DIIS Report

Multi-stakeholder partnerships in Danish development policy

Balancing poverty reduction, sustainable development and global public goods

The world faces a multitude of global problems, on top of the need for poverty eradication. Climate change, natural disasters, state collapse, illicit capital flows, refugees and increasing inequality present new challenges to the international community. They require joint action for the provision of global public goods (GPGs).

International multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) have arisen as institutions of development cooperation in health, environment, human rights etc., because of the need to mobilize public and private actors and resources beyond official development assistance (ODA). However, MSPs are still dominated by the North, i.e. donor governments, international NGOs and organizations. MSPs are even opposed by governments of developing countries for their lack of democratic accountability. Through fragmentation, MSPs may have undermined the effectiveness and legitimacy of international development cooperation. Despite their promise of innovative financing and resource mobilization, most development oriented MSPs remain dependent on ODA.

A new DIIS report by Poul Engberg-Pedersen presents four ways to make better use of MSPs:

  • MSPs should focus on the overlap between poverty eradication, sustainable development and related global public goods.
  • MSPs should deliver where the needs are greatest and the potential impact of ODA is highest, that is, in the sixty least developed countries (LDCs) and fragile states.
  • MSPs should use ODA catalytically, e.g. using payments by results for services delivered.
  • MSPs should offer a new narrative for international development cooperation which recognizes the interdependence of sustainable development with the provision of global public goods.

It should be a defining principle of ODA-supported MSPs that they move beyond commitments, knowledge and norms into actual service delivery documented through tangible outcomes for poverty eradication and sustainable development on the ground.

The paper suggests political and practical steps to make the role of MSPs in Denmark’s development policy more systematic and transparent. Danish politicians should take the lead in a conversation and new narrative on Danish development cooperation which recognizes the need to deal with multi-dimensional sustainable development and global public goods of direct significance for poverty eradication in the poorest countries.

Regions
Denmark
Poverty reduction, sustainable development and global public goods
multi-stakeholder partnerships in Danish development policy