Over 150 representatives and specialists from cooperation organizations for development, foreign relationships ministries, United Nations’ organizations, diplomatic missions, national ministries and local governments attended the inauguration of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Academy (SSTC) which was celebrated in Turin (Italy) on July 11^th to 15^th 2016.

What is the South-South and Triangular Cooperation about? It is the collaboration between two or more developing countries, often supported by traditional partners, guided by the principles of solidarity and non-conditionality, aimed at implementing inclusive and distributive development models that are driven by demand.

The Academy is an interregional forum for the orchestration of high-level strategic initiatives and political advocacy related to South-South and triangular cooperation in support to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and decent work in particular.

The South-South and Triangular Cooperation Academy is a joint initiative of the ILO and its International Training Centre in Turin, Italy, supported by UN agencies and partners.

On September, a Forum for South-South Cooperation will be developed in China, followed by a Global South-South Development Expo on November.

According to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, South-South and Triangular cooperation has become a key mode for international cooperation for development and a vital tool for the United Nations system for development.

Active participation from ministries representatives of the Southern Hemisphere, as well as of representatives of employers and workers organizations, is expected in the meetings to come.

The Academy will offer a virtual space and a forum to exchange practical experiences, learnt on an international level, in order to analyze transcending collaboration possibilities and to develop corresponding strategies. The flexible and interactive dynamic of the program will favour a fulfilling experience for experts and debutants. The event will be linked with a virtual meeting point in the electronic campus of ILO in Turin.

By the end of the event, participants should be familiarized with tools and methodologies to start, execute and evaluate South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives and projects, as well as to improve or create networks based on their knowledge on better practices.