The scope and complexity of the transformations required for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) that are at their core are unprecedented. As a result, no government or stakeholder will be able to address the multi-sectoral, cross-pillar global challenges of today alone. Instead, the 2030 Agenda can only be achieved if different sectors and actors work together in an integrated manner by pooling financial resources, knowledge and expertise.

SDG 17, which is meant to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”, through its targets 17.16 and 17.17, recognizes the critical importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share the finance, knowledge, expertise and technology to support the achievement of SDGs in all countries. The targets also highlight the need to promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.

Over the recent years, the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in supporting the implementation of sustainable development has also been increasingly recognized by member States and different stakeholders, including leading institutions in international development and the private sector. This is evident in the many UN Conferences that have resulted in the launch of new multi-stakeholder partnerships and voluntary commitments.

On 15 July 2019, in the margins of the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, an SDG Learning and Training session on “Designing and managing SDG partnerships for greatest impact” was organized as part of the 2030 Agenda Partnership Accelerator, by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), The Partnering Initiative and World Vision.

The session, which was attended by 80 participants (50 female), a mix of policy makers, United Nations entities and other stakeholders, included segments related to how to most effectively partner with governments, UN entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, introduction of typology of partnerships for the SDGs, enhanced understanding of the collaborative advantage in building partnerships, and understanding of the roles country-driven partnership platforms have in catalyzing partnerships and actions for the SDGs.

In the outset, Ms. Lotta Tähtinen, Chief, Outreach and Partnership Branch, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN DESA, noted that, over the recent years, the importance of partnerships in supporting the implementation of SDGs has also been increasingly recognized by member States and different stakeholders, including leading institutions in international development, and the private sector. This is evident in the many UN Conferences that have resulted in the launch of new partnerships and voluntary commitments.

However, designing and running effective partnership platforms and partnerships across societal sectors often remain a challenge for many partners and stakeholders.

In the closing, Mr. Jean D’Aragon, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), noted that the reality is that we are still only scratching the surface in terms of the number, and quality, of partnerships required to deliver on the SDGs. UNOSD, which support Member States in planning and implementing sustainable development strategies through knowledge sharing, research, training and indeed partnerships, is very much in support of a much-needed push for enhancing the capacity of stakeholders in forging new and innovative partnerships that have a real impact on the ground.