Multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaboration to accelerate the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals

The New Urban Agenda, endorsed in 2016 during the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development (Habitat III), emphasized the importance of developing and implementing urban policies through local, national, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, building integrated systems of cities and human settlements, and promoting cooperation among all levels of government to enable the achievement of sustainable and integrated urban development, along with enhanced international cooperation and partnerships among governments at all levels, the private sector, civil society, the United Nations system, and other actors.

While agendas for sustainable development are primarily negotiated and endorsed by national governments, their implementation rests on local action and the creation of effective multi-stakeholder partnerships across government levels and diverse sectors, including local and sub-national governments, the private sector, academia, NGOs, civil society, and local communities. Moreover, at least 105 of the 169 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets will not be reached without effective engagement and coordination with local and regional governments.

To effectively achieve SDG localization and integrated solutions across SDG targets, UN agencies and development partners rely on collaborations across government levels, along with national and sub-national stakeholders. Within the UN system, several UN agencies are partnering to combine their expertise and provide holistic solutions to SDG localization. UNDP and UN-Habitat’s Enhanced Collaborative Framework supports the capacities of cities and local governments in developing National Urban Policies (NUPs), effective financing frameworks, climate action commitments, innovative digital technologies, and integrated approaches to urban resilience. The Local2030 Coalition is a UN-system wide platform and network to accelerate SDG localization and engage with local actors on SDG achievement.

This event aims to explore multi-stakeholder partnerships, governance mechanisms, innovative initiatives, best practices, and collaboration across UN agencies that are pooling together their expertise to offer integrated solutions on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the local level. It will bring together perspectives across UN agencies, national governments, local and regional governments, civil society, NGOs, academia, the private sector, and other development partners on effective strategies to foment partnerships and collaboration across organizations, including within the UN system, development agencies, national and sub-national governments, and stakeholders in cities and communities around the world to accelerate SDG localization and implementation.