Panama City, 23 March 2012 - After the close of the call for experiences and the national selection, the Regional South-South Cooperation (SSC) Fair, Knowledge from the South, which will take place May 8-10, 2012, has received a total of 69 success experiences in SSC. The experiences that were presented for selection originate from 20 different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Of the 65 experiences, 26 of the proposals fall under the category of social programs and social protection systems, 26 are related to participation, inclusion and public policies, 12 deal with the environment and disaster risk reduction, and 5 reflect problems related to fiscal policies to promote equity and social investment.

The high number and the quality of the experiences presented are evidence of the importance of SSC in the region at this moment. "We were hoping for a high level of participation, but it´s true that the material that we have received has exceeded our initial expectations" assures Lina Salazar, Knowledge Management Team Leader in the UNDP Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean, who is supporting the Government of Panama in the organization of the fair.

"There is a lot of variety in the proposals. For example, projects strengthening transplant systems, projects regarding the use of census data for the formulation of social development policies, the development of inclusive policies to promote gender equality, justice system reform, projects attacking infant malnutrition, literacy programs, strengthening of handicraft sector, the development and use of technology in education, and many more have been submitted."

The next step will be to analyze these experiences and select the 33 that will be showcased in the Fair. For this four technical selection panels have been formed, one for each thematic area. The judges are representatives of the United Nations System, the Government of Panama, the City of Knowledge, and renowned experts in each theme. The final decision will be announced April 4th.