Challenges for sustainable development and international cooperation in middle-income countries: the role of Networks for Prosperity

The High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries is an opportunity for MICs to coordinate and shape regional and global development processes, and to further define the role and interests of MICs in the nexus of global sustainability and economic policy.

Over the past decades, middle-income countries (MICs) made a significant contribution to global development through their higher growth rates, accompanied by progress in their social spheres. They are the fast growing group of countries, both in terms of population and key economic and human development indicators, with a share of more than 30% of global manufactured value added. However, there are great differences among and within MICs, best illustrated by the fact that they host more than 70% of the world’s poorest people.

The ongoing global financial and economic crises, the food and energy crises, as well as the more recent European sovereign debt crisis, have had a negative effect on world economic growth and continue to pose challenges to development efforts. Poverty reduction strategies in MICs therefore need to include economic structural transformation policies, human resource investments and targeted private sector development strategies.

However, MICs are rapidly increasing their own development cooperation and particularly triangular (North-South-South) and South-South cooperation are recognized as potential drivers of future development finance. In this connection, over the past decade it has become evident that the importance of knowledge transfer is equal to, or in some cases exceeds, the importance of technology transfer. Limited access to knowledge hampers progress towards inclusive growth and employment creation, as well as technological progress for sustainable development, and for food, nutrition and energy security.

Prior to the high-level conference in San José, preparatory meetings will take place in Vienna, New York, Washington D.C. and Geneva. These meetings will discuss the joint declaration and joint action plans in informal thematic briefings and open dialogues.

The High- Level Conference will be hosted and organized by the Government of Costa Rica and facilitated by the UNIDO initiative Networks for Prosperity.