A history of the UN’s
involvement in
Multi-stakeholder
Partnerships
Time to do better
Stakeholder engagement in the UN
July 22, 2012 Footer text here2
1992 Earth Summit
Agenda 21 the first UN document to give ‘rights
and responsibilities for stakeholders to engage in
the development and implementation of the UN
Action Plan.
There were nine chapters representing different
sectors of society which were called ‘Major Groups’
1. Youth and Children
2. NGOs,
3. Women,
4. Indigenous Peoples
5. Local Authorities
6. Trade Unions
7. Business and Industry
8. Science andTechnological Community
9. Role of Farmers
Rio+5 and the Commission on Sustainable
Development 1997-2001
July 22, 2012 Footer text here3
1996 the UN General Assembly agreed that at
Rio+5 each of the nine major groups would have
half a day to present on what they are doing to
implementAgenda 21
1998-2001 – two days of the Commission on
Sustainable Development (4 sessions of 3 hours –
12 hours in total) were given over to a multi-
stakeholder dialogue with member states which
drew experience on what has happening on
implementing Agenda 21 and what policy
changes might be needed to enhance
implementation
Millennium DevelopmentGoals 2000
July 22, 2012 Footer text here4
2000 Millennium Development Goal (MDG8) kind of
mentions MSPs – but mostly partnerships are envisaged
between governments.
2000 UN Global Compact launched as a voluntary
initiative based on CEO commitments to implement
universal sustainability principles and to take steps to
support UN goals: promotes ten principles – now over
8000 companies and 4000 non-business participants
2000 Guidelines on Cooperation between the UN and
the Business Community issued to enhance the
cooperation between the UN and the business
community.
General Assembly resolution –Towards global
partnerships (2001)
July 22, 2012 Footer text here5
The first General Assembly resolution on “Towards
global partnerships” was included on the General
Assembly 2nd Committee and adopted in 2001 and
then relooked at every two years.
It stressed the need for member states to further
discuss partnerships and consider ways and means
to enhance cooperation between the UN and all
relevant partners including from developing countries
to give them greater opportunities to contribute to
the realization of the goals and programmes of the
Organization
Bali Guidelines for Partnerships 2002 WSSD
July 22, 2012 Footer text here6
In 2000 and 2001 stakeholders explored with the UN,
& member states through a series of workshops the
idea of World Summit on Sustainable Development
having as a major outcome multi-stakeholder
partnerships to be a mechanism to deliver the
political commitments
Bali Guidelines on Partnerships:
1. Objective of Partnerships
2. Voluntary in Nature/Respect for fundamental
Principles andValues
3. Link with Globally Agreed Outcomes
4. Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development
5. Transparency and Accountability
6. Tangible Results
7. Funding Agreements
8. New/Value Added Partnerships
9. Local involvement and international Impact
World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002
July 22, 2012 Footer text here7
This developed into:
Type 1 – policy agreements and commitments
Type 2 were commitments and action-oriented multi-
stakeholder platforms focused on deliverables and would
contribute in translating political commitments into action.
Commission on Sustainable Development 2003
Decision on Partnerships
July 22, 2012 Footer text here8
Decides the criteria and guidelines for partnerships.
Partnerships:
• voluntary initiatives undertaken by Governments and relevant
stakeholders
• contribute to the implementation A21, JPoI;
• not intended to substitute commitments made by Governments;
• bear in mind the economic, social and environmental dimensions;
• predictable and sustained resources for their implementation,
should include the mobilization of new resources, and where
relevant, should result in the transfer of technology to, and
capacity-building in, developing countries;
• designed and implemented in a transparent and accountable
manner;
• should be consistent with national laws and national strategies
• providing information and reporting by partnerships registered
with the CSD
A report on Partnerships for Sustainable Development was
produced in 2004, 2006,2008,2010.This was for the review years of
the CSD. Partnership fairs were held at all CSD in the 2000’s
United Nations Partnership Office 2006
July 22, 2012 Footer text here9
In 2006 the United Nations Office of Partnership (UNOP)
was created to strengthen system-wide coherence in
the establishment of operational relationships with global
partners of the United Nations;
to provide support for the United Nations Democracy
Fund; and
to support partnership initiatives from non-State actors
or United Nations entities in the light of General
Assembly resolutions on the importance of engaging
public and private sector stakeholders in the
implementation of the Millennium Declaration, as well
as the achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals.
ECOSOCO and UNGA
July 22, 2012 Footer text here10
ECOSOC 2008 starts its annual Partnership
Forum around the delivery of the MDGs
2009 UNGA first revision of Guidelines between
the UN and the BusinessCommunity – impact,
transparency and accountability
UN Conference on Sustainable Development:
Rio+20
July 22, 2012 Footer text here11
Rio+20 focused more on voluntary commitments some
700 were announced during the conference, rather than
partnerships though some 207 were announced.
283.We welcome the commitments voluntarily entered
into at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development and throughout 2012 by all stakeholders
and their networks to implement concrete policies,
plans, programmes, projects and actions to promote
sustainable development and poverty eradication. We
invite the Secretary-General to compile these
commitments and facilitate access to other registries
that have compiled commitments, in an Internet-based
registry.The registry should make information about the
commitments fully transparent and accessible to the
public, and it should be periodically updated.
High Level Political Forum and SAMAO Pathway
July 22, 2012 Footer text here12
2013The High Level Political Forum
established mandate includes a ‘platform for
partnerships
SAMOA Pathway -The SIDSAction Platform
has been developed to support the follow up
to theThird International Conference on
Small Island Developing States (SIDS
Conference), including through a
partnerships platform, a partnerships
framework, and a UN Implementation
Matrix.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 2015
July 22, 2012 Footer text here13
17.16 Enhance the global partnership for
sustainable development,
complemented by multi-stakeholder
partnerships that mobilize and share
knowledge, expertise, technology and
financial resources, to support the
achievement of the sustainable
development goals in all countries, in
particular developing countries
17.17 Encourage and promote effective
public, public-private and civil society
partnerships, building on the experience
and resourcing strategies of
partnerships
2015 UNGA Revision of the Guidelines on Cooperation
between the UN and the Private Sector
July 22, 2012 Footer text here14
The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide a framework to facilitate the
formulation and implementation of partnerships between the United Nations
and the business sector while safeguarding the integrity, impartiality and
independence of the United Nations and preventing and mitigating potential
risks of adverse impacts on people and the environment.
Only apply to the UN and separately administrated organs, Funds and
Programmes – they are intended to serve as a common framework for the whole
UN.
For this workshop the sections that are relevant are the sections on General
Principles: Integrity, advance UN Goals, delineate clear responsibilities and roles,
ensure no unfair advantage, secure adequate partners, establish due diligence,
accountability, transparency.
Towards global partnership 2015 resolution
July 22, 2012 Footer text here15
Stresses the need for the United Nations system to develop, for those
partnerships in which it participates, a common and systemic approach
which places greater emphasis on transparency, coherence, impact,
accountability and due diligence, without imposing undue rigidity in
partnership agreements;
Recognizes the contribution of partnerships to the realization of the goals
and programmes of the Organization, and in this regard requests the
Economic and Social Council to hold during its partnership forum to be
held in 2016 a discussion on the best practices and ways to improve, inter
alia, transparency, accountability and the sharing of experiences of
multi-stakeholder partnerships and on the review and monitoring of
these partnerships, including the role of Member States in review
and monitoring;
Felix Dodds
Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute
University of North Carolina
Kader Asmal (2000), who chaired theWorld Commission on Dams,
“A parting warning: doing so [conducting an MSP] is never a neat,
organized, tidy concerto. More often, the process becomes a
messy, loose-knit, exasperating, sprawling cacophony. Like
pluralist democracy, it is the absolute worst form of consensus-
building except for all the others.”

A history of the UNs involvement in multi stakeholder

  • 1.
    A history ofthe UN’s involvement in Multi-stakeholder Partnerships Time to do better
  • 2.
    Stakeholder engagement inthe UN July 22, 2012 Footer text here2 1992 Earth Summit Agenda 21 the first UN document to give ‘rights and responsibilities for stakeholders to engage in the development and implementation of the UN Action Plan. There were nine chapters representing different sectors of society which were called ‘Major Groups’ 1. Youth and Children 2. NGOs, 3. Women, 4. Indigenous Peoples 5. Local Authorities 6. Trade Unions 7. Business and Industry 8. Science andTechnological Community 9. Role of Farmers
  • 3.
    Rio+5 and theCommission on Sustainable Development 1997-2001 July 22, 2012 Footer text here3 1996 the UN General Assembly agreed that at Rio+5 each of the nine major groups would have half a day to present on what they are doing to implementAgenda 21 1998-2001 – two days of the Commission on Sustainable Development (4 sessions of 3 hours – 12 hours in total) were given over to a multi- stakeholder dialogue with member states which drew experience on what has happening on implementing Agenda 21 and what policy changes might be needed to enhance implementation
  • 4.
    Millennium DevelopmentGoals 2000 July22, 2012 Footer text here4 2000 Millennium Development Goal (MDG8) kind of mentions MSPs – but mostly partnerships are envisaged between governments. 2000 UN Global Compact launched as a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals: promotes ten principles – now over 8000 companies and 4000 non-business participants 2000 Guidelines on Cooperation between the UN and the Business Community issued to enhance the cooperation between the UN and the business community.
  • 5.
    General Assembly resolution–Towards global partnerships (2001) July 22, 2012 Footer text here5 The first General Assembly resolution on “Towards global partnerships” was included on the General Assembly 2nd Committee and adopted in 2001 and then relooked at every two years. It stressed the need for member states to further discuss partnerships and consider ways and means to enhance cooperation between the UN and all relevant partners including from developing countries to give them greater opportunities to contribute to the realization of the goals and programmes of the Organization
  • 6.
    Bali Guidelines forPartnerships 2002 WSSD July 22, 2012 Footer text here6 In 2000 and 2001 stakeholders explored with the UN, & member states through a series of workshops the idea of World Summit on Sustainable Development having as a major outcome multi-stakeholder partnerships to be a mechanism to deliver the political commitments Bali Guidelines on Partnerships: 1. Objective of Partnerships 2. Voluntary in Nature/Respect for fundamental Principles andValues 3. Link with Globally Agreed Outcomes 4. Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development 5. Transparency and Accountability 6. Tangible Results 7. Funding Agreements 8. New/Value Added Partnerships 9. Local involvement and international Impact
  • 7.
    World Summit onSustainable Development 2002 July 22, 2012 Footer text here7 This developed into: Type 1 – policy agreements and commitments Type 2 were commitments and action-oriented multi- stakeholder platforms focused on deliverables and would contribute in translating political commitments into action.
  • 8.
    Commission on SustainableDevelopment 2003 Decision on Partnerships July 22, 2012 Footer text here8 Decides the criteria and guidelines for partnerships. Partnerships: • voluntary initiatives undertaken by Governments and relevant stakeholders • contribute to the implementation A21, JPoI; • not intended to substitute commitments made by Governments; • bear in mind the economic, social and environmental dimensions; • predictable and sustained resources for their implementation, should include the mobilization of new resources, and where relevant, should result in the transfer of technology to, and capacity-building in, developing countries; • designed and implemented in a transparent and accountable manner; • should be consistent with national laws and national strategies • providing information and reporting by partnerships registered with the CSD A report on Partnerships for Sustainable Development was produced in 2004, 2006,2008,2010.This was for the review years of the CSD. Partnership fairs were held at all CSD in the 2000’s
  • 9.
    United Nations PartnershipOffice 2006 July 22, 2012 Footer text here9 In 2006 the United Nations Office of Partnership (UNOP) was created to strengthen system-wide coherence in the establishment of operational relationships with global partners of the United Nations; to provide support for the United Nations Democracy Fund; and to support partnership initiatives from non-State actors or United Nations entities in the light of General Assembly resolutions on the importance of engaging public and private sector stakeholders in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, as well as the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
  • 10.
    ECOSOCO and UNGA July22, 2012 Footer text here10 ECOSOC 2008 starts its annual Partnership Forum around the delivery of the MDGs 2009 UNGA first revision of Guidelines between the UN and the BusinessCommunity – impact, transparency and accountability
  • 11.
    UN Conference onSustainable Development: Rio+20 July 22, 2012 Footer text here11 Rio+20 focused more on voluntary commitments some 700 were announced during the conference, rather than partnerships though some 207 were announced. 283.We welcome the commitments voluntarily entered into at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and throughout 2012 by all stakeholders and their networks to implement concrete policies, plans, programmes, projects and actions to promote sustainable development and poverty eradication. We invite the Secretary-General to compile these commitments and facilitate access to other registries that have compiled commitments, in an Internet-based registry.The registry should make information about the commitments fully transparent and accessible to the public, and it should be periodically updated.
  • 12.
    High Level PoliticalForum and SAMAO Pathway July 22, 2012 Footer text here12 2013The High Level Political Forum established mandate includes a ‘platform for partnerships SAMOA Pathway -The SIDSAction Platform has been developed to support the follow up to theThird International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS Conference), including through a partnerships platform, a partnerships framework, and a UN Implementation Matrix.
  • 13.
    2030 Agenda forSustainable Development 2015 July 22, 2012 Footer text here13 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries 17.17 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
  • 14.
    2015 UNGA Revisionof the Guidelines on Cooperation between the UN and the Private Sector July 22, 2012 Footer text here14 The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide a framework to facilitate the formulation and implementation of partnerships between the United Nations and the business sector while safeguarding the integrity, impartiality and independence of the United Nations and preventing and mitigating potential risks of adverse impacts on people and the environment. Only apply to the UN and separately administrated organs, Funds and Programmes – they are intended to serve as a common framework for the whole UN. For this workshop the sections that are relevant are the sections on General Principles: Integrity, advance UN Goals, delineate clear responsibilities and roles, ensure no unfair advantage, secure adequate partners, establish due diligence, accountability, transparency.
  • 15.
    Towards global partnership2015 resolution July 22, 2012 Footer text here15 Stresses the need for the United Nations system to develop, for those partnerships in which it participates, a common and systemic approach which places greater emphasis on transparency, coherence, impact, accountability and due diligence, without imposing undue rigidity in partnership agreements; Recognizes the contribution of partnerships to the realization of the goals and programmes of the Organization, and in this regard requests the Economic and Social Council to hold during its partnership forum to be held in 2016 a discussion on the best practices and ways to improve, inter alia, transparency, accountability and the sharing of experiences of multi-stakeholder partnerships and on the review and monitoring of these partnerships, including the role of Member States in review and monitoring;
  • 16.
    Felix Dodds Senior Fellowat the Global Research Institute University of North Carolina Kader Asmal (2000), who chaired theWorld Commission on Dams, “A parting warning: doing so [conducting an MSP] is never a neat, organized, tidy concerto. More often, the process becomes a messy, loose-knit, exasperating, sprawling cacophony. Like pluralist democracy, it is the absolute worst form of consensus- building except for all the others.”