Three years since the 2030 Agenda agreement, Development Partnerships (DPs) have only made slight progress in putting to flesh the commitments on establishing multi-stakeholder partnerships as one of the critical means for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Seven CPDE regions implemented the Regional Observatorio projects to monitor the effectiveness of DPs and the application of effective development cooperation (EDC) principles at the regional levels. Of particular interest to civil society is the establishment of a database of good practices in the implementation of the SDGs, particularly, SDG 16 (peaceful communities) and 17 (partnerships).
The results of the Regional Observatorios were shared by the implementers during the All Secretariats’ Meeting last June 4-6 in Beirut, Lebanon. Highlights of the projects are:
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The Africa region conducted a capacity-building activities that enhanced CSOs capacities to monitor the effectiveness of GPEDC’s implementation of the Nairobi Outcome Document (NOD). The advocacy work will be a continuing effort as the GPEDC Global Action Plan (GAP) rolls out in 2018.
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The Asia region also conducted capacity-building activities that enhanced CSOs skills and understanding of effective development cooperation, development finance institutions, and multilateral development banks. The output ADB: Mi(shaping) Development Cooperation and Effectiveness in Asia Pacific: A CSO Review of ADB’s Development Effectiveness informed that ADB will need to align its efforts to EDC principles, most especially in adhering to the aid and development effectiveness (ADE) commitments made from previous high-level forums.
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The Europe region conducted two researches to monitor DPs. Firstly, the region found that CSO-donor relationships in the Black Sea sub-region had been largely limited to the CSOs with existing work with donor governments or are working on the development priorities of the donor government or funding institution. Such conditions presented challenges for CSOs to advocate for and realise their own effectiveness. Another research on the development effectiveness of EU’s Digitalisation for Development, which emphasised data privatisation implying a monopoly in data generation, processing, and distribution.
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Similar research efforts were made by the Latin America and Caribbean region focusing on the effectiveness of South-South Cooperation and regional cooperation for SDG implementation. The preliminary findings of the researches emphasised a continuous lack of institutionalised mechanisms for CSO participation, most especially in terms of implementing and monitoring the 2030 Agenda.
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The capacity-building activities of the Middle East and North Africa region enhanced the research capacities of CSOs to monitor the adherence of DPs in EDC principles, particularly in terms of fostering positive conditions for CSO participation in the 2030 Agenda implementation and monitoring. The CSO civic space monitor assessed the inclusiveness of DPs in the region, drawing from the experiences of five stronghold countries of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Morocco.
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The North America region also conducted a research on the relationship between the academe and CSOs in developing regional policies for development. Noting the important role of the North American academia in the policy development processes, the region found the necessity to establish a baseline on this relationship. The research findings concluded that a strengthened collaboration should be made between the academe and CSOs in realising their independent development initiatives.
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The Pacific region also conducted a regional monitoring of the 2030 Agenda effectiveness through the SDG Barometer. Linked to the Agenda 2030 work of the region, the SDG Barometer became an innovative tool that was seen as a vital input to developing the roadmap for SDG implementation and monitoring in the Pacific, most specifically in five countries of the region.
The implementation of the Regional Observatorio was supported by the European Commission and the Swedish International Development Agency.
For inquiries, contact Marc Adrian Ignacio, CPDE Global Secretariat EC-SIDA Project Manager thru mignacio@csopartnership.org