The People’s Republic of China (China) has been one of FAO’s main partners in the promotion of South-South and triangular cooperation. In terms of cooperation among developing countries, China upholds the principles of equality and mutual trust, building equal partnerships with parity of ownership and responsibility, mutual benefit and win–win cooperation, which are highly valued by FAO. Together, FAO and China offer considerable development knowledge and solutions that are relevant to South-South exchanges. After more than two decades of increasing collaboration in supporting flows of technical assistance between developing countries, FAO and China established in 2009 the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme, supported by a Chinese Trust Fund of USD 80 million. This report reviews the Programme’s activities and achievements over the last ten years, lessons learned and prospects for the way forward. It highlights and illustrates the Programme’s distinctive features, particularly its inspiring, inclusive and innovative modalities of cooperation. Its multi-stakeholder approach brings together farmers’ cooperatives and associations, the private sector, academia and triangular partners, among other key actors. In this context, the Programme provides a platform for insights and perspectives of all development actors through its national, regional, interregional and global projects focusing on sustainable agricultural production, productivity and farmers’ livelihoods. The Programme is majorly contributing to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 1: No poverty in all its forms everywhere; and Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

This publication outlines key features of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) and how FAO has applied SSTC to the delivery of its mission. The case studies presented provide a window on how SSTC has contributed to alleviating hunger and malnutrition in countries across the global South and has helped build resilience in the face of climate change and other development challenges. The lessons learned from these experiences are feeding into the new FAO SSTC Guidelines for Action (2022–2025) and will guide FAO's future results-based SSTC programmes.

The Resources, Partnerships, Impact – 2020 report elucidates who FAO is, what it has done, and how it has worked in collaboration with multiple stakeholders in 2019. Also, it highlights the way FAO has been adapting to changes in the development aid landscape, specifically by leveraging different kinds of funds and seeking innovative partnerships, in order to accelerate the attainment of the SDGs. The report takes a closer look at the challenges and strategies that guided FAO’s activities at the regional and global levels in 2019, while showcasing selected interventions that delivered critical results on the ground.