The joint work of Every Woman Every Child (EWEC), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC) has been selected as a new Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) at the second High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-Operation (GPEDC) in Nairobi, Kenya. The event gathered leaders from Governments, the private sector and civil society to identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration for a sustainable future that leaves no one behind.
 

One of three new initiatives announced in Nairobi, the five partnerships join a list of 28 GPIs that have been accepted by GPEDC as voluntary, member-led commitments that advance development co-operation and help turn global agreements into impact at the country-level. Building on their respective areas of work, the initiatives have actively promoted partnership across sectors and developed a Partnership Playbook to guide principled collaboration. As a new GPI, they will continue to catalyse transformations in the way stakeholders work together across sectors to deliver on an integrated development agenda, including through shared principles outlined in the Playbook.

"We are here in Nairobi to take the next step in our journey towards effective cooperation. We need to take a leap forward if we are to deliver on the 2030 Agenda,” said H.E. Lilianne Ploumen, co-chair of the GPEDC and Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. “Going beyond the traditional silos to work across sectors will be essential. This new Global Partnership Initiative and its Partnership Playbook provides the commitment and guidance we need to strengthen multistakeholder partnerships and ensure alignment with national priorities. With shared principles that encourage mutual respect, transparency and accountability, we can create better partnerships for impact."

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for a revitalized global partnership effort (SDG 17) and require stronger, more inclusive multistakeholder partnerships for their implementation. Collaboration across government, private sector and civil society builds shared value and leverages skills across sectors to accelerate progress against national priorities. To ensure effectiveness and impact aligned with national priorities, such partnerships need guiding principles.

The Partnership Playbook, launched during the 71^st United Nations General Assembly in September 2016, is a practical guide to improve the quality of multistakeholder partnerships to operate across sectors and deliver on an integrated development agenda for all. Its shared principles are based on national ownership to ensure alignment with government plans. By encouraging mutual trust, respect, transparency and accountability for impact, the shared principles help to remove duplication and allow all to benefit from shared efficiencies, risks and responsibilities.

The Global Partnership Initiative was officially announced during a session co-hosted by the partners, in cooperation with the Government of the Netherlands, on “Improving the Quality of Partnerships” on Thursday, 1 December. The session was moderated by Ms. Julie Gichuru, host of Africa Leadership Dialogues, and included the perspectives of leaders from the government, private and UN sectors.