Partnerships, Practice & Global Goals

We are building partnerships that balance the rights of communities to determine their development pathways while contributing to collective goals. This requires a deeper analysis and understanding of disruptive forces, and what it means to take a different approach to development.

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Productive, respectful and equal partnerships underpin progress towards the 2030 Agenda and SDGs.

We are building partnerships that balance the rights of communities to determine their development pathways while contributing to collective goals. This requires a deeper analysis and understanding of disruptive forces, and what it means to take a different approach to development.

Facilitating UN collaboration across UNSW

The IGD is currently working towards the evential establishment of a whole-of-institution strategic partnership for advocacy and collaboration to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to social impact in the Indo Pacific region.

Our engagement with the UN is based on the following themes, which reflect UNSW's areas of expertise and the UN's priorities:

  • The intersection of public health, medicine & engineering
  • Disaster risk reduction & management
  • Disability action
  • Support for a regional COP bid.

Facilitating UN Collaboration across the Indo Pacific

India

The IGD was approached by the Indian government to explore the possibility of collaboration on the following research themes:

  • Defence & regional security
  • The climate crisis & disasters
  • Development challenges
  • The Indian Ocean.

We are currently developing proposals for further discussion.

Papua New Guinea

With the Australian Government's renewal of the nation's regional commitment and the recent classification of PNG as a country for priority engagement by the United States under its Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, the IGD has identified PNG as a priority country to deepen UNSW's engagement, synergising the work already being done in medicine & health, aquaculture, and other parts of the University. 

To begin with, the IGD is facilitating networking meetings among UNSW staff working in PNG, engaging with the UN in PNG, and is in discussion with a PNG expert to support the development of a joined-up workstream across UNSW.

Pacific

In September 2022, the IGD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute for Human Security and Social Change (IHSSC) at La Trobe University, Melbourne, based on a partnership that has been active since 2019. The IHSSC are catalysts for progressive social change and a resource for re-imagining how social change happens in Australia and the Pacific. This agreement will allow the IGD and IHSSC to combine our relative strengths and support each other to facilitate Pacific-led development and south-south linkages.

Notable research highlights and facilities

Australian Human Rights Institute

Established by UNSW in 2018 to create a world-class research institute focused on human rights, the Institute delivers multidisciplinary research that empowers communities and educates the next generation of human rights leaders.

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Diplomacy Training Program

The Diplomacy Training Program works in partnership with NGOs and movements investing together to provide practical advocacy training to human rights defenders. The DTP community is made up of DTP partners, alumni, trainers and supporters.

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Gendered Violence Research Network

The GVRN is a joint initiative of UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture and UNSW Law & Justice. The GVRN unites UNSW’s significant domestic and international research expertise to respond, prevent and end gendered violence in Australia and beyond.

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Global Ocean Accounts Partnership

UNSW hosts the GOAP Secretariat. GOAP is a global partnership established to bring together governments, international organisations, and research institutions to build a global community of practice for ocean accounting.

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Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership

The Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership (PBSP) is comprised of Pacific Island Countries pursuing an ambitious commitment of a 100% carbon-free maritime transport sector by 2050, including a 40% reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping by 2030.