19 to 23 November 2012 – Hofburg Palace, Vienna

From 19 to 23 November 2012, UNIDO successfully hosted the fifth annual Global South-South Development Expo of the United Nations (GSSD Expo) at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. Since its inception in 2008, the Expo is hosted annually by UN agencies around the globe and organized jointly with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. At this multi-stakeholder event, major actors of development practice come together to showcase and exchange successful South-South development solutions.

The GSSD Expo 2012 reflected UNIDO’s thematic priority on Environment and Energy as well as the United Nations General Assembly’s decision to declare 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Under the theme of ‘Investing in Energy and Climate Change: Inclusive Partnerships for Sustainable Development’, the GSSD Expo 2012 focused on how issues of renewable energy and climate change are intervolved with development outcomes in the Global South. Over the course of the week, participants to the Expo had the opportunity to exchange their knowledge about best practices and innovative solutions found throughout the South to the challenges facing the South today. To build on this momentum, the Expo successfully launched four pioneering initiatives, including UNIDO’s Networks for Prosperity Initiative and UNOSSC’s South-South Energy Initiative.

Attended by more than 750 delegates from over 150 countries – representing Member States, United Nations entities, NGOs, the private sector, civil society and academia – the GSSD Expo 2012 was one of most successful GSSD Expos to date. The Expo featured a High-Level Opening Segment, a Leadership Roundtable, 6 Solution Forums and 6 Mini Forums, a Solutions Exhibition Floor, and the Launch of Major Initiatives and Partnerships. The wide range of activities provided an opportunity for all stakeholders of South-South development to connect and enhance mutual learning from solutions with a proven impact on the ground.

To see photos from the Global South-South Development Expo 2012, click here.