The South Centre (the Centre) is an intergovernmental organization of developing countries established by an Intergovernmental Agreement (Treaty) which came into force on 31 July 1995 with its headquarters in Geneva.

The South Centre has grown out of the work and experience of the South Commission and its follow-up mechanism, and from recognition of the need for enhanced South-South co-operation. The Report of the South Commission -- emphasized that the South is not well organized at the global level and has thus not been effective in mobilizing its considerable combined expertise and experience, nor its bargaining power.

The South Centre is therefore intended to meet the need for analysis of development problems and experience, as well as to provide intellectual and policy support required by developing countries for collective and individual action, particularly in the international arena.

Nature and Structure

Under Article VI of the Intergovernmental Agreement, the Centre has three principal organs:

• the Council of Representatives made up of the representatives of the Members States;
• the Board made up of a Chairperson and nine members acting in their personal capacity – is appointed by the Council of Representatives and reflects a broad geographical balance among the countries of the South;
• the Secretariat , headed by an Executive Director to implement the objectives of the Centre.

Objectives and Functions

According to Article II of the Intergovernmental Agreement, the Centre has the following among its central objectives:

• To promote South solidarity, South consciousness and mutual knowledge and understanding among the countries and peoples of the South;
• To promote various types of South-South co-operation and action, South-South links, networking and information exchange;
• To contribute to South-wide collaboration in promoting common interests and Co-ordinated participation by developing countries in international forums dealing with South-South and North-South matters, as well as with other global concerns;
• To foster convergent views and approaches among countries of the South with respect to global economic, political and strategic issues related to evolving concepts of development, sovereignty and security;
• To contribute to better mutual understanding and co-operation between the South and the North on the basis of equity and justice for all and, to this end, to the democratization and strengthening of the United Nations and its family of organizations.

Broadly, the Centre works to assist in developing points of view of the South on major policy issues, and to generate ideas and action-oriented proposals for consideration by the collectivity of South governments, institutions of South-South co-operation, inter-governmental organizations of the South, and non-governmental organizations and the community at large.

In order to meet its objectives, and within the limits of its capacity and mandate, the Centre also responds to requests for policy advice, and for technical and other support from collective entities of the South such as the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement.

These functions are carried out by means of policy-oriented research and analysis and by publishing and disseminating widely the results of its work.

Observer Status

South Centre has an Observer Status in the following fora:

• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Resolution A/RES/63/131, 15 January 2009   click here

• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), UNGA Resolution A/RES/63/131, 11 Dec 2008
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/63/453
Also see: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/ga10798.doc.htm

• UN Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), ECOSOC - Decision 2006/244, 27 July 2006
http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/documents/2006/decisions/Decision%202006-244.pdf

• World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), WIPO DG Memorandum A/37/8, 19 Aug 2002
http://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/govbody/en/a_37/a_37_8.doc
http://www.wipo.int/members/en/organizations.jsp?type=IGO_W

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UNCTAD Trade and Development Board resolution TDB/EX(19)
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/tdigolistd7_en.pdf

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UNFCCC - COP 4 decision of 2 Nov 1998, UNFCCC/CP/1998/16
http://unfccc.int/cop4/resource/docs/cop4/14a01.pdf
http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/cop4/16.pdf

• UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)
www.uncbd.int

• International Criminal Court (ICC), Resolution ICC-ASP/7/Res.3, Pursuant to rule 92, paragraph 1 and 2.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/

• World Trade Organisation (WTO) Committee on Trade and Development, WTO Committee on Trade and Development - WTO Committee on Trade and Development decision, 4 June 1999
http://www.wto.org/english/theWTO_e/igo_obs_e.htm

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
http://www.ipcc.ch/meetings/session28/final-report.pdf

• Group of 24 (G-24)
http://www.g24.org