• The II Forum Allies for the 2030 Agenda is constituted as a space for dialogue that values the commitment and leadership of third sector entities as fundamental allies in sustainability, with an orientation towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
• 29% of the SDGs have been very negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and 47% could be negatively impacted by the pandemic in the near future, highlights Forética's report 'The time for the necessary transformation - Agenda 2030 as a roadmap for global recovery'
• In this context, third sector organizations in partnership with companies have implemented new forms of collaboration, involving different actors and organizations, which have led to agile, resilient and effective responses.

Forética, a leading business organization in the field of Sustainability in Spain, delves into the importance of high-impact partnerships between third sector entities and companies for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. In the framework of the II Forum Allies for the 2030 Agenda, organized today by Forética under the title 'Achieving the SDGs in times of COVID-19', the commitment and leadership of third sector entities as fundamental allies in sustainability has been highlighted.

As highlighted by the Forética report under the title 'The time for the necessary transformation - Agenda 2030 as a guide for global recovery', 29% of the SDGs have been very negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, including SDG 1 -end of poverty-, SDG 2 -zero hunger- and SDG 10 -reduction of inequalities. In addition, 47% of the SDGs could be negatively impacted by the pandemic in the near future, such as SDG 4 - quality education - or SDG 5 - gender equality.

In this context, third sector entities have implemented new forms of collaboration, involving different agents and organizations, which have given rise to agile, resilient and effective responses, with common objectives and obtaining a very positive impact at the health and social level.

Germán Granda, CEO of Forética, states: "We are at the moment of the necessary transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The social and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 has increased and generated new challenges in terms of sustainability that all stakeholders will have to respond to in the so-called 'Decade of Action'. It has also reflected how the most vulnerable and socially excluded people have seen the inequality that affects them increase. Only by sharing between companies and third sector organizations the lessons learned from the collaborations that have been put in place (before and during the pandemic), can we both leverage the strengths and take advantage of the opportunities to contribute forcefully to the achievement of the SDGs".

In the context of the crisis caused by COVID-19, Foretica's third sector partners offered their experience and capacity to work together to facilitate and nurture the dialogue towards a new social, environmental and economic gear, with the aim of responding to the effects of the pandemic in all its dimensions, as well as mitigating them and anticipating the reaction to future emergencies.

In the document 'Future of Sustainability: New challenges in the face of COVID-19', produced within the framework of Forética's 'Future of Sustainability' project, the third sector organizations that form part of Forética propose three lines of action: Promote changes in the socioeconomic systems that promote sustainability and the resilience of people, companies and ecosystems; review the model of alliances, based on the successful collaboration strategies and good practices detected, so that the proposed changes can be implemented; and establish priorities for action, as well as consolidate the alliances created.

The II Allies for the 2030 Agenda Forum 'Achieving the SDGs in times of COVID-19' analyzes the main levers of action in this field. The meeting includes the intervention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, with the participation of the Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Magdy Esteban Martínez-Solimán.

This Forum will present the collaborative initiatives between third sector entities and companies that contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. In environmental matters, partnerships to ensure maximum ambition in this area are addressed by Fairtrade International, with the intervention of Álvaro Goicoechea, Director of the Office of Spain and Portugal; Salesian Missions, with Ángel Gudiña, Head of Business Relations; Reforesta, with Celia Barbero, Project Coordinator; and SEO/BirdLife with Julieta Valls, Head of Corporate Partnerships.

On the other hand, the challenges linked to education and adaptation in times of COVID-19 are analyzed by Ayuda en Acción, with Marta Marañón, Director of Institutional Relations; Fundación Tomillo, with Lucía López, Head of Projects; Scholas Occurrentes, with Marta Simoncelli, Deputy Secretary; Fundación Secretariado Gitano, with Ana Sequí, Head of Corporate Alliances and Fundraising; Fundación Secretariado Gitano, with Ana Sequí, Head of Corporate Alliances and Fundraising; Trabajando en Positivo, with Raquel Sebastián, Head of the Department of Prospecting and Business Intermediation; and Aldeas Infantiles SOS, with Lucía Sánchez, Head of Corporate Alliances and CSR.

At the meeting, initiatives that demonstrate the importance of partnerships in cooperation and development were presented by Acción contra el Hambre, with Beltrán Milla, Head of Partnerships and Campaigns; Fundación Hazloposible, with Beatriz Villanueva, Director of Corporate Social Innovation; and World Vision, with Javier Ruiz Gaitán, General Director - CEO.

Raquel Canales, Head of the Allies for the 2030 Agenda Forum at Forética, highlights: "In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, a fundamental and transversal pillar to all the other goals is SDG 17, which promotes the generation of alliances between different actors and sectors. From Forética, we want to reflect the importance of counting on third sector organizations in the creation of more and better alliances that promote sustainable development for people and the planet. Specifically, one of the fundamental challenges that requires the joint action of companies and third sector entities is the integration of human rights in organizations, a central theme in the activity of the Social Impact Cluster -composed of more than 50 companies and coordinated by Forética- this year".