Building on the outcome of the 2018 Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on SDG 17, the 2019 EGM will continue to focus on the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in harnessing the MoIs in the implementation of the SDGs in focus. In 2019, it will be held back to back with the ECOSOC Partnership Forum (11 April, 2019), which aims to explore the innovative examples of multi- stakeholder partnerships and partnership platforms led by national governments under the theme of “Reaching Those Farthest Left Behind Together: Partnerships as a Lever for Inclusive Sustainable Development”.

Building on the outcome of the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, which will be held in Buenos Aires from 20 to 22 March 20191, and noting the work of the other dedicated fora for SDG 17 – including the biennial High-level Meeting of the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF Forum); the annual Financing for Development (FfD) Forum and the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum); World Investment Forum; and UN World Data Forum – this Expert Group Meeting on SDG 17 is intended to also discuss ways to utilize South-South and tri-angular cooperation in support of the SDGs in focus as a complementary MoIs.