Within the UN system, several actors have for many years carried out their mandates also thanks to their convening role as derived from institutional partnerships, sometimes integrated in their governance structure. Outside of the UN system, and with the UN system as a key partner, entities such as the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance have excelled at delivering results in their areas of responsibility, with strong public and private partnerships as a crucial enabler of their action.
The Sustainable development Agenda will herald an expansion of stakeholders and, as new partnerships move forward, it becomes increasingly important to design and put in place operational frameworks and procedures to ensure the smooth establishment, functioning and control of partnership arrangements with the widest range of public and private actors.
CEB has translated these considerations in its Common Principle n. 6 - Leveraging Partnerships: “The implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires broad-based multi-stakeholder coalitions and inclusive and participatory approaches by which communities, civil society and the private sector actively and systematically participate in the process of promoting sustainable development and sustaining peace. The UN system will work more proactively with partners at the regional, sub-regional, national and local levels to capitalize on synergies for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda”.
Consultations with HLCM members have also indicated a clear consensus to give priority attention to the subject of Partnerships in the new Strategic Plan, and for HLCM to play an active role to enable the smooth collaboration with different stakeholders and to respond to the demand for the UN system to “become a catalyst for new multi-stakeholder partnerships”2.
HLCM, as a body responsible for improved efficiency and effectiveness of the operations of the UN System, has a key role in ensuring that the appropriate mechanisms are in place for collaboration around funding, reporting standards, information flow, and data compatibility. Furthermore, new accountability models and reporting frameworks will need to be established and put in place. These are areas of work that HLCM is well placed to lead, both from a policy and an implementation perspectives.
Initially, HLCM will function as a body for collecting and sharing best practices and innovative solutions in management areas, including collaboration with other pillars. Furthermore, obstacles to collaboration with non-traditional partners will have to be identified and removed, and the Committee and its Networks will work towards the creation of new mechanisms for efficient partnerships where a need is identified.