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Overview - Partnerships for the Goals

Overview - Partnerships for the Goals in Ireland

CSO statistical publication, , 11am

The CSO, through Ireland's Institute for SDGs (IIS), supports reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Goal 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

An overview of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs is outlined in this chapter.

Ireland’s official overseas development assistance (ODA) programme aims to reduce global poverty, hunger and humanitarian needs. We work, directly and through partners in more than 130 countries, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

Ireland is committed to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the shared blueprint, adopted by the international community in 2015, for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. In the policy document 'A Better World: Ireland’s Policy for International Development (2019)', we set out how our international development activity would contribute to realising these goals.

Ireland priorities are to:

  • Reduce humanitarian need
  • Support climate action
  • Promote gender equality
  • Strengthen governance

We provide aid to support the most vulnerable communities, and strive to create lasting improvements in the lives of those living in poverty. To these ends, we form partnerships with governments, international organisations, civil society groups, private sector organisations and international non-governmental organisations. We believe that global problems can be tackled most effectively through collective action.

In recent years, we have faced unprecedented challenges, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effects of climate change. This annual report highlights the work that Ireland is undertaking overseas, through our missions and embassies, to address these and other challenges.

SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

The SDGs provide the overarching framework for Ireland’s international development policy. Ireland’s development cooperation is directed at translating global commitments into tangible development impact. We will build on our track record in delivering for the poorest and most vulnerable to focus on the furthest behind first. The resounding support in the public consultations for a focus on the furthest behind first is our springboard for action and collaboration. In line with SDG 17 partnerships to achieve the goals, we will work to maintain the integrity of the concept of ODA, in particular its focus on poverty reduction. We recognise that there is much to do, and reaching those who have been left out of progress will be difficult. We will scale up our resources and our capacity to deliver on our ambition.

Prioritising gender equality, reducing humanitarian need, climate action and strengthening governance are key strategies for directing our development cooperation to the furthest behind first. Delivering on these priorities will define Ireland’s leadership and influence in multilateral spaces, inform our strategic choices around partnerships and interventions, and guide how we implement our development policy.  These choices will shape the evolution of our policy influence and how we scale up our bilateral interventions. Our benchmark for doing development differently will be our approach and impact on reaching the furthest behind.

Gender equality is fundamental for transformation and reaching the furthest behind first. We will have an overarching focus on women and girls in all of our partnerships and interventions. Women and girls remain hardest hit by the effects of extreme poverty, climate change and conflict. They are blocked from economic opportunity, and disempowered by the burden of unpaid care and domestic responsibilities.  They enjoy fewer legal rights and are politically under represented. Political participation of women is hindered by factors such as violence, poverty, lack of access to quality education and health care, and the double burden of paid and unpaid work. Women have poor maternal and reproductive health, unequal education levels, suffer from gender stereotypes, and are often excluded from digital and technological innovation. The proven social and economic return of investing in women and girls also makes a strong case for prioritising gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all facets of life.

Reducing humanitarian need means anticipating and responding to crises so as to protect the most vulnerable and those at risk. The needs of displaced people and people living in crises are complex, non-linear and evolving. It is not possible to draw a clear boundary between where humanitarian needs end and development needs begin. We will strengthen our efforts across our work to foster resilient livelihoods. Our track record on hunger, on resilience, and on conflict and fragility allows us to make effective links and develop innovative, flexible solutions to better connect our humanitarian response with interventions on sustainable development, disaster preparedness, conflict prevention, human rights, peace building and political solutions.

The catastrophic impact of climate change disproportionately affects those least prepared to anticipate, respond and adapt. Future-proofing all of our development cooperation will be an overarching priority. Our climate action will be explicitly tilted towards giving a global voice to those most at risk.  We recognise that these are people living in extreme poverty, in drought-prone areas, in low-lying coastal areas and Small Island Developing States, and in Least Developed Countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The effects of climate change on their lives can be devastating. The voices of those at the ‘frontlines’ of climate change need to inform action, and resources channelled to facilitate participative solutions.

Effective and accountable institutions, underpinned by strong governance and adherence to the rule of law, are central for the realisation of human rights and for enabling inclusive economic growth. The rule of law is fundamental to upholding human rights, strengthening accountability and fighting corruption.  Respect for international law, including human rights law and where applicable, international humanitarian law is vital to protect people and to enable humanitarian actors to safely access and assist populations in need. Directing our development cooperation towards reaching the furthest behind first, especially in fragile and conflict-affected states, demands that we engage with the local contexts and institutions that determine how development happens.  We recognise that civil society space is integral to the realisation of rights, through representation and participation, especially of those left behind.  Robust and accountable decision-making structures for allocating and targeting resources are the building blocks of an effective state and functioning markets.  Increasing restrictions on civil society space through legal, administrative and other measures undermines these structures. Strengthening governance and respect for human rights are fundamental to the achievement of the SDGs at national and sub-national level, and for delivering economic growth and transformation over the long term.

We will follow through on our commitment to the furthest behind first with the necessary policies, resources and tools to effectively tackle extreme poverty and inequality. Repositioning our development policy in this new context will require us to scale up our support across the priorities and to innovate, adapt and do things differently. We will work to increase our capacity, to strengthen coordination, to maximise our influence, to better communicate and to learn. Locating, identifying and supporting the furthest behind will rarely be straightforward, requiring us to increase our capacity to carry out better analysis, targeting and monitoring on poverty, vulnerability and gender; to balance cost and innovation; and to manage risk.  Fostering communities of practice across themes will generate deeper learning and understanding to underpin our evolving approach to empowering the furthest behind first. We will develop dedicated strategies and strengthen existing coordination across Government to champion these issues and influence policy-making internationally; to reinforce these priorities in all our partnerships and interventions; and to inform the expansion of our public engagement.

Further information is available from the Department of Foreign Affairs Irish Aid Annual Report 2021 and Irish Aid report; and the Government of Ireland A Better World - Ireland’s Policy for International Development report.