Valérie Amato

16 September 2015

How can

the Global Goals for Sustainable Development

be effectively delivered?

Towards new models of

multi-stakeholder collaboration and partnerships

The new Global Goals for Sustainable Development

Setting the Scene

Major threats undermine effective action for development: population growth, increased inequality, climate change, rapid urbanisation and its consequences, depletion of natural resources, conflict and violence

The landscape of development has also dramatically changed in view of increased interconnectedness and the emergence of new actors (particularly with the increasing presence and expected role of the private sector in developing countries)

The new development landscape

In its review of the Millennium Development Goals (“MDGs”), the High Level Panel appointed by the UN Secretary General identified the fragmentation of efforts.

They reported that “the MDGs fell short by not integrating the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainable development as envisaged in the Millennium Declaration” and that “The result was that environment and development were never properly brought together. People were working hard – but often separately – on interlinked problems.”Source: http://www.un.org/sg/management/pdf/HLP_P2015_Report.pdf

A call for an integrated approach

A new set of Sustainable Development Goals will be formally adopted on 25 September 2015

They reflect an ambitious agenda, which:

is intended to be universal (applying to all countries, “Leaving no one behind” and “Forging a new global partnership”) and “transformative” (addressing sustainability, inclusiveness, institutional change)

examines sustainable development in its different dimensions (social, economic, environmental), which need to be fully integrated

has been widely consultative in its approach (reflecting an open and inclusive process)

Post-2015 Development Agenda:a complicated journey

Development is everyone’s concern

The science (integrated) perspective: SDGs as a complex interlinked system

Note: SDG17 on “means of

implementation” (which links to

all other goals) was excluded

from the analysis.

Source: “Global Sustainable Development

Report – 2015 Edition” (UN, 2015)

If goals are universal, transformative and integrated in intent, this poses key new challenges in terms of translating these into effective action

Indeed, the High Level Panel recognized that “The challenge will be to identify the concrete mechanismsthat will enable the realization of an ambitious and coherent agenda for development.”

The means of implementation of this transformative agenda remains a key concern (and is the focus of this presentation)

How to manage such diversity and complexity?

Spotlight on Partnerships

Goal 17 is linked to and underpins all other goals

Attempts to address the “How to?” question

Twin goal: (a) to” Strengthen the means of implementation”[of the ambitious agenda] and (b) “revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”

Required competences and skills: Stakeholder consultative phase

SECTOR 4 FOCUS

The ability to operate effectively in a complex, interconnected and fast-changing environment requires:

Strategic and critical thinking

Capacity-building of local staff and partners

Contextualising an issue and defining and understanding it from multiple perspectives

Working in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders and across various boundaries (including cultures, disciplines and sectors)

Understanding, analysing and using big, complex data

Adapting to and embracing change: being agile, creative and innovative

Key social and emotional skills (open-mindedness, empathy, listening, influencing, negotiation and brokering)

Key insights

Towards new models of multi-stakeholder collaboration and

partnerships

Means of implementation

The future role of multi-stakeholder partnerships

“Multi-stakeholder partnerships” designate “groupings of civil society, the private sector, the public sector, the media and other stakeholders that come together for a common purpose, pooling their diverse resources, expertise and experience to achieve common goals.”*

This cross-boundary collaboration approach is considered as key to achieving the new Global Goals (to address scale, scope and interlinkages)

Innovative models are needed to deliver systemic change

The opportunities and barriers of engaging with the private sector need to be appreciated

* Source: Development Co-operation Report 2015 (OECD, 2015)

The new role of business

Creating a shared vision for cross-sector collaboration effectiveness

Learning

Diversity

Trust-based relationships built around a common

vision

Dialogue

Source: MSc Research Report (Valerie Amato, 2009)

How to manage tensions relating to

conflicting goals, values and interests?

Reconciling business and development goals: collaborative

journeys

Multi-stakeholder partnerships in practice

The challenge: Mining, oil and gas industries involve the extraction of finite resources, with potentially significant (negative) impact on both planet and people; they can also encourage “corrupt mismanagement”, and the use of substantial proceeds to finance conflicts in fragile states

The opportunity: Mining companies bring significant value to society, as their products have multiple current and future uses and applications (for example in digital and green technologies and in power transmission)

*Source: “Everybody’s business” by Jon Miller and Lucy Parker (2013)

Case study 1* Harnessing the power of the Extractive Industries (a)

Multi-stakeholder initiatives:

Global Mining Initiative (started by 9 of the top industry chairmen and CEOs, in collaboration with the The International Institute of the Environment and Development as NGO partner) established a shared set of principles, by defining the industry’s contribution to Sustainable Development and acting as a change agent

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative started as a collaborative forum and launched to forge new rules for global governance among both companies and country members.

*Source: “Everybody’s business” by Jon Miller and Lucy Parker (2013)

Case study 1* Harnessing the power of the Extractive Industries (b)

The challenge: How to give affordable access to medicines to the poorest patients in the world without jeopardising the significant investments in research required from the pharmaceutical industry?

The opportunity: Widening access to medicines in the poorest countries in the world represents an investment in future markets. This requires a change in companies’ business models (with volume, not price being a driver for growth)

*Source: “Everybody’s business” by Jon Miller and Lucy Parker (2013)

Case study 2* The role of Big Pharmain reforming the Health System (a)

Multi-stakeholder initiatives:

The Access to Medicine Index is a sophisticated system ranking pharmaceutical companies and incentivisingthe whole industry to widen affordable access to medicines

The Patent Pool initiated by GSK invites the sharing of intellectual property relating to “neglected diseases” among academic researchers, charitable foundations and businesses, to allow the development of solutions to the health-care challenges of the poorest countries in the world.

*Source: “Everybody’s business” by Jon Miller and Lucy Parker (2013)

Case study 2* The role of Big Pharmain reforming the Health System (b)

The Global Goals call for an urgent rethink of the way traditional and emerging development actors should work together and mobilise and align resources towards the new ambitious goals.

The transformative shifts need to be driven by an exchange of perspectives, and a change in mindsetsand attitudes.

This starts by recognising that development is everyone’s concern and that business has a key role to play in driving positive change and addressing tomorrow’s challenges.

This also requires systems thinking and strong, authentic and collaborative leadership

Key Learning: Time to think, act and behave differently

Multi-stakeholder engagement underpins all the new Global Goals. It is an ambitious goal in itself, and yet is absolutely critical to ensuring effective implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.

Encouraging dialogue and linkages between and among unusual suspects, the sharing and learning (of not only successes, but also failures), will accelerate progress.

This presentation has asked more questions than it has offered definitive answers and solutions. It is an invitation to re-think old paradigms and ways of working.

This initial reflection has also shown the relevance of systems thinking and complexity science to effective collective learning and action for sustainable development.

Concluding remarks