SouthSouth and Triangular Cooperation BRICS Labour market and

South-South and Triangular Cooperation BRICS, Labour market and Skills Anita Amorim PARDEV-ESPU/ILO 2020

What is SSTC South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) is a collaboration between equals based on principles of horizontality. It promotes mutual exchanges between countries of the Global South for development solutions and it involves a multiple stakeholder approach.

Non - conditionality National ownership Solidarity Complementarity Demand driven BAPA+40 Principles § Respect to national sovereignty and no interference in domestic issues Mutual benefit

Importance of SSTC Sharing and adapting Geo-Political effects Cultural, economic, political and cultural between the countrie Development levels Good practices highly adaptable in the Global south Evidence- based good practices is a good approach to development challenges

Modalities South-South Cooperation (SSC) Cooperation between two or more countries from the Global South Triangular Cooperation - - SSC with the support of a partner from the Global North. Support from the Northern partner can be in the form of a financial contribution or technical expertise. It must be demand-driven, led by developing countries and aligned with their national priorities Must respect the SSTC principles of horizontality

Sub-Modalities - - - Country to Country: between two countries of the Global South Regional/Subregional Cooperation: South-South exchanges and associations in the regional or sub regional level City-to-City Cooperation (C 2 C): SSC between different cities in the Global South Fragile-to-Fragile Cooperation (F 2 F): SSC between countries in facing fragility.

SSTC in action: mechanisms Capacity development Scholarships, expert/personnel exchange Exchange of experiences good practices Training of trainers, postgrad scholarship. Creating and strengthening networks Communities of practice, international and platforms of workshops/fora experiences good practices Establishing alliances and associations Apprenticeship, study tours

Actors involved § Under the ILO’s tripartite structure, governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations are formally part of the implementation process § Regional and International Organizations § Bilateral agencies § Academic Institutions § National institutions and networks

SSTC in the ILO • In March 2012 the ILO Governing Body endorsed the paper South–South and triangular cooperation: The way forward and became one of the first UN agencies with a South-South cooperation strategy. • The strategy was reviewed in March 2018 and complemented with future steps, that include a wider engagement with our social partners, the governments of the Global South, as well as developed countries through triangular cooperation. • The ILO has for several decades collaborated closely with regional or inter regional organizations and initiatives, such as the CPLP, MERCOSUR, BRICS, ASEAN, ECOWAS and the Regional Initiative for Combatting Child Labour.

The role of the ILO • The ILO brings tripartite constituents together and acts as a facilitator to set cooperation strategies • The ILO documents and disseminates a wide range of knowledge (compilation of good practices, knowledge exchange platforms and forums) • The ILO forges inclusive partnerships and sets strategic alliances with the purpose of transferring expertise • The ILO follows-up and reports on major intergovernmental decisions regarding South-South and triangular cooperation

SSTC in BRICS: some examples of Global South partnerships and development cooperation • Brazil: The Brazilian government is working with the «S» System: SENAI, SESC; SENAR, SESI, to improve access to Skills development and redress the skills mismatches in the country. Through the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation and the S System, Brazil also works with other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, promoting South-South and triangular cooperation aiming at addressing skills mismatches, combatting child labour, skills development, vocational training, digital inclusion, just to name a few. • Russia: Agreements with the ILO, such as the 2012 work for G 20 on Skills development aiming at addressing skills challenges in Russia, as well as CIS, through exchange of good practices, sharing of knowledge, addressing vocational training needs and providing vocational training through peer learning. • India: India is now a contributor to South-South cooperation through India Fund managed by UNOSSC • China : ILO-China projects cover support to Laos and Cambodia in skills development, youth employment, labour market adaptation, as well as capacity development in the care economy (2012, 2018, 2019). Important as positioning Chine as a key Global South Partner of the ILO • South Africa: is also involved in several regional integration initiatives, including efforts under the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, which brings together SADC, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the East African Community, and is anticipated to sign the recently established African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA). Through Direct Trust Funds, South Africa supports the ILO in Skills development programmes.

• Capacity-development activities: This will involve a primary focus of technical cooperation programmes and projects across education departments. Capacity-development projects aim at increasing the capability and ability of a country to promote development in a particular area. • Sharing experiences and good practices: Countries gather with the purpose of sharing experience and expertise in a particular domain. Experiences can be shared during a conference, which will serve as the platform. This modality is key to identify and learn about good practices that can be further adapted and implemented in other countries. BRICS and SSTC collaboration

Cont. . • Building partnerships: These are built when the development agendas of two countries or regional organisations converge in a common area of interest to build on development. They meet, discuss and set up the basis and develop strategies to work together in a specific field. • Creating and strengthening networks and platforms: Several groups (International organisations, governments, employers, workers) from different developing countries create a network (holding periodic meetings) or develop web platforms for frequent interaction and dissemination and management of knowledge.

Skills and peer learning in BRICS Declarations Ministerial & Summits • BRICS Labour and Employment Ministers’ in 2017 noted the “progress in several labour and social areas while facing a number of arduous tasks, including improving labour force participation rates, tackling persistent informality, and reducing inequality. • 10 th Summit in South Africa ( 2018) paragraph 61 acknowledged that skills development is critical to addressing the emerging mismatch between the new skills demanded by an increasingly technology-and knowledge- driven global economy and the older skill set of many workers • 11 th BRICS Summit in Brazil (2019) acknowledged the efforts of the BRICS Business Council (BBC) in promoting trade and investment among its members by fostering cooperation in areas such as alignment of technical standards, skills development and digital economy and supported skills development for young people. • BRICS Ministers of Labour and Employment (2020) : Paragraph 19 , BRICS countries will continue their efforts to meet the objectives set in the BRICS Action Plan for Poverty Alleviation and Reduction through Skills (2017). Members committed to enhance investments to upgrade the employability of workers through lifelong vocational education, training, upskilling, re-skilling and actively support labour market transitions through employment services.