Private Sector Engagement through South-South Cooperation for the SDGs

Private Sector Engagement through South-South Cooperation for the Sustainable Development Goals 

The role of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) in sustainable development is increasing substantially. In like manner, the private sector’s engagement in sustainable development is growingly contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SSTC is enriching and diversifying development efforts and means through a variety of flexible cooperation modalities, such as knowledge exchanges, technology transfers, mutual learning, peer-to-peer support and innovative financing. The private sector’s engagement can further expand and enhance the outreach of the SSTC.

IICPSD supports companies in tailoring their business models to respond to sustainable development needs by identifying and promoting best practices within the framework of South-South Cooperation to achieve the SDGs.

IICPSD supports companies in tailoring their business models to respond to sustainable development needs by identifying and promoting best practices within the framework of South-South Cooperation to achieve the SDGs.

Private sector engagement in development and economic cooperation provides significant impact through its agility, innovative spirit, and efficiency.

When companies engage with low-income communities they can achieve greater financial and social impact.

Inclusive business models engage low-income communities in their value chain as suppliers, distributors, employees, retailers or customers

IICPSD provides evidence-based research to identify good practices to be replicated and scaled-up in LDCs and emerging markets, while providing technical assistance and capacity building activities and building multi-stakeholder partnerships to engage and harness private sector in leveraging sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities.

Our Work

Under this thematic area, IICPSD focuses on three main sub-themes:

      I.         Promotion of Best Practices in Private Sector

The SDGs acknowledge that private sector has a major role to play in the pursuit of Agenda 2030, due to its strengths in terms of growth, job creation, innovative capacity in addition to its financial and technical resources. Private sector engagement in development and economic cooperation provides significant impact through its agility, innovative spirit, and efficiency.

IICPSD, in partnership with Uluslararası Sağlık Hizmetleri A.Ş (USHAŞ), developed the project for Establishing and Building Local Capacity in Production of Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) through South-South Cooperation to respond to the need of personal protection equipment (PPE) due to COVID-19, Through this project, IICPSD works on leveraging and replicating PPE production technical know-how of Turkey through South-South cooperation and will aim to facilitate replication of best practices from countries like Vietnam to Africa.

In partnership with GENSED and UNDP Country Offices in Africa, IICPSD propagates Solar Solutions in Africa through Private Sector Engagement to address the energy needs of emerging markets, particularly in Africa. An extensive market study has been conducted to identify sustainable investment and business opportunities in African solar energy industry. The results were shared with Turkish solar companies on the 9th of May 2019.

     II.         Inclusive Business

Inclusive business models engage low-income communities in their value chain as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or customers while providing solutions to global challenges. Companies benefit from providing access to new markets, generating new profit areas, and fueling innovations and productivity. Many companies collaborate with non-traditional partners, including non-profits and governmental organizations to engage with low-income communities, for greater financial and social impact.

IICPSD supports companies in tailoring their business models to respond to development needs by raising private sector awareness around development challenges. Realizing the mutual benefit of inclusive business for both the disadvantaged and the private sector, IICPSD conducts research, advances regional value chains and supports governments in creating better policies that foster an enabling environment for inclusive business practices.

UNDP IICPSD and the World Bank developed an Inclusive Business Framework under the leadership of G20 Turkish Presidency, to promote government support and creation of business activities that help low-income communities, following the endorsement by the G20 countries in 2015, which represented 80 percent of the world economy. A global platform has been launched to support national policies and policy makers. IICPSD continues to provide support to G20 Presidencies to consolidate Inclusive Business as a key modality. Most importantly, the Center provides ‘Operational Guidance’ to governments, business companies and investors to identify Inclusive Businesses more effectively and consistently.

IICPSD hosts a global initiative on inclusive business – Business Call to Action (BCtA), which challenges companies to develop inclusive business models that engage the BoP as consumers, producers, suppliers, distributors of goods and services and employees. A total of 257 member companies, ranging from multinationals to social enterprises, and working 73 countries have responded to the BCtA by committing to improve the lives and livelihoods of millions in developing countries through access to markets, financial services, affordable healthcare, water and sanitation, education and other critical services.

IICPSD also carries out Business+ studies on inclusive business models in focus countries. Previous studies include the Business+ study in Turkey, Brazil, and the Philippines. This Business+ methodology aims to analyse the state of inclusive business in countries and provides specific recommendations which could be useful for policymakers, business leaders and development practitioners in their efforts to advance inclusive business practices and the role of the private sector in development.

infographic inclusive business

  III.         Harnessing the Role of Private Sector for Inclusive Urbanization

The world is experiencing an unprecedented transition from predominantly rural to urban living. The challenges of sustainable development will increasingly be concentrated in cities, and lower middle-income countries where the pace of population growth and urbanization is fastest. The rapid rate of urbanization globally makes cities critical entry points to address development challenges.

IICPSD, under its Harnessing the Role of Private Sector for Inclusive Urbanization portfolio, provides evidence-based research to identify good practices to be replicated and scaled-up in LDCs and emerging markets, while providing technical assistance and capacity building activities and building multi-stakeholder partnerships to engage and harness private sector in leveraging sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities.

IICPSD also hosts a training program; the “Municipal Enterprises for Local Authorities (MELA)”, which is structured as a rigorous technical modular seminar providing background on key concepts and recent trends in urbanization and describing how cities can be governed by an inclusive way. The program also explains the different modalities of private sector engagement in basic municipal services and gives and comprehensive understanding of the legal framework. (For further details please contact ayana.karsli@undp.org)

IICPSD also conducts the research on Medical Waste Ecosystem in Turkey: Lessons learnt during COVID-19 in partnership with UNDP Turkey.