South – South Cooperation consists of a mutual assistance system for the creation, exchange and development of technical skills, learning, experience and knowledge, mainly between countries of similar development levels, based on equity, trust and collaborative work.
This type of cooperation offers opportunities to strengthen the institutional capacity of the State, support technological modernization, productive and entrepreneurial development, promoting exploitation and preservation of natural resources and improve the skills of the human capital. South – South Cooperation opens possibilities for in-depth exploration of joint work possibilities with other developing countries, while using triangulation schemes to seek the support of traditional donors.
At the regional level and, in order to maximize the impact and effectiveness of the cooperation it grants, Colombia, in response to numerous requests received from member countries, leads and supports programs such as the Colombia's Cooperation Strategy with the Caribbean Basin; the International Cooperation Strategy on Integral Security and the Regional Cooperation Program with Mesoamerica.
Colombia's Strategy for Cooperation with the Caribbean Basin
An initiative of the National Government with the participation of Government entities, civil society and international agencies interested in the promotion of social and economic development of the region. This program makes Colombia's institutional strengths available to the countries of the Caribbean Basin in seven jointly identified priority areas: nutrition security, academic mobility, disaster prevention and risk management, bilingualism, vocational technical training, the environment and culture.
Colombia's International Cooperation Strategy on Integral Security
The Colombian Government, under the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, designed the Colombian International Cooperation Strategy on Integral Security, with the aim to maximize effectiveness in the fight against transnational crime.
This technical cooperation starts out from a joint diagnosis, followed by the definition of a work plan, which is implemented in several phases and monitored and evaluated on a regular basis.
The Colombian Strategy comprises the following thematic areas: organizational development, fight against the global problem of illicit drugs, citizen security, childhood and adolescence, road safety, anti-kidnapping and anti-extortion, criminal investigation and police intelligence, telematics, strategic communication, police aviation, and human rights and International Humanitarian Law.
Regional Cooperation Program with Mesoamerica
This regional program, led by the Presidential Cooperation Agency, APC - Colombia, is directed toward Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic and includes the following strategic areas: social promotion, quality management, public utilities, local governance, security, support for micro, small and medium-sized businesses, and biofuels. The activities of the program are carried out through various cooperation modes, such as diagnostic missions, workshops, seminars, exchange of experts and information, among others.
