1. South-South Cooperation from a Brazilian Civil Society Perspective International 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)

2. OVERVIEW Definitions The role of civil society in traditional cooperation The role of Brazilian civil society in SSC Challenges Opportunities Questions for the future

3. 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?)

4. THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN TRADITIONAL COOPERATION Private relief older then ODA Development purposes Constituencies Delivery Information Monitoring and evaluation

5. 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

6. CHALLENGES Weak state-society links Mutual suspicions Unclearness of decision-making processes in the MRE Guaranteeing exchanges instead of pure transfer

7. 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

8. 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?

9. Thank you! i.leite@articulacaosul.org