Philanthropy, the 2030 Agenda and UN Diplomacy

Abstract

An increasing number of philanthropic organizations (inter alias, POs) are contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs and are involved with the multi-stakeholder process at the UN and other international Organisations. POs’ interest in participating in the SDG process has over the years increased due to the multiple crises that the world has to face caused by pandemics, war, food insecurity, poverty, and climate change. The interventions of POs are in general greatly appreciated but also questioned by some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who have some reservations about the intentions of POs. Within the family of UN agencies, several International Organizations (IOs) welcome POs and provide mechanisms of engagement (UN, UNDESA, UNDP, WHO). Some POs are taking part in the implementation of the SDGs and the related UN processes and are creating intermediary actors or organizations and platforms for greater scale and impact. Some POs are interested in creating a joint representation at the UN in the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). This new development is the subject matter of this short commentary.