Photo credit: photothek/Ina Fassbender
As Co-Chairs of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (the Global Partnership), we are glad to build on the excellent work of our predecessors. The participants of the Second High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership are committed to effective development co-operation as a means to achieve the universal and interrelated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This commitment is laid down in the Nairobi Outcome Document.
The aspirations of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development require that the donor-recipient relationships of the past be replaced by approaches that view all development stakeholders as equal and interdependent partners in development. Inclusive partnerships are key in realising the SDGs, with Goal 17 clearly stating the vital role of partnerships in mobilising development resources to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, especially in developing countries.
In addition to the question of resources, implementation of the 2030 Agenda also calls for collective efforts to improve the quality of our co-operation. In this context, the Global Partnership offers a unique, multi-stakeholder platform to support effective and inclusive co-operation on the ground. Since it was founded, the Global Partnership has brought together a great variety of development partners in and outside governments, including civil society, foundations, academia and the private sector, for open and fruitful dialogue. It has held two successful high-level meetings in Mexico City and Nairobi, and it has produced two Global Monitoring Reports tracking progress on enhancing the quality of development partnerships at country level.
In light of our shared commitment to effective development co-operation, the Steering Committee has agreed on a two-year work programme. This programme was adopted at the 13th Steering Committee Meeting in Washington, D.C. last month. Based on the Nairobi Outcome Document, the programme sets out strategic priorities and related activities for 2017 and 2018:
Enhancing support to effective development at country level: Supporting countries in mainstreaming effectiveness principles and ensuring that country-led evidence informs policy debates on all levels. This includes multi-stakeholder dialogues at country level in order to share good practices and lessons learned.
Focus on evidence and monitoring: Knowing that in order to make progress we will need evidence that encourages accountability, the Global Partnership will update its monitoring framework so as to reflect the challenges inherent in the 2030 Agenda and include diverse development actors. This also implies a revision of monitoring indicators in order to make them applicable for the SDGs.
Sharing knowledge: Scaling up innovative development solutions at a faster pace, driven by champion countries, partners and non-state actors, to serve as a ‘go-to’ platform for knowledge exchange, good practice and peer-to-peer learning.
Scaling up private sector engagement leveraged through development co-operation: The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) has shown that development cannot be financed exclusively through Official Development Assistance (ODA) – we need more sources of development financing and more stakeholders who are committed to sustainable development. One way of achieving this is by attracting inclusive business investments that generate shared benefit for business strategies and development goals, and by helping development partners adapt their practices and instruments to ensure transparency and accountability.
Learning from different modalities of development co-operation: Enhancing exchanges between North-South, South-South and triangular co-operation partners, gathering together options to scale up impact and learn from each other.
It is an ambitious work programme but one that is strategically designed for the equally ambitious tasks ahead. We invite everyone to join us in realising its implementation.
[Editor’s note: read the Global Partnership’s 2017-2018 work programme in English, French and Spanish.]
Abul Maal A Muhith, Honourable Finance Minister, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany and Matia Kasaija, Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Uganda are the Co-Chairs of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.