Sharing Best Practices of International Development through Global South-South Development Expo

The Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) is an annual international conference organized by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) in collaboration with the host countries, other UN agencies, member states, and inter-governmental organizations and entities of the South. The GSSD Expo is designed to showcase evidence-based successful solutions and initiatives created by institutions of countries from the global South to address development challenges. It provides a powerful platform for development actors from various backgrounds to showcase their development solutions, celebrate successes, disseminate information, explore new avenues for collaboration, and initiate partnership efforts. Since its inaugural in 2008, a total of nine GSSD Expos have been successfully organized. Each of the annual conferences had its own focus areas ranging from policy innovation and inclusive green economies to global food security as well as poverty reduction. The most recent expo was held in Antalya, Turkey, under the theme of South-South Cooperation in the Era of Economic, Social, and Environmental Transformation: Road to the 40^th Anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA+40). As a result of collaborative efforts from the UNOSSC offices and Southern governments around the world, many countries have shared their knowledge and learned valuable lessons to collectively achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.     Many dedicated UNOSSC staff from international offices assist in organizing the annual GSSD expos. The main work has been led by Ms. Dingding Sun, a Program Specialist at UNOSSC, who manages the GSSD expos from the New York office through coordinating with stakeholders and promoting the event, in close partnership with the host government, as well as institutional partners within and beyond the UN system. Ms. Sun worked as a Program Analyst with several UN entities prior to her current role, specializing in program management. Follow GSSD Expo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for more information. Stay tuned for additional monthly blog posts at www.unsouthsouth.org.