Terms and Conditions
The South-South Exchange is a Special Unit for South-South Cooperation (“SU/SSC”) within the United Nations Development Programme initiative.
This website (of which these terms and conditions form a part) (the "Website") is owned by SU/SSC.
In using the Website, you agree to these terms and conditions of use, which include our Information Disclosure Policy.
Copyright Notice
© Copyright United Nations Development Programme, 2008. All Rights Reserved.
The information in the various pages of the Website is issued by the United Nations Development Programme for general distribution. The information presented is protected under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literature and Artistic works, under other international conventions and under national laws on copyright and neighboring rights. Extracts of the information in the Website may be reviewed, reproduced or translated for research or private study but not for sale or for use in conjunction with commercial purposes. Any use of information in the Website should be accompanied by an acknowledgment of UNDP as the source, citing the uniform resource locator (URL) of the article. Reproduction or translation of substantial portions of the Website, or any use other than for educational or other non-commercial purposes, require explicit, prior authorization in writing. Applications and enquiries should be addressed to the programme responsible for the page used.
The designations employed and the presentation of the information in this Website do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Development Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the United Nations Development Programme in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
The United Nations Development Programme does not warrant that the information contained in the Website is complete and correct and shall not be liable whatsoever for any damages incurred as a result of its use.
Content
The website is intended to provide general information regarding South-South cooperation projects advancing human development undertaken by institutions from developing countries (which may or may not be registered as Non Profit Organizations "NPO" in their country of origin).
Registration and cancellation
Some areas of the Website may not be freely accessible. You may be asked to complete a form of registration in order to access other areas of the Website (the "Restricted Areas"). It may be that a charge is payable to obtain access to the Restricted Areas, and if not, the SU/SSC reserves the right to introduce a charge for such access at any time. If such a charge is introduced, the SU/SSC may deny access to the Restricted Areas if you do not pay the relevant charges and comply with any further registration requirements that the SU/SSC may, in their discretion, decide to introduce from time to time.
When you register for access to the Restricted Areas, you may be asked to provide certain personal details, which become property of SU/SSC but which may not be exchanged in any commercial transaction.
The Website may use cookies to verify the identity of users who have registered to access the Restricted Areas.
The Trust reserves the right to terminate your registration to the Restricted Areas and to restrict your access to the Website without notice at any time.
You may cancel your registration with the Website at any time by sending an email to ssc.hdsx@undp.org specifying you wish to cancel your registration for the South-South Exchange Website.
Restrictions on use
You may print the material contained on the Website for your own use. The reproduction, redistribution, alteration and transmission of any material or information contained in the Website is strictly prohibited. You may not remove any copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right notices contained in the material.
You may not, in any circumstance, use any material from the Website to create a service that may compete with any service provided by the SU/SSC or the Trust.
You may not frame the Website without the prior written consent of the SU/SSC and the Trust.
You hereby indemnify the SU/SSC and the Trust against any and all claims arising from the use by third parties of any material from the Website that they have accessed as a result of your reproduction, redistribution, alteration or transmission of that material in contravention of this agreement.
Operation of the website
SU/SSC reserves the right to suspend or terminate the operation of the Website at any time for the purposes of support and maintenance or to update the information contained on the Website. The SU/SSC are not obliged to give any notice of such termination or suspension.
The pilot South-South Exchange
For an initial period of operation the South-South Exchange will act as a pilot. It will only list a limited number of South-South Cooperation projects for social investing, and is expected to engage a narrower range of partners in the functioning on the platform. This will permit focused feedback and build the stage for a broader platform.
Building partnerships at the pilot South-South Exchange
Institutions from developing countries willing to engage in cooperation with other institutions from developing countries, in order to replicate their human development initiatives and share their knowledge and experience, can find institutions seeking their expertise at the pilot South-South Exchange partnership building market. South-South Exchange the following developing country institutions can post their Best Practices at the pilot South-South Exchange:
-Not for profits that are accredited with a United Nations body or agency, such as ECOSOC accredited NGOs,
-Institutions that are currently in a partnership with a UN body or agency, and have therefore recently undergone due diligence on their organization and practices,
-Institutions that have been approved for listing on other Human Development Investment Exchanges that are partners of the South-South Exchange,
-Other institutions from developing countries may be considered by an ad hoc panel,
We expect the majority of these institutions to be not-for-profit organizations. However, governmental or intergovernmental organizations, academic centers or other institutions that may or may not be registered as charitable organizations in their country of origin may participate.
Qualifying institutions that are not already posting a Best Practice through the IRENE NGO Best Practices Network of the NGO Section of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs should contact ssc.hdsx@undp.org and express interest in listing a Best Practice on the pilot South-South Exchange.
Posting a Best Practice allows its sponsoring institution (the Solution Provider) to showcase its success story and also to get feedback on their activities. Each Best Practice that is posted at the pilot South-South Exchange is peer-reviewed by at least 3 experts working on similar issues. If the peer-review process finds the Best Practice to be a quality initiative to advance human development, it categorizes it as a Proven Solution.
Developing country institutions eager to learn a Proven Solution and cooperate to replicate it in their beneficiary community (the Solution Seekers), can identify practices that match their needs and mission by looking at the contents of the pilot South-South Exchange partnership building market. Any developing country institution which vision and mission is consistent with those of the pilot South-South Exchange and the United Nations, (regardless of whether they have an affiliation with a UN body or not), can act as a Solution Seeker.
Solution Seekers can request to establish cooperation by emailing ssc.hdsx@undp.org. They should identify themselves and identify their chosen Proven Solution.
The Solution Provider will perform diligence on the Solution Seeker before agreeing to cooperate with them to implement their Proven Solution in the beneficiary community of the Solution Seeker. The South-South Exchange staff must also review and approve the match between the 2 cooperating institutions. Once the match between the Solution Provider and a Solution Seeker is approved, a project is drafted, peer-review and listed on the pilot South-South Exchange social investment market for funding.
Investing in South-South Exchange
Each social share costs US$ 25. So a project that needs US$ 25,000 makes 1,000 shares available for investment. The minimum investment you can make in any project is to buy a single share for US$ 25. You can pay securely through PayPal using a credit card, debit card or internet bank transfer. Or you can allocate funds from Your Portfolio Balance to pilot South-South Exchange projects.
Money is not the only currency we accept. You may also donate using:
Frequent Flyer Miles from various airline programs
American Express Membership Rewards points
Citibank Thank You Points
Other in-kind donations you may wish to discuss with us
Please contact us at ssc.hdsx@undp.org if you’d like to make your social investment through any other method other than PayPal.
All donor investors in South-South Exchange "human development shares" must register for a Giving Account at the time of their initial investment. The SU/SSC keeps records of contributions and investment allocations and statements are available online to donors showing their investment details.
The SU/SSC will send the Donor a receipt of contribution "share certificate" to the account address as soon as possible, usually within ten business days. All account correspondence, including acknowledgements of recommended grants, will be sent automatically to the Primary Donor. In addition, Donors may select up to two other Donors or Nominators to receive copies of account statements, grant request acknowledgements and annual contribution summaries.
By opening a South-South Exchange account, you are consenting to the receipt of electronic mail ("email") from the SU/SSC. We reserve the right to email you important information relating to your social investment, including regulatory communications. The SU/SSC will not share your email address with any third party except its recordkeeper and administrative services provider.
The SU/SSC and the South-South Exchange provide the option for individuals to make unrestricted investments into various focus funds representing South-South Exchange fields of interest. These funds have been established to provide general support to South-South Exchange projects in accordance with the grant-making policies of the SU/SSC. Donor investors may not recommend or stipulate investments made by this fund beyond the field of interest. Donors may contribute any amount directly to the Focus Fund of interest to them.
My South-South Exchange Portfolio
My South-South Exchange Portfolio is a personalized charitable fund that South-South Exchange investors can set up in the name of their family, as an individual or as a business. My portfolio is a way for investors to structure their giving and oversee their total contributions.
South-South Exchange investors may make a lump sum donation to a Portfolio which they name. To set up a Portfolio, investors must make a minimum donation of US$ 100 for individuals or US$ 500 for companies. Donations must be in multiples of US$ 25.
Investors can add to their Portfolio at any time, also in multiples of US$ 25. Donations to a Portfolio are irrevocable donations and investors are not able to withdraw funds from their Portfolios. We will ask investors to nominate a preferred South-South Exchange Sector or Geographical Region for any unallocated Portfolio funds.
Portfolio donations are held in South-South Exchange account of the South-South Trust Fund where they earn interest. Income that accrues in the South-South Exchange account belongs to South-South Exchange and will be distributed to South-South Exchange projects at the discretion of the SU/SSC.
Social investors use their Portfolio Balance to buy shares in South-South Exchange accredited projects presented on this website. Social investors may only distribute their Portfolio balances to South-South Exchange projects, South-South Exchange Sector or South-South Exchange Geographic Region Funds.
If an Investor terminates their Portfolio for whatever reason, we will allocate the remaining balance to the investor’s nominated South-South Exchange sector or geographical region.
Eligible Donors and Contributions
The Fund will accept contributions from individuals, private foundations, corporations, donor-advised funds, trusts and estates. The SU/SSC will accept contributions in cash.
Alternative contributions including but not limited to frequent flyer miles from various airline programs, American Express Membership Reward Points or Citibank Thank You Points, may be considered. For more information about contributing other assets, please contact SU/SSC at +1 212 906 5123 or email ssc-hdsx@undp.org.
Any contribution accepted by the SU/SSC will be considered irrevocable. Once contributions are accepted by the SU/SSC and receipted, they are not refundable.
Investment of Contributions to the South-South Exchange: Charitable Asset Management
All donor investments into South-South Exchange projects will be held in a dedicated Trust Fund until such time as the full funding required by the project is raised. The Trust Fund is at The JPMorgan Chase Bank, and monitored through the UN Atlas system.
Should the SU/SSC decide not to approve a recommended grant for whatever reason, the SU/SSC will notify the Donor. The SU/SSC will take remedial action if it discovers that grants have been made for improper purposes. Remedial actions may include, but are not limited to, a requirement that the recipient charity return the grant to the Trust Fund.
In the event that a project is listed for longer than twelve months without receiving full funding or sufficient funding to be implemented, the project offering may "expire" in which instance donor investors will have the option of re-allocating their contribution to an alternative project listed on the South-South Exchange or, to a Focus Fund.
If a project is listed for longer than twelve months without receiving enough funding to be implemented, the project offering will expire and South-South Exchange investors will have the option of allocating their contributions to another pilot South-South Exchange project or to a Focus Fund.
Fees And Expenses
The SU/SSC incurs financial, administrative and other expenses associated with its operation of the South-South Exchange. To cover these costs, administrative fees are charged on each project and indicated on the project proposal budget on the South-South Exchange website. Such fees respond to UNDP's cost recovery policies for trust fund management. The South-South Exchange reserves the right to adjust this fee at any time in the future as costs and UNDP policies may dictate.
Income Tax Consequences
The South-South Exchange intends to provide a mechanism for donations from social investors in countries where income tax deductions for charitable contributions are recognize, to qualify for such income tax deductions. At the pilot South-South Exchange we believe the South-South Exchange will be able to provide such a mechanism for projects that qualify in, at least, the US and the UK, and possibly other jurisdictions.
However, at this point no income tax deduction qualifications can be provided for donations made through the South-South Exchange. No representation is made that South-South Exchange will succeed in establishing a mechanism to enable donors to benefit from income tax deductions for charitable donations in the future.
Disclaimer
The SU/SSC and the Trust endeavor to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the operation of the Website and the content, materials and products included and available on the Website, but because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, the SU/SSC and the Trust do not, whether expressly, tacitly or implicitly, represent, warrant or in any other way guarantee the truth, accuracy or completeness of such information or that it is always up to date. The SU/SSC and the Trust do not in publishing adverts or materials on the Website endorse any products, advice or investment returns contained in these adverts, advice or investment returns.
The SU/SSC and the Trust, their officers, employees and agents accept no liability for (or in respect of) any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind or nature, howsoever arising, from the use of the Website or use or reliance on information provided on the Website.
You must be satisfied that you may lawfully access the Website, read the pages and/or act upon the material contained in the pages. The SU/SSC and the Trust accept no responsibility for your unauthorized access or actions in respect of these matters.
The SU/SSC and the Trust reserve the right to suspend or terminate the operation of the Website at any time for the purposes of support and maintenance or to update the information contained on the Website. The SU/SSC and the Trust are not obliged to give any notice of such termination or suspension.
Linking from and to the South-South Exchange's website
The Website may contain links to third party websites, particularly but not exclusively, to websites contributing to the partnership building market of the South-South Exchange. The SU/SSC and the Trust do not accept any responsibility for or liability arising from access to, or the information provided on, any website which is linked from the Website, or any hyperlink contained in a linked website. The fact that the Website contains a link to a third party website does not imply that there is any affiliation between the SU/SSC or the Trust and the third party website, nor that the Trust or their employees or officers endorse the third party website. You link to any such website entirely at your own risk and liability and the SU/SSC and the Trust recommend that you check the information disclosure policy and any other legal information contained on any third party website to which you link.
You may have linked to the Website from a third party website. The SU/SSC and the Trust cannot be responsible for the privacy policy or other practices followed by the operators of any third party website from which you have linked to the Website. If a third party website links to the Website, this does not imply affiliation with the SU/SSC or the Trust, or that the SU/SSC, the Trust or their employees or officers endorse that third party website. The SU/SSC and Trust recommend that you check the privacy policy and any other legal information contained on any third party website from which you have linked to the Website.
You may not establish a link to the Website without first obtaining the SU/SSC's written consent. At no stage will you be allowed to deep-link to any webpage other than the main webpage on the Website. You can request consent for your link by writing to ssc.hdsx@undp.org. If such consent is given, the SU/SSC reserves the right to withdraw its consent at any time in its sole discretion.
Intellectual property rights
The works of authorship contained on the Website, including but not limited to, all copyright, designs, trademarks, logos, data, text and images, whether registered or unregistered, are the intellectual property rights of the SU/SSC or in some instances the Trust, or their respective affiliates or third parties who have supplied information to the SU/SSC or the Trust and are protected by the laws of the United States of America or South Africa, including international intellectual property laws, treaties and conventions. The SU/SSC and the Trust reserve the right to take legal action in respect of any infringement of these works of authorship or information contained on the Website, including any legal action in respect of any reproduction, copying (other than in accordance with these terms of use), distribution, framing, uploading to a third party, publication, adaptation, broadcasting, public performance or other communication to the public of the works of authorship or information contained on the Website without the prior written consent of the SU/SSC and the Trust.
Comments and feedback
If you have any questions or comments about the Website and would like to contact the SU/SSC, please email ssc.hdsx@undp.org.
The SU/SSC values the comments, ideas, suggestions and feedback disclosed, submitted or offered by you on, or in connection with, your use of the Website ("comments"), but the SU/SSC shall not be obliged to respond to, maintain or compensate you in any way whatsoever for your comments. Once disclosed, submitted or offered, your comments shall become the property of the SU/SSC. The SU/SSC will thus exclusively own all rights title and interest in the comments and shall not be limited in any way in their use, commercial or otherwise, of any of the comments.
Settlement of Disputes
These Terms and Conditions mandate the use of best good faith efforts to settle amicably any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of your use of the Website. Amicable settlement through conciliation, shall take place in accordance with the UNCITRAL Conciliation Rules, or according to such other procedure as may be agreed between you and SU/SSC.
Any dispute, controversy or claim between you and SU/SSC arising out of your use of the Website which is not settled amicably in accordance with the foregoing paragraph shall be referred to arbitration under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules then in force. The arbitral tribunal shall have no authority to award punitive damages. The Parties shall be bound by any arbitration award rendered as a result of such arbitration as the final adjudication of any such controversy, claim or dispute.
Nothing in or relating to these Terms and Conditions or Website shall be deemed a waiver, express, or implied, of any of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, including its subsidiary organs.
Alterations to these conditions
The SU/SSC reserves the right to change or delete any information, features or contents of the pages of the Website including these terms and conditions of use at any time and without notice. You should periodically check this agreement, our Information Disclosure Policy and any other legal notices contained in the Website.