Introductory remarks by Reinhard Krapp, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Germany
Introductory remarks
by Reinhard Krapp, Minister Plenipotentiary
of the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN,
on the occasion of the informal briefing on
”A platform for partnerships” -
co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Germany
and the Division for Sustainable Development,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(04 November 2015)
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you all for attending this briefing. And I would like to extend my particular gratitude to the colleagues from DESA for having organized this side event, particularly Irena Zubcevic, Nikhil Chandavarkar and Ola Goransson.
As we move into the discussions on partnerships at the 2nd Committee this afternoon this briefing is very timely.
Let me just briefly explain the context: The idea of partnerships between the United Nations and actors from civil society and business is not new. Following the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) installed a system of registering partnerships in a data bank.
Our colleagues from DESA will tell us more about it. The register still exists and it includes also the partnerships coming from the Rio+20 Conference in 2012 and the new ones from the Post-2015-Summit in September. We will hear about it in a few minutes.
With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development we are indeed asked again how we handle partnerships in the future. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has made clear, that the idea of intensifying the partnership between the United Nations and the private sector will be part of his legacy. He attaches great importance to this idea.
Partnerships for sustainable development are about connecting and bringing out the most innovative solutions among and for all: governments, intergovernmental organizations, the UN system, civil society groups, major groups and people.
As I said before: Partnerships as a concept have a long standing tradition at the United Nations. In this context the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, the Bali Guiding Principles of 2002 and the decision of the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 11th session in 2003 are of particular importance.
In the meantime we had
- the Rio+20’s voluntary commitments from 2012
- the multi-stakeholder partnerships from the SIDS Conference in Samoa last year and
- the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
One goal is for our discussion today very important: It is SDG 17. It deals with implementation, and it is a crucial goal to deliver on all other SDGs. SDG 17 has a potential to mobilize efforts within the international community to work together, share expertise and knowledge, further exchange of technological advances, mobilize financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources, and enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building.
And let us not forget: We must see the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in its entirety, i.e. as a framework which capitalizes on the ambition of all stakeholders in working together, moving towards a future with economic, social and environmental prosperity.
The plethora of multi-stakeholder partnerships in the 21st century is a reflection of this ambition. More than ever partnerships are expected to continue to support government-led actions in realizing sustainable development. They are expected to be forged on various thematic issues and Sustainable Development Goal areas.
When we unlock the vast knowledge and expertise that these partnerships and partners collaboratively possess, we hold the key to effectively supporting the achievement of the SDG`s.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
as defined in the 2030 Agenda: The “High Level Political Forum” (HLPF) will have a central role in overseeing the follow-up and the review at the global level, although I must confess the details of this review will have to be discussed further.
Starting in 2016, the HLPF – then under the auspices of ECOSOC - will carry out regular, voluntary, state-led reviews in line with GA-Resolution 67/290. These reviews will encourage reporting from all stakeholders and be a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and all other relevant stakeholders.
This opens the door for reporting about partnerships to the HLPF. The need for encouraging new partnerships and the need for information how partnerships are delivering on their commitments has been underscored by several delegations during the negotiations.
These questions are most relevant. Therefore, I have invited the colleagues from DESA`s Division for Sustainable Development to give us a briefing on their work related to partnerships, and in particular to present us the “Online Partnerships for SDGs Platform”.
Our first speaker is Nikhil Chandavarkar from the Division for Sustainable Development.
Nikhil, you have the floor.
by Reinhard Krapp, Minister Plenipotentiary
of the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN,
on the occasion of the informal briefing on
”A platform for partnerships” -
co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Germany
and the Division for Sustainable Development,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(04 November 2015)
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you all for attending this briefing. And I would like to extend my particular gratitude to the colleagues from DESA for having organized this side event, particularly Irena Zubcevic, Nikhil Chandavarkar and Ola Goransson.
As we move into the discussions on partnerships at the 2nd Committee this afternoon this briefing is very timely.
Let me just briefly explain the context: The idea of partnerships between the United Nations and actors from civil society and business is not new. Following the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) installed a system of registering partnerships in a data bank.
Our colleagues from DESA will tell us more about it. The register still exists and it includes also the partnerships coming from the Rio+20 Conference in 2012 and the new ones from the Post-2015-Summit in September. We will hear about it in a few minutes.
With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development we are indeed asked again how we handle partnerships in the future. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has made clear, that the idea of intensifying the partnership between the United Nations and the private sector will be part of his legacy. He attaches great importance to this idea.
Partnerships for sustainable development are about connecting and bringing out the most innovative solutions among and for all: governments, intergovernmental organizations, the UN system, civil society groups, major groups and people.
As I said before: Partnerships as a concept have a long standing tradition at the United Nations. In this context the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, the Bali Guiding Principles of 2002 and the decision of the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 11th session in 2003 are of particular importance.
In the meantime we had
- the Rio+20’s voluntary commitments from 2012
- the multi-stakeholder partnerships from the SIDS Conference in Samoa last year and
- the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
One goal is for our discussion today very important: It is SDG 17. It deals with implementation, and it is a crucial goal to deliver on all other SDGs. SDG 17 has a potential to mobilize efforts within the international community to work together, share expertise and knowledge, further exchange of technological advances, mobilize financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources, and enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building.
And let us not forget: We must see the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in its entirety, i.e. as a framework which capitalizes on the ambition of all stakeholders in working together, moving towards a future with economic, social and environmental prosperity.
The plethora of multi-stakeholder partnerships in the 21st century is a reflection of this ambition. More than ever partnerships are expected to continue to support government-led actions in realizing sustainable development. They are expected to be forged on various thematic issues and Sustainable Development Goal areas.
When we unlock the vast knowledge and expertise that these partnerships and partners collaboratively possess, we hold the key to effectively supporting the achievement of the SDG`s.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
as defined in the 2030 Agenda: The “High Level Political Forum” (HLPF) will have a central role in overseeing the follow-up and the review at the global level, although I must confess the details of this review will have to be discussed further.
Starting in 2016, the HLPF – then under the auspices of ECOSOC - will carry out regular, voluntary, state-led reviews in line with GA-Resolution 67/290. These reviews will encourage reporting from all stakeholders and be a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and all other relevant stakeholders.
This opens the door for reporting about partnerships to the HLPF. The need for encouraging new partnerships and the need for information how partnerships are delivering on their commitments has been underscored by several delegations during the negotiations.
These questions are most relevant. Therefore, I have invited the colleagues from DESA`s Division for Sustainable Development to give us a briefing on their work related to partnerships, and in particular to present us the “Online Partnerships for SDGs Platform”.
Our first speaker is Nikhil Chandavarkar from the Division for Sustainable Development.
Nikhil, you have the floor.
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