How do we ensure that development is truly sustainable? In this of all years, the question is surely at the forefront of many minds among the global development community as it embarks on a process of finalizing a post-2015 agenda and its associated sustainable development goals.
The first step is of course to recognize each and everyone’s share, interests and stake in the “business” of development, as well their potential added value in contributing toward making it more sustainable.
One way to get the most out of a multistakeholder engagement in sustainable development is to provide the space to work together on policies. In the case of Botswana, where Devex recently attended the Annual Democracy Forum 2014, the government had set up a specific cross-ministries technical working group open to civil society and the private sector. This, Devex learned, was aimed at ensuring that the concept of sustainability is mainstreamed within the 11th National Development Plan and its new vision beyond 2016, currently under elaboration.
About the author
Sibylle Koenig
Sibylle Koenig is a development consultant and policy adviser with 10 years of experience in managing, monitoring and evaluating international aid programs and grant schemes, as well as advocacy. She has worked for a variety of organizations, including the European Commission, U.N. and bilateral aid agencies and NGOs in Latin America (4 years) and Europe, with extensive work travel to Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Kenya, Botswana) and Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, South Korea).
