Bienvenidos a las Naciones Unidas
What is it?
The principle of collaboration holds that, to address problems of common interest, institutions at all levels of government and in all sectors should work together and jointly with non-State actors towards the same end, purpose and effect.
Why is it important?
The successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda will require effective collaboration between all relevant actors - Government entities at all levels as well as Government and non-Government actors – reversing “working in silos” tendencies and fostering whole of government and whole of society approaches. The 2030 Agenda specifically calls for multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to support the achievement of the SDGs in all countries, in particular developing countries. It also encourages and promotes effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.
Commonly used strategies
Commonly used strategies include centre of government coordination under the Head of State or Government, collaboration, coordination, integration and dialogue across levels of government and functional areas, raising awareness of the SDGs, network-based governance and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
What are some key insights for governments?
The implementation of the SDGs and other recent experiences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have shown that governments will not be able to deliver on their commitments and provide necessary services if they continue to work in silos. Building institutionalized spaces for collaboration across all levels of government and with different stakeholders is part of the equation. For the SDGs, several countries have established SDG coordination structures which frequently have subsidiary bodies, such as working groups or committees. To respond to the pandemic, some countries have created ad hoc multilevel committees or adopted other forms of collaboration, while deploying extra capacities. In order to enhance resilience, it might be beneficial to retain such institutional mechanisms in standby mode, ready to be used again when needed.