South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the ILO has an integrated approach to the topics of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Fragility.

Fragile states are those that face a greater risk of conflict and political instability. The DRR approach is usually related to catastrophic events. An integrated approach to DRR and fragility departs from the understanding that risks are always social (be them political, environmental, or conflict-related) since the level of risk is always a function of hazards and vulnerabilities. Moreover, the impact of conflict and disasters always undermine peoples’ livelihoods and create decent work deficits. SSTC in the ILO focuses on building resilience by addressing the vulnerabilities that make communities and institutions susceptible to the harmful effects of any kind of hazard or threat. Resilience can be described as the capacity of households, communities, and systems to anticipate, resist, absorb, adapt, and recover from effects of crises, tensions, or hazards. The fact that many countries in the South face similar conditions of vulnerability gives room for a major opportunity to exchange knowledge, capacity and learn from each other. South-South and Triangular Cooperation can be an instrument of peer-learning and mutual support to build resilient communities and societies.