Strengthening the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem

The global challenges we face today are complex interconnected issues that, to be solved, require collaboration across sectors and organizations to support the emergence of innovative solutions through collective thinking and increased efficiency by sharing resources. Geneva, as the host city of many international and non-governmental organizations, plays a key role in nurturing an ecosystem conducive to collaboration for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Geneva ecosystem contains clear strengths that make it a unique environment for collaboration. These include the density and expertise of international organizations and non-governmental organizations; the inclination toward global issues; the operational focus of international organizations in the city; neutrality; and existing efforts for collaboration and innovation on topics related to the SDGs, such as the convening of the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem. However, there are also challenges to effective collaboration. These include varying degrees of institutional culture for innovation and resources allocated to collaboration, onerous bureaucratic processes, and duplication of efforts. This study posits that the lack of publicly accessible collaborative spaces in the Nations area for actors in this diverse ecosystem represents a significant challenge to realizing the full potential of collaboration in Geneva. This study aims to test the assumption that a new, publicly accessible collaboration space in the Nations area would enhance collaboration among stakeholders.