1. Background
Since the adoption of the New Directions for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries Strategy in 1996, the High Level Committee (HLC) of the UN has repeatedly requested the UNDP and Special Unit for Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (SU/TCDC) to work with pivotal countries in order for them to play a more active role in both promoting and supporting South-South activities to benefit a large number of developing countries. As a response, the Special Unit has undertaken a series of steps beginning with the first meeting in Santiago, Chile in 1997, with an initial group of 26 "pivotal" developing countries. Following this first step, there have been several key planning meetings to follow up on the initiative, take stock of new developments, determine priorities and modalities and assist the countries with their plans and initiatives. Principal among them have been two meetings, one in Korea on Science and Technology and one in Tehran on trade issues, both supported by the UNDP. In parallel there have been the UN Millenium Summit (which provides for a global consensus on the development goals), the summit of the Group of 77 (G-77) in Cuba and the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which have provided several attempts to prioritise South South cooperation activities.

The identified priorities are many and include trade and investment policies/regimes, increasing the relevance of General System on Trade Preferences (GSTP), public sector management, economic reform, social protection and health care, food security, information and communication technology, clean and renewable energy, building technology, biotechnology, environmental protection and management, employment and poverty reduction. A number of significant actions, many led by the pivotal countries of the South and institutions are underway.

Taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the HLC meeting in New York in May 2003 the UNDP Special Unit convened a meeting of the pivotal countries to take stock of the ongoing actions and the areas where catalytic support could be provided by the Unit to move the prioritized actions forward and make them more effective. At the preparatory meeting in New York, many of the pivotal countries provided an update on their actions and pledged to develop several concrete initiatives (which they would lead) aimed at promoting regional trade; supporting export initiatives for lagging countries; sharing knowledge and technology in the areas of health, environment, energy and sustainable livelihoods, and ICT for development and promoting growth in neighbouring Least Developed Countries (LDC's). Most of them committed to design concrete programmes for partnering with and support from developing and developed countries alike, the multilateral and regional organizations, as well as other public and private sector partners and NGOs. There was a consensus that further follow up on these issues should take place before the next meeting of the G77 Ministers at Marrakech.

To help move the pivotal approach into one having greater scope and effectiveness, the Special Unit has supported a pilot project in China. This was because China has led several initiatives since the year 2000 and pledged to put increased effort behind South South Cooperation. At the national level, led by the China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE), China has moved ahead towards improving and setting the right national policy and institutions for SSC. Its TCDC network now has 26 centres of excellence. China has decided to establish the first South South Cooperation (SSC) Demonstration Base in Fuzhou, bringing the entire knowledge platform in one complex. At the international level, China is the first developing country to contribute to the UN Trust Fund for SSC. As a response to the request from the countries and other partners, the Special Unit in close collaboration with CICETE, will convene a High-level Meeting of Pivotal Partners for South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Hangzhou, China in November 2003.

2. Timing:
Arrival and registratio: 28 November
Working sessions: 29- 30 November 2003
Departure: on or after 1 December 2003

3. Venue:
Xizi Hotel, Hangzhou, 37 Nanshan Road, Hangzhou, China.
Participants will be staying at Xizi Hotel and others at Yuhuang Hotel, Yuquanshan Road, Hangzhou.
The venue is about 40 minutes from the airport.

4. Main Objective
To champion and catalyze new models of pivotal partners approach in promoting and implementing South-South and triangular cooperation for attaining the Millennium Development Goals.

5. Expected Main Outcomes
The High-level Meeting is expected to produce the following three major outcomes:

(a) An expanded concept of a pivotal role from the current "pivotal country" to "pivotal partners for SSC". This expanded concept would encompass any partner who contributes to SSC and is a knowledge leader. Pivotal partners could be a donor, a country (middle income or LDC), international institution, NGO, private sector organization or a centre of excellence in any country.

(b) An operational strategy to make the new "pivotal partners" approach work including enhanced triangular cooperation; and

(c) A number of concrete SSC/triangular initiatives launched and championed by the initiating "pivotal partners" with the support of others.

(d) Sharing country policies, institutional development and information sharing between the South and bilateral and multilateral partners with particular reference to China's experience.

(e) A report to the Marrakech Conference on the outcomes to assist in the deliberations and the planning by the Ministers from G77 countries.

6. Participation
Approximately 30-50 senior representatives are expected to participate from the pivotal countries, donor agencies actively supporting triangular cooperation and TCDC focal points from UN organizations as well as representatives from the private sector and NGOs.

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