On March 27, approximately 70 people participated in the virtual side event organized by Partnerships2030, Partnership Accelerator, The Partnering Initiative, and the Global Forum for National SDG Advisory Bodies to strengthen partnership approaches. The participants, who were spread across the globe, came from all stakeholder groups, and actively brought their experiences and perspectives to the event. This brought many different perspectives to the topic of strengthening partnership approaches.
After an introduction by Daniel Haas, Head of Division for Policy Issues of Cooperation with Civil Society and Private Organizations at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the event began with a panel discussion. Representatives of the UN, Partnerships2030, the MSP YouthCan! and the non-profit consulting firm FSG shared experiences on strengthening partnerships.
The focus of the debate was on how to promote long-term commitment of stakeholders in partnerships. The panelists emphasized how differently partnerships can be structured and that there are therefore seldom universally valid rules. However, clear structures were identified as very helpful, especially when they go beyond classic donor-recipient dynamics. At the suggestion of the audience, experiences of involving marginalized groups were also shared.
Some of the discussants also brought in the perspective of the private sector, especially regarding sustainable supply chains. Here, practical examples were used to show how not only rights holders can benefit from increased due diligence, but also companies themselves.
After the panel discussion, the event moved to breakout rooms, where participants were able to exchange ideas on different questions, such as how to maximize the impact of partnerships, depending on their interests. The collected results were then presented in the plenary.
The event is part of a global campaign by Partnerships2030, Partnership Accelerator, The Partnering Initiative, and the Global Forum on National SDG Advisory Bodies to strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships.
The full recording is available online here.
