Reverse Linkage

1 DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION T he IslamicDevelopmentBank (IsDB) holds aunique position in promoting South-South Cooperation. This stems from itsmembers, comprising countries from the Global South, and the fact that they are enriched by valuable knowledge and resources that they are willing to share among themselves. At IsDB, we have always set our priorities on partnerships with a focus on consensus, harmony and teamwork. We have also worked diligently to catalyse the exchange of know-how, expertise and resources across our member countries. As we celebrate more than 40 years of development expertise, and look towards a more prosperous future for our member countries, we are well aware that the coming era will be beset by a new set of social, economic and environmental challenges. We are confident, however, that our resolve to overcome these challenges through effective partnerships will bring about sustainable socio-economic advances. IsDB is transforming and repositioning itself to meet the needs of its stakeholders by becoming a Bank of Developers – a development institution that not only provides financ- ing but also plays a key role in connecting and engaging key stakeholders and partners to transform the development journey of member countries. The Bank will encourage innovation towards new ways of funding and implement- ing projects, moving away from the traditional, centralised methods to a more engaging, crowd-based approach, utilis- ing the effective involvement of stakeholders and partners. With this spirit, IsDB has introduced an enhanced techni- cal cooperation approach – Reverse Linkage – that identifies the existing know-how, expertise, technology and resources within our member countries and transfers them to those in need, with the objective of achieving sustainable develop- ment outcomes. This publication explores our journey through the evolu- tion of this enhanced technical cooperation mechanism and the kinds of tools and platforms that we have devel- oped as part of its ecosystem. The publication is the result of collaborative efforts between IsDB and its partners who contributed extensively to its content. It sheds light on how we have, in recent years, worked on expanding partnerships with regional development institutions, bilateral coopera- tion agencies, resource centres, and other partners in order to promote the Reverse Linkage concept. The publication also provides examples of how Reverse Linkage projects are making a difference on the ground. Materials from partners have been included to show the pivotal nature of cooperation with IsDB, as well as to high- light their efforts to promote South-South Cooperation among their beneficiaries. I firmly believe that this publication will be a signifi- cant addition to the body of knowledge on South-South Cooperation, and a source of inspiration for many. It will provoke opportunities to generate new ideas to solve devel- opment challenges through solidarity-based partnerships and crowd-based arrangements and, thus, unleash the full potential of South-South Cooperation. H.E. Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar President, Islamic Development Bank Foreword H.E. Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar, President, Islamic Development Bank Image: IsDB