Geneva: The State of Qatar participated in the third panel discussion on quantifying South-South cooperation, held at the South-South Cooperation Forum organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The event featured high-level representatives from various countries and international and regional organizations.
According to Qatar News Agency, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva, Jawhara bint Abdulaziz Al Suwaidi, represented Qatar in the discussion. Al Suwaidi highlighted that Qatar’s involvement began with a vision to emphasize the contributions of countries from the South, which resulted in the creation of the UN Framework to Measure South-South Cooperation. This framework was welcomed by the UN Statistical Commission in 2022. She mentioned that significant regional meetings in Brazil in 2023 and Qatar in June 2024 have driven this initiative forward.
Al Suwaidi stressed the importance of shared data as both a technical tool and a strategic asset for development. She noted Qatar’s role as a leading country in a global project, led by UNCTAD and UN regional commissions, to test the UN framework. This project enables countries to collect and report data in alignment with national priorities, thereby highlighting South-South cooperation’s role in sustainable development.
She linked Qatar’s commitment to its National Vision 2030, which prioritizes international cooperation and solidarity as central to sustainable development. Al Suwaidi also pointed out that the lack of data has historically hindered the recognition of Southern countries’ contributions, but the new UN framework will spotlight these efforts, particularly through the SDGs indicator (17-3-1), which measures financial flows.
The Doha meeting, which included 66 developing economies, underscored the UN framework as a significant milestone, while also calling for expanded support for national data systems, particularly in countries with limited capacity. Al Suwaidi emphasized that national ownership is crucial for sustainability.
In this regard, she praised the Seville Practitioners’ Network and UNCTAD’s initiative to launch the South-South data exchange fund, highlighting the necessity of sustainable funding beyond 2030. The Doha meeting concluded with three key messages, including the importance of cooperation among Southern countries, closer coordination between national statistical offices, and the development of standardized tools by UNCTAD.
The meeting stressed inclusiveness as a guiding principle for joint efforts, recommending a regular platform for consultation on data measurement concepts and techniques. Innovation was also highlighted as essential for developing shared data platforms that enhance knowledge sharing.
Al Suwaidi welcomed UNCTAD’s collaboration with the South-South Galaxy program, managed by the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, as a means to facilitate the exchange of expertise and innovative solutions through open-source tools and shared resources.
She underscored the need for South-South cooperation to rely on reliable data and field case studies. Five countries have already submitted their initial data to UNCTAD, and Qatar aims to integrate its data into the UN framework to strengthen the collective development narrative.
Al Suwaidi noted that Qatar’s hosting and participation in meetings from Doha to Seville and Geneva is both an honor and a responsibility, reaffirming Qatar’s commitment to collaborative work to ensure the recognition and impact of solidarity and knowledge exchange initiatives.
She encouraged countries to gather shared data on South-South cooperation, emphasizing its role in strengthening shared voices and enabling evidence-based management of cooperation efforts.