Read our op-ed in the sustainable development media Impakter
Collaboration and multi-stakeholder partnerships have now become overused terms, new fashionable expressions adopted by companies, public institutions and the non-profit ecosystem. They have been presented as the answer to the demands of a growingly complex world and to the challenges of truly sustainable and universal development.
In a constantly evolving world, it is essential to promote a convergent mobilisation of all stakeholders and a cross-fertilisation between the different categories of actors. It is a matter of contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at our respective scales and collectively, reflecting and acting together to respond to the seemingly contradictory demand for a world without poverty, and that for a carbon-free world.
Demographic growth, exponential urbanisation, global warming, wars and conflicts, terrorism, increasing global inequalities … It is in this context and in the face of these challenges that multi-actor partnerships have grown in size and numbers in the last years. Unsurprisingly, the simple sectoral solutions proposed to address these challenges have clearly failed. Indeed, silo action has for corollary a duplication of efforts, a loss of efficiency and productivity, and even power struggles in some cases.
“Alone, we go fast, together we go far”. Partnerships between a variety of actors to promote sustainable finance, technological advances, and capacity building – all of which are SDGs Targets – is a requirement for success. When it comes to the issues facing our generations and our planet, the truth is that none of us can address them alone.