Based on their findings from the D1 research project, Dr. Marianne Beisheim and Dr. Nils Simon authored a background paper for UNDESA about enhancing the accountability and transparency of multi-stakeholder partnerships. These partnerships are a central instrument for implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Nils Simon presented the findings during the ECOSOC Partnership Forum on 31 March 2016 in New York.

Titled „Multi-stakeholder Partnerships for Implementing the 2030 Agenda: Improving Accountability and Transparency“, the background paper distinguishes various types of multi-stakeholder partnerships and identifies factors that help or hurt their success. It shortly recaps the history of the UN’s involvement in those partnerships and points out recent developments regarding their role in the context of the 2003 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Moreover, the paper outlines a variety of options for improving the overall governance and in particular the accountability, transparency, and measurement of results of multi-stakeholder partnerships at the UN.

A draft version of the paper was presented by Marianne Beisheim and Nils Simon and discussed at an Expert Group Meeting on 5-6 February 2016 in New York, organized by UNDESA. On 2 March 2016, Marianne Beisheim and Felix Dodds carried out a Webinar with 70 participants to present and discuss the outcomes of the Expert Group Meeting.

The Paper is online at the ECOSOC Partnership Forum website and can be retrieved here. A video stream of the presentation by Nils Simon and subsequent panel discussion can be found at UN Web TV.