South-South Cooperation from a Brazilian Civil

Society PerspectiveInternational Seminar: South-South and Triangular Cooperation

TUCA Cooperation Meeting

Florianópolis, 28th-30th of August, 2012

Iara Leite, Articulação SUL (South-South Cooperation Research and Policy Center)

OVERVIEW

• Definitions• The role of civil society in traditional

cooperation• The role of Brazilian civil society in SSC• Challenges• Opportunities• Questions for the future

DEFINITIONS

• SSC as modality of IDC? (strict def.)• IDC: ODA + PDA• IDC does not account for “exchanges”• SSC (broad def.) = trade, investments, regional

integration, coalitions, development cooperation (SSDC), policy exchange/dialogue, knowledge exchange (official or non-official)

• Cooperation cannot be taken for granted. It is an empirical matter, as well as a political one (who is being benefitted?)

THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN TRADITIONAL COOPERATION

• Private relief older then ODA• Development purposes• Constituencies• Delivery• Information• Monitoring and evaluation

BRAZILIAN CIVIL SOCIETY’S ENGAGEMENT IN SSDC

• Transition• Practical: autonomous or in partnership with

official cooperation• Normative: ABONG, CFEMEA and CSA in Busan• Knowledge-based organizations• Accountability and transparency• Not make the same mistakes

CHALLENGES

• Weak state-society links• Mutual suspicions • Unclearness of decision-making processes in

the MRE• Guaranteeing exchanges instead of pure

transfer

OPPORTUNITIES

• Redemocratization (80s)• Social agenda (90s)• Tradition of mobilization and horizontal cooperation• Brasil 2022• MRE-civil society dialogue• Open Gov’t Partnership• Reflection (focus on results instead of processes)• Lack of resources (human and financial)• ABC recognizing the role of civil society

CONCLUSION: THREE QUESTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

• How can Brazil engage civil society in partner countries without risking the principle of non-interference?

• How to stimulate social mobilization in countries that have decentralized governance without relying in a strong civil society basis?

• How to guarantee exchanges among MICs and LICs?

• Is it possible that democratic countries offer a coherent cooperation?

Thank you!i.leite@articulacaosul.org