The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), in collaboration with strategic partners including the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), UN World Food Program (WFP), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation, and Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), successfully concluded its second continental capacity program on South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTrC). This program is developed by the APRM Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate to raise awareness and knowledge of SSTrC in Africa and global south to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), marking a significant milestone in advancing Africa’s developmental agenda.
The training, held from March 6 to April 11, 2024, brought together 286 participants from across Africa and beyond, including notable representation from India and Brazil. This diverse cohort engaged in an intensive four-week program aimed at deepening their understanding of SSTrC and its pivotal role in implementing Agenda 2063 and 2030.
Beneficiaries gained insights into SSTrC history and its critical importance for Africa's development. They also delved into horizontal partnerships within South-South Cooperation and explored SSTrC role in aligned development programs. Participants were familiarized with monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess its impact in Africa, enhancing their ability to measure effectiveness.
The program featured access to APRM's Knowledge Hub platform, where participants engaged with knowledge materials and interacted through public guest lectures with renowned experts such as Amb. Amr Aljowaily (AU Commission), Dr. Willy Mugenzi (RCI) , Mr. Dageng LIU and Luara Loped from the World Food Program, Mr. Adamou Mayaki and Mr. Sameh Hussein (IsDB), and Dr. Denis Nkhala from the United Nations office for South-South Cooperation (UNSSC).
The success of the program underscores the commitment of African countries and their partners to utilize SSTrC for regional and global development, aligning with the AU-UN framework for Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Moving forward, these outcomes will support the Technical Support to the third Africa High-Level Forum on Triangular and South-South Cooperation, scheduled to take place in Sierra Leone by December 2024 as per the recommendations of APR heads of states summit in February 2024. This forum will leverage the program's momentum to coordinate national and regional efforts for maximzing benefit of South-South and triangular Cooperation especially with the recent adoption of the Second-Ten Year Implementation plan of Agenda 2063 (STYIP) emphasizing SSTrC importance in Africa's developmental priorities on the global stage
