[GPI Side Event] Triangular Co-operation: A Modality for the Asian Century (GSSD Expo) - Bangkok, 2022
2022-09-13 15:55 - 17:10 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | Conference Room 3 – UN Conference Centre / ESCAP, Bangkok, Thailand
At the beginning of the 21st century, the word of the “Asian Century” spread. Long-term forecasts of the Asian Development Bank predicted that the region will likely generate more than 50% of the world’s GDP by 2040 and account for 40% of world consumption. The analysis concluded that in order to sustain Asia’s growth trajectory while approximating sustainable development, action is needed on three levels: the national action agendas, regional co-operation and collaboration, and the global agenda.
However, the current decade started with unprecedented global challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a severe setback in the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The economic recovery from the pandemic is now imperiled by the direct and indirect consequences of Russia’s invasion to Ukraine. The challenges are enormous and resources available for sustainable development to either developed and developing countries are under stress. Therefore, there is a pressing need to harness new forms of partnership for knowledge sharing and innovative thinking on global development. And due to their strong economic development in the early 21st century, some of the most important partners for global development hail from Asia.
Triangular co-operation, a relatively new modality promoting horizontal co-operation for sustainable development, sparks a lot of interest and debate in this context. It fosters capacity building and joint learning, it realizes on complementarities, it intensifies coordination and boosts synergy in the allocation of resources. The modality is on the rise globally, and GPI members use it more strategically to engage with partners across the globe to drive sustainable development. Finding it adaptable and flexible, the development community engages in triangular co-operation across all regions, with the fastest growth in Africa and Asia, according to OECD data.
These trends call for a discussion about how triangular co-operation can be a practical tool for Asian providers of South-South Co-operation in furthering the achievement of the SDGs. The Asian region hosts pioneers of triangular co-operation, such as Japan, India, Indonesia and Thailand – who worked in triangular partnerships long before the modality gained global popularity. Topics that have been addressed include climate change mitigation, governance and institutional capacity, tackling inequalities, competition for finite natural resources, and fostering trade co-operation between countries and sub-regions in Asia. Therefore, there is a wealth of experience in Asia on triangular co-operation ready to be shared.
Since 2021, the German “Regional Fund for Triangular Cooperation with Asia”[i] aims to foster innovative triangular co-operation initiatives among Asian partners through projects, capacity development and policy dialogue.
This side event aims to reflect on triangular cooperation against the background of Asia’s development – once home to classic drivers of growth, but increasingly generating new drivers of transformation amidst a time of global challenges. The goal is to provide a space for policy dialogue and exchange on how triangular partnerships can be a tool to foster sustainable development in the “Asian Century”.
Recording is available

Programme
Opening remarks
Mr Wattanawit Gajeseni, Deputy Director General, Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA)
Keynote speaker
Ms Anthea Mulakala, Senior Director for International Development Cooperation, The Asia Foundation
Focused discussion

Mr Jochen Weikert, Head of the German Regional Fund for Triangular Cooperation with Asia – GIZ, Germany
Ms Yu Jia, Director of International Development and Cooperation Department from Institute of New Structural Economics – Peking University, China
Mr Yulius Purwadi Hermawan, Lecturer, Researcher and Consultant, International Development Cooperation and Foreign Policy – Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung Indonesia
Ms Natalia Vargas Talero, Social Cohesion and South-South Cooperation – Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB)
Mr Eiji Wakamatsu, Director Office for Global Issues and Development Partnership – JICA, Japan

Q&A with the audience
Moderator: Ms Geovana Zoccal, Focal Point, GPI on Effective Triangular Co-operation

[i] The Fund for Triangular Cooperation with Asia is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Fund seeks to promote sustainable development in developing countries via triangular cooperation. To this end, the Fund creates a support mechanism that encompasses three fields of action: Implementation of Triangular Cooperation projects, Policy Dialogue and Capacity Development.

[GPI Marketplace] 6th International Meeting on Triangular Co-operation - Lisbon, 2022
2022-10-06 - 2022-10-07
The OECD and the Government of Portugal gathered on 6-7 October 2022 around 100 participants in Lisbon for the . This year, representatives from all continents discussed the value-added of this modality and the opportunities for establishing more and better triangular partnerships to achieve sustainable development goals. There was a call for more consistent data and for enlarging the number of actors and sectors embracing the modality.
During the Meeting, the GPI organised its third Marketplace, a meeting point for partners. Eleven GPI members and partners presented to all participants their triangular co-operation ideas or challenges, aiming at identifying additional partners, learning from the experiences of others and fostering new triangular co-operation opportunities. The GPI will support the follow-up and encourages participants to continue the conversation. To learn more about the Marketplace, click here.
The GPI core group also met in the margins of the Meeting, to discuss the GPI’s strategic vision and reflect on our future work.

Brainstorming on Triangular Co-operation with Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia-Pacific - Lisbon, 2023
2023-10-11 | Lisbon, Portugal
The GPI, in partnership with GIZ through the Regional Fund for Triangular Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean and the Fund for Triangular Co-operation with Asia, and the OECD, hosted a brainstorming discussion at the margins of the 7th International Meeting on Triangular Co-operation.
The event aimed at facilitating an interactive and open brainstorming session among triangular co-operation actors in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Asia-Pacific (cooperation agencies, public representatives, think tanks, etc.). It fostered an open and participatory environment to inspire meaningful discussion and idea-sharing.
In session 1, participants from LAC collectively reflected on the current state of triangular co-operation in the region, taking stock of the unique experiences of the region with a focus on strategies for continuing to extend these practices on a global scale to other regions, with African, Asian and MENA partners. In session 2, Asia-Pacific representatives joined the discussion. It was an interactive and open brainstorming session among triangular co-operation actors between these two regions to identify opportunities for enhancing inter-regional co-operation.
Key messages:

Building trust is a long-term and highly important investment.
We should increase the efforts to communicate more and better the impacts of triangular co-operation.
Regional organisations have proven essential to scale up triangular partnerships and can be a catalyst for inter-regional co-operation.
We should strengthen the links of global discussions on development co-operation with triangular co-operation, particularly relevant in the upcoming Brazilian presidency of the G20, and the trilateral co-operation focus for the Development Working Group (DWG).
The often-existing bilateral bias in many organisations reduces the opportunities for considering triangular co-operation. This is especially true for inter-regional co-operation, as most agencies are structured with a regional focus. We need to overcome these institutional bottlenecks to fully unlock the potential of the modality and facilitate new partnership arrangements.
Innovative mechanisms for financing triangular co-operation, such as mixed funds, are a relevant tool for scaling up triangular co-operation.

[GPI Marketplace] 7th International Meeting On Triangular Co-Operation – Lisbon, 2023
2023-10-12 - 2023-10-13 | Lisbon, Portugal
Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, I.P. / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal partnered with the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD) to organise the seventh International Meeting on Triangular Co-operation “Scaling-up Partnerships” on 12-13 October 2023 in Lisbon.
More than 160 participants from almost 40 countries from all corners of the world, as well as regional and international organisations, research institutes and civil society organisations, took stock of triangular co-operation and discussed how to scale up the modality, including how to embed it into broader international discussions, as the Summit for the Future, the G20, COP28, etc.
The meeting also marked the launch of the first edition of the Global Perspectives on Triangular Cooperation report, jointly published by OECD and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).
The meeting was hosted by Francisco André, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and attended by key stakeholders to scale up triangular co-operation, including Carsten Staur, Chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Mr Francisco André invited the participants to meet again in Lisbon in 2024 for the eighth edition.
Read the summary of the discussions.

As part of the meeting, the GPI hosted its fourth Marketplace.

1st Asian Conference on Triangular Cooperation (ACTrC) - New Delhi, 2023
2023-11-02 09:30 - 2023-11-03 12:30 (Asia/Kolkata) | India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road Near Airforce Bal Bharati School, Lodhi Rd, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, Delhi, 110003, India
The GPI partnered with the Fund for Triangular Cooperation with Asia, and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries and brought together leaders, practitioners, and researchers engaged in triangular co-operation with Asia.

Theme: Triangular Cooperation – A Partnership Approach to Global Goals

The conference highlighted the growing significance of triangular cooperation as a dynamic strategy to overcome obstacles and accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants discussed how this partnership-oriented approach can be designed by all and for all and how you can take immediate action.

Why It Matters:

The conference shared practical triangular cooperation solutions involving Asian partners. Expert talks, plenary discussions, and breakout sessions reflected on the development priorities of partners in three thematic sections:

Section 1: Overcome Poverty, Hunger and Inequality
Section 2: Build Inclusive Futures: Empowerment of Women and Youths
Section 3: Shape Just Transition: Lifestyles, Economy and Environment

Summary of discussions coming soon.

Use the QR code to check out more information, including the agenda – also available here.

GPI Membership Meeting, March 2024
2024-03-07 15:00 - 16:45 (Europe/Paris)
From 2024, the GPI on Effective Triangular Cooperation has a new structure and working method. In this new format, the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec) has accepted to be the lead member for the first three semesters of 2024.
Thursday 7 MARCH 2024, 15:00 to 16:45 hrs. (CET) on ZOOM
The Membership meetings aim to be a space for members to share knowledge and experiences.
You can find the updated GPI membership here, and the ToR here.
If your country or organisation is interested in joining the GPI, please contact ane.rosnes@norec.no

GPI Membership Meeting, May 2024
2024-05-06 15:00 - 16:45 (Europe/Paris)
From 2024, the GPI on Effective Triangular Cooperation has a new structure and working method. In this new format, the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec) will be the lead member for the first three semesters of 2024.
Monday 6 May 2024, 15:00 to 16:45 hrs. (CET) on ZOOM
The Membership meetings aim to be a space for members to share knowledge and experiences.
You can find the updated GPI membership here, and the ToR here.
If your country or organisation is interested in joining the GPI, please contact ane.rosnes@norec.no

GPI Membership Meeting, August 2024
2024-08-13 15:00 - 16:15 (Europe/Paris)
From 2024, the GPI on Effective Triangular Cooperation has a new structure and working method. In this new format, the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec) will be the lead member for the first three semesters of 2024.
Tuesday 13 August 2024, 15:00 to 16:15 hrs. (CET) on ZOOM
The Membership meetings aim to be a space for members to share knowledge and experiences.
You can find the updated GPI membership here, and the ToR here.
If your country or organisation is interested in joining the GPI, please contact ane.rosnes@norec.no

8th International Meeting on Triangular Co-operation - GPI side-event (pre-registration needed)
2024-10-08 08:00 - 09:15 UTC | Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Av. de Berna 45A, Lisbon, 1067-001, Portugal
Side Event – Concept Note
8th International meeting on Triangular Cooperation
Tuesday 8 October 2024: 8am — 9: 15am
Venue: Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon

For whom: Open to all GPI members, as well as non-members interested in engaging with the GPI. Please register through this link.

Purpose:

Annual in-person GPI- membership meeting

Goals:

Create a space for practical and informal discussions on different TrC related topics
Draw interest from conference participants with little experience on TrC.
Get more members to join to the GPI.
Announce new GPI- lead member from 2025

Agenda:

8:00-8:15

Opening remarks and moderation by GPI member (tbc)

Keynote input from Ms. Aiman Siddiqi, JICA officer in Malaysia, with experience from TrC projects on the ground.

8:15 — 9:00
Coffee table discussions on different TrC-related topics.

Each table will be facilitated by a GPI member who will take notes and report back to the plenary at the end. Participants can choose a topic of interest and rotate table if they want to participate in more than one discussion.

Tables:

How can we strengthen our institutions to increase engagement on TrC? (Japan)
How do we enhance communication strategies to position TrC at a higher political level? (tbc)
How do we secure future financing for TrC? (Germany)
What are your organisation’s main pain points and challenges with the TrC typology/narrative (Norway)

9:00 — 9:15: Coffee table facilitators report back to plenary and closure of the event
