From Commitments to Results: Leveraging Partnerships for 2030 Agenda - Part 1

Sustainable Development Goals offer a chance to create synergies between all parties, Special Adviser says at Economic and Social Council Partnership Forum.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Economic and Social Council
• Video Length: 02:55:48
• Production Date: 31 March 2016
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: MOGENS LYKKETOFT
• Subject Topical: PARTNERSHIP; DEVELOPMENT; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
• MAMS Id: 1594309
• Parent Id: 1593062

Description

Partnerships held the key to implementing the world’s new vision of sustainable development and could help root out the poverty that had spawned many of today’s global crises, said speakers at the Economic and Social Council today as the organ held its annual Partnership Forum.

“It is past time to heed the lessons of history and respond to the painful realities of today,” said Haya Bint Al Hussein, United Nations Messenger of Peace and Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City. Humanitarian aid and the eradication of poverty were crucial and could help to address the root causes of terrorism and the current refugee crisis, she said, adding that partnerships were critical and the United Nations was the world’s best hope for concerted action.

Oh Joon (Republic of Korea), President of the Economic and Social Council, said that by adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the international community had made a commitment to eradicate poverty and fight inequality. To achieve those goals, the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector, the philanthropic community and academia must break down traditional silos. That would lead to better cross-sectoral decision making and better development solutions.

“Multi-stakeholder work is increasingly demonstrating that it has value,” said David Nabarro, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change, delivering opening remarks on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Sustainable Development Goals offered a chance to create synergies between civil society, academia, the private sector and other stakeholders, he said, adding that the United Nations could articulate principles for partnerships and put them into action.

A number of United Nations bodies and processes had recognized the value of multi-stakeholder partnerships to deliver results on the ground, said Mogens Lykketoft (Denmark), President of the General Assembly. The year 2016 was the time to answer questions, including how to rally coalitions of partners, how to increase the speed and scale of the Sustainable Development Goals’ implementation, how to share lessons learned and how to ensure accountability and transparency.

The Council held a number of panel discussions throughout the day-long meeting, with each focused on various aspects of multi-stakeholder partnerships for development — from financing to transparency and accountability. Panellists representing a wide range of sectors, as well as Government delegates and business leaders, described such partnerships as “prerequisites” for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They also shared their own experiences, with many calling on the United Nations to act as a catalyst for the establishment of robust partnerships around the world.

The Council will reconvene on Tuesday, 5 April 2016, to hold a coordination and management meeting and to fill a number of vacancies in its subsidiary bodies.