charge. Together the agencies can also structure and shape
the already-initiated path of interagency dialogue on SSC. Particulary mapping and coordination exercises are likely to strengthen
the links with the AMEXCID as the governing body of the Mexican development cooperation system. Some of the contributions
that may be of particular value include establishing sectorial information centres, ensuring the flow of information and data on joint
SSC schemes as well as accompanying the
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Acronyms
58
AMEXCID
Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation
BRICS
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
CENVI
Centre for Housing and Urban Studies
CONAFOR
National Forestry Commission
CONAPO
National Council of Population
CONEVAL
National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy
CSO
Civil Society Organization
DAC
Development Assistance Committee
ECLAC
ECOSOC
FAO
FONCID
G20
Group of Twenty
GIZ
German International Cooperation Agency
GPEDC
ICAO
ILO
IMTA
(Agencia Mexicana de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo)
(Centro de la Vivienda y Estudios Urbanos)
(Comisión Nacional Forestal)
(Consejo Nacional de Población)
(Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social)
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
National Fund for International Development Cooperation
(Fondo Nacional de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo)
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation
International Civil Aviation Organization
International Labour Organization
Mexican Institute of Water Technology
(Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua)
INAPESCA
National Fisheries Institute
INEGI
INM
INMUJERES
IOM
International Organization for Migration
JICA
Japan International Cooperation Agency
LCID
MDGs
MICs
OCHA
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OECD
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OHCHR
PAHO/WHO
PND
PROCID
RENCID
SAGARPA
SEDESOL
SEGOB
National Institute of Statistics and Geography
(Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía)
National Institute of Migration
(Instituto Nacional de Migración)
Acronyms
(Instituto Nacional de Pesca)
National Institute for Women
(Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres)
International Development Cooperation Act
(Ley de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo)
Millennium Development Goals
Middle-Income Countries
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization
National Development Plan
(Plan Nacional de Desarrollo)
International Development Cooperation Programme
(Programa de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo)
National Registry for International Development Cooperation
(Registro Nacional de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo)
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food
(Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación)
Ministry of Social Development
(Secretaría de Desarrollo Social)
Ministry of the Interior
(Secretaría de Gobernación)
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Towards a Global Partnership for Development
60
• The UN and Mexico’s S outh -S outh Cooperation
SEMARNAT
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
SFP
Sicoi
SIMAPRO
System for Integrated Measurement and Improvement of Productivity
SIMEXCID
Mexican International Development Cooperation Data System
SRE
Ministry of Foreign Relations
SSC
South-South Cooperation
STPS
TC
TEPJF
UN
UN Women
UNDAF
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme
UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO
UNFPA
UN-HABITAT
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF
United Nations Children’s Fund
UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNODC
(Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales)
Ministry of Public Function
(Secretaría de la Función Pública)
International Cooperation Data System
(Sistema de Información de Cooperación Internacional)
(Sistema Integral de Medición y Avance de la Productividad)
(Sistema de Información de México sobre la Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo)
(Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores)
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare
(Secretaría de Trabajo y Previsión Social)
Triangular Cooperation
Electoral Court of the Federal Judiciary
(Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación)
United Nations
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
United Nations Development Assistance Framework
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
United Nations Population Fund
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime