Partnership Networking Exchange

Partnership Exchange Networking sessions will be held outside the plenary hall, and will include facilitated dialogues between partnership focal point, interested SIDS, and other participants, for showcasing and discussing partnerships and innovative solutions, and further explore the potential of scaling-up existing, and launch new, partnerships in line with the priorities of SIDS.

Please indicate your interest in attending any of the sessions by clicking on the Sign up-button below, which will assist the organizers with scheduling.

Opening segment

Prayer: Reverend Siaosi Salesulu

Master of ceremony: Mr. Tupa'imatuna Iulai Lavea, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Finance, Samoa

Opening remarks, including highlighting commonalities and key messages from regional partnership dialogues

• H.E. Ms. Lois M. Young. Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations, co-chair of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS
• Mr. Mícheál Tierney, Counselor, representing H.E. Mrs. Geraldine Patricia Byrne Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, co-chair of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS

Keynote address

• Honourable Sili Epa Tuioti, Minister of Finance, Independent State of Samoa

Remarks

• Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director General for Sustainable Development, Energy and Climate, Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea, Italy
• Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
• Ambassador Peter Thomson, SG’s Special Envoy for the Ocean (video message)

Implementation of partnerships for SIDS launched during SIDS Conference (2014) and The Ocean Conference (2017)

Genuine and durable partnerships for Small Island Developing States play an important role in advancing sustainable development at the subnational, national, sub-regional, regional and international levels to enhance international cooperation and action to address the unique and particular vulnerabilities of SIDS, and by harnessing the full potential of engagement between governments at all levels, businesses, civil society and a wide range of other stakeholders.

As part of the support to the SAMOA Pathway mid-term review preparatory process, UN DESA has conducted an in-depth analysis of partnerships for Small Island Developing States, including partnerships that were announced in the context of the SIDS Conference in 2014, the UN Ocean Conference in 2017, and other relevant partnerships. Discussions from the regional dialogues and preparatory meetings have made an important contribution to the analysis.

The session will start with a presentation of the in-depth analysis of SIDS partnerships, including their status and trends, how they have addressed and impacted Samoa Pathway priority areas, potential gaps, challenges, and lessons learned. The in-depth analysis provides an opportunity to take stock of the current status of partnerships, including their role in advancing sustainable development in SIDS, and how the next generation of partnerships might effectively address current and emerging priorities, potential gaps, and overcome challenges to implementation.

Guiding questions:

• How do we best ensure that lessons learned by partnerships are documented and widely shared?
• What gap areas should new partnerships address, both regionally and globally?
• How can new partnerships be better designed to overcome challenges?
• How can we facilitate better dialogue between partnerships within and between regions?
• How can we better measure the impacts of partnerships on their beneficiaries?
• How do we ensure better information flow between partnerships and regional and global processes that measure their collective impact on sustainable development in SIDS?

Presentation:

• In-depth analysis of Partnerships for Small Island Developing States (Advance version) (Ms. Marjo Vierros, consultant, UN DESA)

Respondent: Mrs Peseta Noumea Simi, Chief Executive Officer, MFAT, Samoa

Moderated by: H.E. Ms. Lois M. Young. Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations

Examining best practices and challenges of SIDS Partnerships

The regional partnership dialogues have stressed the need to better understand, and define, what is meant by a durable and genuine partnership, to examine the lessons learned from successful partnerships, the challenges faced in implementation, and fostering better stakeholder engagement in partnerships.

The SIDS Partnership Criteria and Norms provide a solid basis for articulating what constitutes a genuine and durable partnership for SIDS.

To foster a better understanding of the elements of the SIDS Partnership Criteria and Norms, UN DESA has developed case studies on the design and development of existing partnerships for SIDS, which will form the basis of learning material, to be part of the outcome of Samoa Partnership Dialogue.

The session will provide an opportunity to share and engage in a discussion on best practices and challenges around the development and implementation of partnerships for SIDS. The session starts with a brief presentation of the case studies and the learning material.

Guiding questions:

• Why chose partnership as approach for more effective implementation of sustainable development?
• What are the main challenges to a SIDS partnership? How can challenges be overcome?
• What are best practices of a partnership? How can we better identify them and ensure continued practice?
• What makes a partnership genuine?
• What makes a partnership durable?
• What makes a partnership effective?

Partnership case study presentation

• Case studies and online learning material on SIDS partnerships (Ms. Camilla Borrevik, consultant, UN DESA)

Panelists

• Ms. Gina Bonne, Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) (tbc)
• Mr. Jito Vanualailai, Pacific Islands Universities Research Network
• Ms. Karen McDonald Gayle, Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) and Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF)

Respondent: (tbc)

Moderated by Mr. Mícheál Tierney, Counselor, Permanent mission of Ireland to the United Nations

Engaging all stakeholders in partnerships for SIDS, including the private sector

The regional dialogues stressed that partnerships must be inclusive of all stakeholders, including NGOs and civil society, youth, women, and marginalized groups, for maximum buy-in from communities, ensuring no one is left behind. Partnerships should strive to be participatory, have agreed-upon objectives, shared responsibilities and undertake joint action towards a common goal, bringing together stakeholders from the the design of the partnership, maintain broad ownership and maintain dialogue with all partners, including communities, throughout the lifetime of the partnership.

Further involvement of academia can improve the scientific, including social science, basis of partnerships, as well in relation to their design and monitoring aspects. Building trust, and providing meaningful engagement by all partners, including the private sector, remains a challenge for many partnerships. This session will consider how to best involve all stakeholders in partnerships, and how to ensure that stakeholders are kept engaged throughout the lifetime of a partnership. The dialogue will aim to draw from the experience of a broad range of partnerships and the people who have been involved in developing them.

Guiding questions

• What are the best strategies for engaging different stakeholders in a partnership? Are there different approaches required in the engagement of youth, women and other marginalized communities?
• What are some of the successful strategies for engaging with the private sector?
• How can partnerships stay accountable to all stakeholders?
• What challenges need to be overcome to to ensure that all stakeholders feel a sense of ownership in a partnership?

Panelists:

• Ms. Amrikha Devamatee Singh, CARICOM
• Ms. LorMona Meredith, Polynesian Voyaging Society/Promise to Pae'aina Collective Impact Effort
• Mr. Stephen Lyon, Pacific Islands Private Sector Organization (PIPSO)
• Kalim Shah, SIDS University and Research Institutions Network

Respondent: (tbc)

Moderated by Ms. Simona Marinescu, UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa & Tokelau

Capturing outcomes of the Samoa Partnership Dialogue

The outcomes from the Samoa Partnership Dialogue, as outlined below, will feed into the outcome of the mid-term review of the SAMOA Pathway.

SIDS Partnership Criteria and Norms

The SIDS Partnership Criteria and Norms have been developed by the co-chairs of the Steering Committee on Partnership for SIDS, Belie and Ireland, stemming from discussions from the regional partnership dialogues. The Criteria and Norms articulates what constitutes a genuine and durable partnership for SIDS, through outlining elements of the SMART criteria – a partnership that is SIDS Specific, Measurable & Monitorable, Achievable & Accountable, Resource-based on Results-focused with Timelines for implementation & transparency by all parties.

Strengthening the monitoring and review of partnerships for SIDS

A key request from the outcome of the 2014 SIDS Conference, the SAMOA Pathway, was the establishment of the SIDS Partnership Framework, designed to monitor progress of existing, and stimulate the launch of new, genuine and durable partnerships for the sustainable development of SIDS.

Guided by a member States driven Steering Committee, the activities of the Framework have ensured that SIDS partnerships have remained high on the UN’s agenda, providing a multi-stakeholder platform for reviewing progress made by SIDS partnerships, and for sharing of good practices and lessons learned among all stakeholders, on an annual basis.

In 2018, member states called upon (A/RES/72/217) UN DESA and OHRLLS to enhance the necessary analytical and advocacy support for the work of the Steering Committee, and, in particular, to ensure an annual action-oriented, results-focused Global Multi-Stakeholder Small Island Developing States Partnership Dialogue. Based on the consultations from the regional partnership dialogues, which also emphasized the need to strengthen the monitoring and review process of SIDS partnerships, a set of proposals for strengthening the monitoring and review of partnerships for SIDS will be presented for feedback by participants, and form part of the outcomes.

SIDS Partnership Toolbox

To support the outcomes of the regional dialogues, and the Samoa Partnership Dialogue, UN DESA is developing a SIDS Partnership Toolbox, which will be presented for feedback. The Toolbox, which will be available in print and online, will include the in-depth analysis of existing partnerships for SIDS, online learning material based on case studies and best practices of SIDS partnerships, and tools for assisting in the monitoring and review of partnerships for SIDS.

Followed by Questions & Answers

Government reception

The Government of Samoa will host a Reception at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum at Vailima. The reception will commence at 6:00pm and conclude at 8:30pm.