Collaboration for a better future – an SDG Alliance in Aotearoa New Zealand

The acceleration of an SDG Alliance was a key outcome of the 2021 SDG Summit. The session, “Collaborating for a Better Future – Forming an SDG Alliance for Aotearoa through Collective of Pou Approach” had 250 people attending, and delved deeper into the proposed SDG Alliance and how it might operate in practice. For those who wish to be part of the on-going journey and development of the SDG Alliance, please see:

Karanga Ki Te Hohenga/Call to Action

Tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector, business, academia and some participating government agencies have looked to civil society to coordinate and collate a national response in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and required system-level actions. The formation of the SDG Alliance is our collective response to this need. 

The proposed format and structure of an SDG Alliance is the result of kōrero, papamahi (workshops), and rangahau (research) undertaken by Hui E! and partner organisations over the past 12 months.

Tauākī Whāinga/Statement of Intent

The Statement of Intent sets out the Alliance’s commitment to working under a Te Tiriti o Waitangi Relationship Framework and identifies key objectives and outcomes.

Tūāpapa/Foundation

The SDG Alliance model is founded on a Te Tiriti o Waitangi Relationship Framework, which recognises the special place of Indigenous Tangata Whenua in Aotearoa and the rights and responsibilities associated with that.

This sets the tikanga for the Alliance and ensures a two-world view of its strategies, tikanga, policies, procedures, kawa and practices is woven into all levels of the Alliance.

Whakatakoto/Structure

A whare represents the structure of a human anatomy. The Pou within the whare are designed to hold the Tahuhu, the backbone of the whare. This provides the strength and foundations. If the Pou collapses the whole whare collapses.

Applying this concept, a Pou will be dedicated to one or a cluster of each SDGs or particular functions of the alliance. Organisations / individuals will support their Pou in understanding, advancing and advocating for a fair and just society by providing information, data, case studies and tautoko for collective cohesion.

Through rangatiratanga each Pou will operate uniquely but through kotahitanga we will be moving in the same direction, together.

Whakaaturanga/Image

Additional Resources

● Officer of the Auditor General Report: The Government’s preparedness to achieve the SDGs (August 2021)

● NZ’s People’s Report on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs (November 2019)

● SDG Alliance Statement of Intent (June 2021)

● Workshop 1: Update: Accelerating the SDG progress through an SDG Alliance – Hui E! Community Aotearoa; Download our presentation slides (June 2021)

● Workshop 2: Update 2: Accelerating the SDG progress through an SDG Alliance – Hui E! Community Aotearoa; Download our presentation slides (June 2021)

● Learn more about the 17 SDG Goals: THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (un.org)

SDG Summit 2021

Read our SDG Alliance Participant Briefing here

Hui E! presented at the SDG Summit on 2 September 2021. We delved deeper into the proposed Aotearoa SDG Alliance and how it might operate in practice. We also put out the call to action for those interested in actively participating in the SDG Alliance.

You can now watch the recording of our huitopa here

The SDG Declaration was officially launched at the 2021 SDG Summit. The SDG Declaration recognises the urgent need to foster collaboration and support pathways towards the SDGs in Aotearoa, with Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpinning our actions. The SDG Declaration is still open to be signed by individuals & organisations who want to declare their intention to collaborate to realise the SDGs in Aotearoa. 190 individuals and organisations have signed their commitment so far. You can see the Aotearoa SDG Declaration and digitally sign here.

We thank the Waikato Wellbeing Project, the New Zealand Coalition to End Homelessness, and Te Puna Oranga o Ōtaki for partnering with us for this SDG Alliance mahi.