Intersection Ideagen
Exclusive Ideagen Blog Talk Radio Interviews
Annette Richardson: Senior Advisor and Acting Chief of Office of the United Nations
Everybody is familiar with the United Nations. But for those readers who might be unfamiliar with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, could you please outline the major goals and aims of your work?
Richardson: The United Nations office of partnership was created as a result of Ted Turners 1 Billion US$ gift to the UN. This is a historic gift by an individual. We focus on promoting valuable alliances and multi-stakeholder partnerships worldwide. We work with cooperations, philanthropic foundations and civil society. We leverage their skill and leadership in management, technology and innovation to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). We have provided support to some new initiatives founded by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. We also offer convening platforms for policy dialogues to address global challenges. They range from children’s health to empowerment of women, sustainable energy, and education. This is a large scale of issues we tackle through multi-stakeholder partnerships. The United Nations Office of Partnerships also oversees the United Nations Democracy fund.
What are the most important achievements the Office of Partnerships has reached so far?
Richardson: The strategic partnerships and the level of convening we have been able to achieve through some of our most loyal partners. We have been able to create some signature events that have yield tremendous impact in terms of networking. Also private sectors and foundations then show what has been done in the marketplace.
recent years.
One of your priorities is to reach the Millennium Development Goals - can you update us on how far you have come and what the most recent improvement have been? How have cross-sector partnerships been involved in reaching the MDG?
Richardson: This is actually an interesting question. Obviously we are almost a year out, as MDG were planned up to 2015 and we have developed an accelerating plan to reach some of the most pressing issues. We have made great strides especially on the forefront of global health and diseases and vaccines in cooperation with foundations. In other areas, such as maternal newborn and child health, we have not been as successful, unfortunately. It was important that when Kofi Annan launched the MDGs back in 2000 to set a framework for the multi-stakeholders to get engaged for these very ambitious goals. We were able to work towards these very specific goals including the member states as well as private sector partners. The United Nations are launching the next phase into the Sustainable Development Goals which will launch next year at the next general assembly overlooking the next 15 years of goals. New goals will come in, others that have not been reached will remain. This is a continued process and important platform for collaborations.
You have extensive experience in facilitating cross-sector partnerships. Can you tell us
relationships. Can you tell us
how this area has developed in recent years?
Richardson: Cross-sector partnerships are the some of the most important areas right now in the global development arena. There is no doubt today that whether you are a company, individual, or member of global international institution, everybody is looking at global development and everybody wants to participate. Today, the marketplace has taken itself to be really involved and educated around the issues and involved in partnership building with the international institutions. What has changed is, as the marketplace has moved into emerging economies, there exists a conscious decision to be informed. Participants look into what the challenges are and how can global and private sectors advance in these issues. But this is just the early stage of cross-sector partnerships. The UN cannot do it alone and the marketplace neither can do it alone and civil society still plays a role. This type of tri-sector partnership will be important.
8 Magazine / October 2014