The Sustainable Development Agenda is a comprehensive plan aimed at transforming the world, eradicating poverty, and achieving sustainable development by 2030. However, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, pointed out, achieving this ambitious agenda requires new ways of working together and leveraging partnerships that make the most of expertise, technology, and resources for sustainable and inclusive growth. In this article, we will explore the power of partnerships in collaborating for a more sustainable world.
Partnerships are a vital component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. SDG 17 acknowledges multi-stakeholder partnerships as major drivers of the SDGs, and it has two targets. Target 17.16 seeks to enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, particularly developing countries. Meanwhile, target 17.17 aims to encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
Partnerships are voluntary and collaborative relationships between various parties, both public and non-public, in which all participants agree to work together to achieve a common purpose or undertake a specific task and, as mutually agreed, to share risks and responsibilities, resources, and benefits. Establishing partnerships is not an easy task and requires the creation of a nurturing and enabling environment for partnering that includes building up institutional capacities, convening and supporting infrastructure, and a policy environment that together can help mainstream collaboration.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) recognizes the importance of partnerships and their enablers in its latest report, Partnership Exchange 2018. The report shares insights and findings following the 2018 Partnership Exchange, which was held in July 2018 in the margins of the 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The Partnership Exchange 2018 featured two expert-level parallel sessions, a plenary segment, and a Partnership Showcase.
The first expert session addressed the topic of building institutions and platforms that are fit for partnering. The key messages from this session point to the importance of the leadership of an organization to promote collaboration and partnerships and the establishment of a partnering strategy that either supports or is integrated into the organizational strategy. The establishment of internal systems and processes to help partnerships through the whole partnership lifecycle, the enhancement of staff’ skills to partner more effectively, and the creation of an outward-looking culture are recognized as necessary tools for developing partnerships.
The second session acknowledged the importance of building a conducive policy and funding environment for partnerships. The creation of conducive legal and policy environments enabled by committed governmental partners is recognized as an indispensable enabler of developing partnerships. Also, the session discussion pointed out the need for processes of establishing and developing partnerships to be more inclusive and allow for a joint vision to be established. Since funding is depicted as a major challenge, the participants called for demand for new ways of funding, including loans, equity, subsidies, and bonds.
Takeaway
Multi-stakeholder partnerships have emerged as a powerful tool to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Partnership Exchange 2018 report highlights some of the most successful partnerships, which have made significant strides towards achieving their SDG targets.
One such partnership is the E-waste Coalition (SDG 12), an informal and open coalition composed of some of the key United Nations entities that work on e-waste. The coalition has effectively collaborated with the private sector and has received support from prestigious organizations such as the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. This collaborative effort has been instrumental in tackling the pressing issue of e-waste and promoting responsible consumption and production.
Another partnership that has made impressive strides is the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) (SDG 7). This partnership program, launched by the European Commission, aims to support African cities in their efforts to transition towards a sustainable energy future. Through this program, participating cities have been able to access technical assistance, capacity building, and financing to develop and implement their sustainable energy plans.
The success of these partnerships is a testament to the power of collaboration in driving sustainable development. By bringing together diverse stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds, multi-stakeholder partnerships can leverage their collective strengths to overcome complex challenges and achieve common goals. As we move towards a more sustainable future, it is imperative that we continue to support and promote such partnerships, which have the potential to create a positive impact on the world we live in.