Abstract
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that the achievement of sustainable development is a shared responsibility among all countries and among all actors from the public and the private sectors. How the world would look like in 2030 will greatly depend on how different development actors come together, and how they find new ways of partnering. The SDG Fund supports the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development by implementing the innovative joint programmes and focuses on public–private partnerships to accelerate the achievement of SDGs in more than 20 countries. The SDG Fund promotes the universality of action where all actors need to play a role by engaging two new actors that are gaining new ground with the SDGs: private sector and universities. The goal of this paper is to analyze the experience of the SDG Fund to accelerate progress towards the SDGs through the partnerships with new development actors. The paper will analyze the innovative approach to work with new partners (private sector and universities) and their contribution to the SDGs. The methodology of this paper is based on case study analysis of innovative on-going joint programmes of the SDG Fund in three countries: Peru, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. Private sector has a critical role to play in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs by promoting public–private partnerships, social investments and corporate social responsibility. Promotion of greater participation of universities for the achievement of the SDGs through their involvement in development projects is another initiative of the SDG Fund. Under the universality approach, the main objective of the SDG Fund is to bring together UN agencies, national governments, civil society, and academia as well as business to address the challenges of sustainable development. Results from monitoring reports of the SDG Fund in Peru, Sri Lanka and Sierra Leone demonstrated how integrated efforts of new development actors can contribute towards a common goal. Through public–private partnerships, the private sector and universities are directly involved in carrying out important programme activities to increase the ownership and sustainability of development results. Practical examples and success stories of the SDG Fund working with the private sector and universities clearly demonstrate that participation of these actors has tremendous potential to contribute to the SDGs. Moreover, the contributions of these development actors, according to their area of competence, expertise and capacity, increase national ownership and sustainability of results. The findings of qualitative analysis suggest that there is a need to continue engaging new partners and pilot innovative initiatives of the SDG Fund have high potential to be replicated and scaled up. Therefore, the SDG Fund has a unique role in the transformation of the international partnerships landscape by bringing new actors to support sustainable development activities. This paper will be useful to academics, researchers and development practitioners around the world to raise awareness about the universality of the 2030 agenda and the role of the private sector and universities to play in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs.
The views of this paper do not necessarily reflect the official position of the UN or the SDG Fund.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1. UN Doc. A/RES/70/1 (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Art. 21. 2015.
- 2.
UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1. UN Doc. A/RES/70/1 (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Preamble 2015.
- 3.
The Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund) was created in 2014 for the implementation of the new agenda 2030. Multi donor and multi-agency mechanism is currently working in 22 countries, with 14 agencies of the UN and directly improving the lives of more than 1.4 million people (2016). More information about the Fund can be found in its webpage: http://www.sdgfund.org/about-us.
- 4.
The SDG Fund’ innovative approach to advance the SDGs is to bring both traditional partners such as the UN agencies, national governments, civil society and non-traditional partners such as the private sector and the universities.
- 5.
UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1. UN Doc. A/RES/70/1 (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Article 67.
- 6.
Secretary-General’s remarks at the United Nations Private Sector Forum United Nations Private Sector Forum. September 26th, 2015.
- 7.
Please consult the following website for more information: http://www.sdgfund.org/sdg-fund-private-sector-advisory-group.
- 8.
UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1. UN Doc. A/RES/70/1 (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- 9.
Please consult the following website for more information: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/education-2030-framework-for-action/.
- 10.
Please consult the following website for more information: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdinaction/hesi.
- 11.
Please consult the following website for more information: http://www.sdgfund.org/economic-inclusion-and-sustainable-development-andean-grain-producers-ayacucho-and-puno.
- 12.
Please consult the following website for more information: http://www.sdgfund.org/current-programmes/sri-lanka/scaling-nutrition-through-multi-sector-approach.
- 13.
Please consult the following website for more information: http://www.sdgfund.org/current-programmes/sierra-leone/enabling-sustainable-livelihoods-through-improved-natural-resource-governance-and-economic.
References
BBC News. (2017). Sierra Leone Pastor finds huge diamond in Kono. March 16, 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39289749.
Brolan, C. E. (2016). A word of caution: Human rights, disability, and implementation of the post-2015. Sustainable development goals. Laws, 5, 22. http://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/5/2/22.
Coonrod, J. (2014). MDGs to SDGs: Top 10 differences. August 8, 2014. The Hunger Project. https://advocacy.thp.org/2014/08/08/mdgs-to-sdgs/.
Eggler, M. (2016). 2030 Agenda and private sector. June 30, 2016. Bern: Alliance Sud. http://www.alliancesud.ch/en/politics/agenda-2030/global-implementation/2030-agenda-and-private-sector.
Feagin, J., Orum, A., & Sjoberg, G. (Eds.). (1991). A case for case study. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
Mohamedbhai, G. (2015). SDGs—A unique opportunity for universities. University World News, Issue No: 392.
O’Keeffe, P. (2016). The role of Ethiopia’s public universities in achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals. International Review of Education, 62(6), 791–813.
Pogge, T. (2004). Assisting the global poor. In Deen K. Chatterjee (Ed.), The ethics of assistance: Morality and the distant needy (pp. 260–288). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Price Waterhouse Coopers. (2015). Make it your business: Engaging with the sustainable development goals. London: Price Water House Cooper.
Roberts, L., & Ajai-Ajagbe, P. (2013). Higher education and the millennium development goals: Where are we coming from, and where are we going?. London: The Association of Commonwealth Universities.
SDG Fund. (2016a). Universality and the SDGs: A business perspective. New York: Sustainable Development Goals Fund. http://www.sdgfund.org/universality-and-sdgs.
SDG Fund. (2016b). Monitoring report in Peru. New York: Sustainable Development Goals Fund.
SDG Fund. (2016c). Monitoring report in Sri Lanka. New York: Sustainable Development Goals Fund.
SDG Fund. (2016d). Monitoring report in Sierra Leone. New York: Sustainable Development Goals Fund.
SDG Fund, Harvard Kennedy School CSR Initiative and Inspiris Limited. (2015). Business and the United Nations: Working together towards the sustainable development goals: A framework for action. New York: Sustainable Development Goals Fund. https://www.sdgfund.org/sites/default/files/business-and-un/SDGF_BFP_HKSCSRI_Business_and_SDGs-Web_Version.pdf.
The Guardian. (2017). Pastor unearths 706-carat giant diamond in Sierra Leone. March 16, 2017 (Thursday). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/16/pastor-unearths-giant-diamond-sierra-leone.
UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/70/1. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. October 21, 2015. New York: United Nations Assembly Resolution. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E.
UN Global Compact. (2015). The SDG compass. The guide on business actions on the SDGs. New York: United Nations Global Compact. http://sdgcompass.org/.
UN Global Compact. (2016). The corporate action group for reporting on the sustainable development goals. An action platform to help shape the future of corporate reporting on the SDGs. New York: United Nations Global Compact. https://www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/GRI%20UNGC%20Corporate%20Action%20Group%20(002).pdf.
UNCTAD. (2014). World investment report 2014: Investing in the SDGs: An action plan. In United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. New York/Geneva: United Nations Publications.
Warden, R. (2015). UN development goals—A bigger role for universities? University World News. Issue No: 386.
WFP. (2012). Food security in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. A comprehensive food security assessment report. Rome: World Food Programe.
World Bank. (2013). World development report: Jobs. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2017). Report: CEO Guide to the sustainable development goals. Geneva: World Business Council for Sustainable Development. http://www.wbcsd.org/Overview/Resources/General/CEO-Guide-to-the-SDGs.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Duran y Lalaguna, P., Dorodnykh, E. (2018). The Role of Private–Public Partnerships in the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals: Experience from the SDG Fund. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63007-6_60
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63007-6_60
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63006-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63007-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)