Defining the private sector’s role in Sustainable Development Goals
Matthew Pace’s 7.15.15 piece in Sustaining Development, “The realities of achieving effective SDG partnerships,” sparked thoughts on principles I believe must guide and define the private sector’s involvement in developing and implementing strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
- DELIBERATE. Effective partnerships require a commitment to identify common and shared goals, clearly define roles and responsibilities and hold all collaborators accountable—including the private sector as well as government, NGOs, donors, multi-laterals, academia and communities involved.
- CREATIVE. Think beyond current models for private sector involvement—primarily focused on financial contributions—to a new role in developing sustainable products and services that generate employment and boost local economies.
- COHESIVE. The private sector has the opportunity to provide shared access to data, analytics and social collaboration tools to enable all stakeholders to track progress against goals.
I offer these three straightforward imperatives to the U.N. delegates as they prepare to meet in September to focus on strategies for action as a framework to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.