Multi-Sector Partnerships for Inclusive Development: Examples from the Information Technology and Extractive Industries Sectors in Asia and the Pacific

Greener P¹*

1. The Foundation for Development Cooperation, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

It is clear that multi-stakeholder partnerships are increasingly being advocated as an approach to sustainable development, reflecting gathering consensus that the scale and complexities of sustainable development require the full involvement of all sectors of society – government, business and civil society. But what is really meant by the term is much less clear. And action tends to lag behind rhetoric.

To begin with, all of the major terms (including “stakeholder”, “partnership”, “sustainable” and “development”) tend mean different things to people from different sectors. There is also comparatively little firm evaluative evidence of the added value of a partnership approach, nor analysis of the factors that contribute to effective partnerships – although work in both of these areas is growing rapidly. This presentation will take a look at the principles and practice of effective partnerships for inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific, drawing on examples from the sectors of information and communications technology and extractive industries.