The world gathered for the 2016 Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in July. Participants at the two-day forum focused on the immense potential of development cooperation as a lever for achieving the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

“The DCF has helped give shape to our revitalized global partnership for sustainable development for mobilizing financing and other means of implementation,” ECOSOC President Oh Joon said in his opening remarks.

The DCF took place as part of the annual high-level segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and highlighted trends and progress in international development cooperation.

It is the culmination of two years’ worth of extensive preparatory work, including research and analysis; communication and outreach; and three symposia held in the Republic of Korea, Uganda and Belgium, to advance global dialogue on development cooperation in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By providing an interactive platform for nations and organizations, the DCF brings together a diverse group of stakeholders from government, research, civil society, business and multilateral organizations to identify challenges and exchange ideas on innovative practices for enhancing the impact of development cooperation for the new universal and integrated Agenda.

“By aligning priorities and Goals we can create opportunities for everyone to benefit from sustainable development, and not least – seeing the extremely high value of the interdependence between the Goals – the mutually reinforcing nature of the Goals,” Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said during the opening session.

The 2016 DCF provided policymakers working at local, national, regional and international levels with renewed perspective and concrete policy guidance on implementation, financing and monitoring of SDG progress. The DCF will carry forward these deliberations in the months ahead as it continues to support a strong global partnership for development that leaves no one behind.