G-77 Chair calls for additional funding for TCDC and South-South Cooperation

United Nations, 15 May 1997 (G-77) -The Tenth Session of the High-level Committee on the Review of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) was held in New York from 5-9 May 1997.

The deliberations of the Session centered on the assessment on the progress attained in the implementation of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for promoting and implementing TCDC (BAPA), New Directions Strategy for TCDC and UNDP support arrangements.
Most delegations presented their statements in the general debate, which mostly highlighted their commitment and support to TCDC. Ambassador Daudi N. Mwakawago, Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, made a statement which underscored the imperative, relevant, effectiveness and potential of TCDC in the acceleration of the development process in developing countries. TCDC modality provides, among other things, exchange of experience in technical, management and training fields between cooperating developing countries. The G-77 chair called for additional funding to support TCDC and South-South cooperation and underlined the resolve and commitment of the developing countries to promote TCDC concept and modality as an increasingly strategic dimension of international development cooperation.

The major difference from the previous session were presentations of case studies and interactive discussions between delegations. Presenting experience of the United Republic of Tanzania in promoting TCDC, Arthur Mwakapugi from the delegation of Tanzania highlighted the encouraging trends of increasing awareness and materializing the formulation, implementation and evaluation of TCDC programmes and activities by Tanzania institutions. Furthermore, he identified the need for availing more resources from both domestic and external sources so as to implement effectively the agreed and programmed TCDC projects between Tanzania and cooperating developing countries including China, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Ghana.

The major outcome of the session were two principal decisions. The first decision has two parts: Review of the progress made in implementing the BAPA and the decisions of the High-level Committee and implementation of the recommendations of the South Commission report; and review of the progress made in the implementation of the New Directions Strategy for TCDC. The second decision was on overall framework for the promotion and application of TCDC.

The main elements emphasized by developing countries captured in these two decisions include the importance and additionality of resources for TCDC, policy and operational linkage between TCDC and ECDC (Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries), maintaining the separate identify of the Special Unit for TCDC (SU/TCDC), holding commemorative meeting for 20th anniversary of BAPA during the 53rd session of the General Assembly and appeals for further contribution to the Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation and Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund (PGTF) core capital. At the session,the Republic of Korea pledged to contribute $200,000 for the Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation.