Cooperation among countries of the global South is critical to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, address global development challenges and get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In order to provide evaluative input to inform the strategic direction of South-South cooperation (SSC) at UNFPA, the Evaluation Office has undertaken the first evaluation on the theme of SSC at UNFPA.

The evaluation finds UNFPA has made progress with institutionalizing SSC in recent years. However, there is diverse understanding and application of SSC across UNFPA. Sexual and reproductive health and rights and population dynamics are strongly reflected within SSC, however there are additional opportunities for UNFPA to leverage SSC towards development outcomes. Efforts to increase staff capacity and mainstream SSC into the work of UNFPA have advanced, but can be broadened in both the quantity and the type of capacity development opportunities.

Among several recommendations, the evaluation recommends UNFPA to clarify the conceptualization of SSC and further integrate SSC into the strategic frameworks and thematic areas of UNFPA. This will ensure that SSC is effectively and systematically utilized by UNFPA as a key programming strategy to further support ICPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

For more information, read the Evaluation Report, one-page Brief and other materials.