ACTIONS
- Protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage
- Learning and educational opportunities
- Cultural participation/social inclusion
- Sustainable tourism
- Support research
- Employment (recruiting, training, safety)
- Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions
- Waste management and reduction
- Transport (forms of, energy use)
- Commercial activities including copyright and IP
- Governance and management
- Security, disaster preparedness, risk reduction
- External partnerships and collaborations
SDGs
- Publication/report
- Toolkit/framework/roadmap
- Sign-post to other resource (database)
- Case studies
- Posters
- Infographics
WHO Compendium of WHO and other guidance on health and environment
Intended Audience
“Practitioners and key decision-makers at national, regional and municipal levels”
- World Health Organization (WHO)
2021
“Environmental pollution and other environmental risks cause almost a quarter of the worldwide disease burden. To eliminate or at least substantially reduce this disease burden and to address the challenges in health, environment and climate change being faced, bold preventive action at national, regional, local and sector-specific level is needed. Policy-makers and other actors are increasingly prepared to take action on health and the environment, often as a result of requests by citizens and organizations, and need to be supported by adequate resources.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and various other United Nations (UN) organizations offer guidance on effective actions on health and the environment distributed over hundreds of different reports. This compendium consists of a systematic compilation of WHO and other UN guidance that addresses all major areas of health and the environment into one resource. Unlike regular reports, this compendium presents a database or repository extracting the relevant guidance for policy-makers and other key target audiences on health and the environment and refers to the original reports if more detail is needed… In publishing this compendium, WHO seeks to assist policy-makers and other actors in countries to take actions to improve the health of people and the environment and reduce health inequities and provide assistance with implementation of norms and solutions. It does this by summarizing in one resource the most crucial policy recommendations to improve health and reduce the disease burden coming from environmental risks; it further provides guidance on the ways in which policy-makers and other actors can raise awareness of the risks being faced and the healthy practices people can take to reduce them.”
Avaiable in
- English (online version viewable in other languages)
SDGs LINKAGES
The resource can help collections-based institutions plan to include public health messages and actions into the full range of their activities:
1. Targets relating to education and skills: 4.4 (skills for work), 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development, which includes citizenship, respect for human rights and cultural diversity), 12.8 (information for lifestyles in harmony with nature and sustainable development) and 13.3 (education and institutional capacity relating to climate change and climate change impacts).
Other targets relevant to the resource include: 1.5 (reduce the exposure of the poor to shocks and disasters), 2.1 (end hunger and ensure access to nutritious diets), 2.2 (end malnutrition), 2.4 (sustainable food production), 2.5 (ensure diversity of crops), 3.3 (end epidemics of water-borne and communicable diseases), 3.4 (reduce non-communicable diseases, promote mental health and well-being), 3.6 (reduce road-traffic accidents), 3.7 (universal access to health-care services, including information and education), 3.9 (reduce deaths from chemicals, pollution and contamination), 3.D (increase preparedness for health risks), 4.A (safe and inclusive learning environments),
2. Targets relating to the reduction of waste and pollution: The resource notes that special considerations based on gender be used throughout, supporting SDG 5.1 (end discrimination against women and girls). The resource relates to access to safe drinking water (6.1), sanitation and hygiene (6.2), improving water quality (6.3), using renewable energy (7.2), protecting workers from harm (8.8), retrofitting industries to be sustainable (9.4), 11.1 (safe housing), 11.2 (sustainable transport), 11.4 (protect and safeguard natural heritage), 11.5 (reducing the impact of disasters), 11.6 (reducing the environmental impact of cities), 11.7 (safe and welcoming green and public spaces), 11.B (adopting Disaster Risk Reduction approaches), 12.4 (sound management of chemicals), 12.5 (reducing waste), 12.6 (adopting sustainable practices), 12.7 (considering health and environment in procurement), 13.1 (improving adaptive capacity to climate change), 14.1 (prevent marine pollution), 14.2 (conserve marine and coastal ecosystems), 15.5 (halt degradation of nature), 15.8 (managing impact of invasive species), 16.6 (effective, accountable and transparent institutions), 16.10 (ensure public access to information, protect fundamental freedoms), 16.B (support laws and policies for sustainable development), 17.14 (policy coherence), 17.16 and 17.17 (international and national partnerships respectively).
Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of collecting programmes that aim to build resilience to climate-related events and other shocks and disasters, for example by forming collections that can contribute to related educational and research programmes.
- Number of educational programmes drawing on collections that incorporate resilience perspectives.
- Number of targeted programmes drawing on collections that are aimed at vulnerable groups, to build their resilience to climate-related and other shocks and disasters.
- Number of research programmes drawing on collections that are aimed at building resilience to climate-related and other shocks and disasters.
- Strengthen the resilience of employees, communities and suppliers by paying at a minimum the living wage and offering insurance to employees and their families, such as accident insurance; and by paying fair prices to all suppliers.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of educational programmes incorporating food security, nutrition and seasonal diet perspectives.
- Collections development related to food security, nutrition and seasonal diets, as appropriate.
- Number of targeted educational, awareness-raising and partnership programmes relating to food and nutrition, drawing on collections, aimed at vulnerable and marginalized groups.
- Number of research activities drawing on collections that relate to resilient agricultural practices, helping mitigate and adapt to climate change, flooding and other disasters.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of educational programmes incorporating health and food perspectives.
- Collections development related to malnutrition and nutrition, where appropriate.
- Number of targeted educational, awareness-raising and partnership programmes relating to food and nutrition, drawing on collections, aimed at vulnerable and marginalized groups.
- Number of research activities drawing on collections that relate to nutrition and addressing malnutrition.
- Number of partnership programmes that directly support ending of malnutrition through provisioning of food and other dietary needs.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development related to sustainable food production where appropriate.
- Number of educational and awareness-raising programmes incorporating sustainable food production perspectives, and that aim to reduce the impact of disasters on communities.
- Number of targeted programmes that support those most exposed and vulnerable to disasters, whether locally or farther afield.
- Number of research activities drawing on collections that relate to resilient agricultural practices, helping mitigate and adapt to climate change, flooding and other disasters.
- Policies and plans in place to eliminate unsustainable food production from supply chains and in any food provision in collections-based institutions.
- Number of partnership activities drawing on collections that contribute to Disaster Risk Reduction plans, supporting resilient agricultural practices, and helping mitigate and adapt to climate change, flooding and other disasters.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development related to genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals (notably of local or at-risk varieties) and related wild species, for example in herbaria, museums, seed and gene banks, and seed libraries.
- Number of educational programmes related to genetic diversity of domesticated plants, animals and wild relatives.
- Number of educational programmes related to fair and equitable benefits of use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, following international agreements (e.g. Nagoya Protocol).
- Number of educational and awareness programmes for people to ensure that they are aware of their rights and protections in terms of traditional knowledge, and exploitation of genetic resources.
- Number of research activities that help understand traditional knowledge, and genetic diversity of crop plants and animals.
- Ensure that producers of crop plants and animals are fairly compensated.
- Policies and procedures in place to ensure seed banks are soundly managed, in terms of risk management and emergency planning.
- Policies and procedures in place to ensure legal compliance with fair and equitable benefits of use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, following international agreements (e.g. Nagoya Protocol).
- Number of partnerships at national, regional and international levels, as appropriate, to soundly manage seed and plant banks.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collection development that can contribute to programmes addressing AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and/or neglected tropical diseases, combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.
- Number of educational programmes addressing these subjects.
- Number of targeted educational and participatory programmes for marginalized and at-risk groups relating to communicable diseases.
- Number of research activities that help understand the causes and manage impacts of tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases.
- Partnerships in place to help ensure effective governance of communicable diseases, public health information and education relating to communicable diseases.
- Steady flow of reliable information relating to communicable diseases.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections, notably in relation to chemical, physical, biological and other forms of hazard.
- Proportion of users of collections facilities reporting positive well-being during and as a result of activities relating to collections.
- Number and proportion of programmes relating to collections that incorporate wellbeing considerations and perspectives.
- Number of targeted programmes drawing on collections that address issues relating to non-communicable diseases, supporting prevention and treatment.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of educational programmes relating to collections that address sexual and reproductive health, and family planning.
- Number of targeted programmes drawing on collections that address issues relating to sexual and reproductive health, and family planning.
- Effective relationships and partnerships in place with related agencies to ensure steady flow of information on relevant strategies and programmes.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans, policies and procedures in place to prevent harmful exposure to hazardous chemicals associated with collections, or collections-related activities.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place to ensure hazardous chemicals and other forms of pollutant are properly managed and disposed of, to prevent release into the natural environment.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of collecting initiatives that aim to build capacity for risk reduction to national and global health risks, for example by storing and preserving collections that may be of use in post-disaster scenarios, or that can be used in early warning and risk communication activities.
- Number of educational programmes incorporating perspectives on early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
- Number of awareness raising programmes that target marginalized and vulnerable groups most exposed to health risks.
- Plans in place for early warning, risk reduction and management to national and global health risks.
- Relationships and partnerships in place for risk reduction and management in light of national and global health risks.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of young people and adults in skills-development activities and programmes drawing on collections, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
- Increase in number of young people and adults in such programmes.
- Number and proportion of staff who have received training in the last year, to better support their contribution to the SDGs.
- Programs and processes in place to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
- Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
- Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
- Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive.
- Proportion of education facilities that provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
- Number and type of initiatives to improve effectiveness of learning environments.
- Support given to other education facilities to make them more inclusive and effective.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development to ensure that collections effectively meet the needs of all, irrespective of sex or gender.
- Number and proportion of educational and participatory programmes that promote participation irrespective of sex or gender.
- Numbers and proportions of girls, women and gender-diverse people making use of collections in relation to the demographic of the local population.
- Numbers and proportions of girls, women and gender-diverse people involved in focused programmes aimed at promoting social, economic and political inclusion.
- Numbers and proportions of girls, women and gender-diverse people from different demographic groups involved in decision-making processes relating to collections and collections-based institutions.
- Number and types of partnerships that build relationships with people of different sex and gender.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of pollutants, and reduction in pollutants, to water systems.
- Plans in place for the identification, reduction, replacement and recycling of hazardous chemical and materials, to prevent their release into water systems, with plans to eliminate their use as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of energy that comes from renewable sources.
- Date to achieve net zero, and milestones towards that date.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportions of staff working with collections in safe and secure working environments.
- Number of accidents and other health and safety incidents reported.
- Training and support provided for staff to ensure their wellbeing, health and safety.
- Education, awareness-raising and partnership programmes drawing on collections that address labour rights, notably those of migrant workers and others in precarious employment.
- Reduction of numbers and proportions of staff on short-term or zero-hours contracts.
- Fair pay policies and procedures in place to prevent exploitation.
- Procurement policies that ensure that collecting institutions make use of people who are in decent employment, and that avoid exploitation throughout the supply chain.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that make efficient use of resources, with an ongoing drive for efficiencies and reductions in energy use and waste of all forms.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that use clean and environmentally sound technologies, including climate-friendly energy sources and materials, with an ongoing commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste of all forms.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that adopt and/or prioritise collections-related processes and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste of all forms.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of programmes drawing on collections (educational, awareness-raising, research, partnerships) that promote access to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services.
- Proactive steps taken to ensure that all people, including those in vulnerable situations, can access information on housing and basic services, overcoming cultural and language barriers.
- Collections development to support such programmes.
- Promotion of adequate housing programmes, and programmes to provide basic services, both locally and worldwide.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections for a variety of purposes, protecting and safeguarding both collections and those who use them.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the identification, safeguarding and protection of cultural and natural heritage at risk.
- Collecting programmes in place to protect, safeguard and make use of cultural and natural heritage, addressing the needs of communities and stakeholders, and ensuring that collections can be an effective resource for sustainable development.
- Number and diversity of educational, awareness-raising, research programmes, and partnerships that aim to strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections-based research that supports the understanding and management of disasters of all kinds.
- Plans in place for public education and awareness drawing on collections and collections-based institutions to reduce exposure and vulnerability to disasters of all kinds.
- Plans in place to ensure collections-based institutions steadily work to reduce their contributions to disaster risk, for example by reducing pollution and waste of all kinds.
- Plans in place to ensure collections-based institutions, and people related to them (including workers) are protected from economic losses as a result of disasters.
- Plans in place to provide special support/protection to poor and vulnerable people and groups in and following disasters.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans in place to reduce negative impacts on air quality, and volume and forms of waste.
- Plans in place to eliminate waste of all forms as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups, notably women, children, older people and persons with disabilities.
- Increases in numbers of people accessing collecting institutions from different demographic groups.
- Measures taken to remove barriers to access green and public spaces.
- Extent of green space provided by collections institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030a.
- Disaster Risk Reduction strategies and plans in place, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to ensure collecting institutions and collections are factored into planning, and contribute effectively to Disaster Risk Reduction.
- Collections-based institutions included in local plans for social inclusion, resource use, and Disaster Risk Reduction.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantities, and reduction in quantities, of chemicals of all kinds, including chemicals used in maintenance of collections facilities, and chemicals used in care and preparation of collections, and all wastes throughout their life cycle, reducing release to air, water and soil.
- Plans in place to eliminate the use and release of hazardous chemicals and harmful wastes of all kinds into the natural environment as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantity and reductions in quantity of waste of all kinds, including avoidance/prevention of waste production, reuse, and recycling. Quantity of material recycled in comparison with quantity sent to landfill. Increases in recycling rate in comparison with landfill.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Clear visions, strategies and plans in place for all aspects of sustainability – environmental, social and economic (people, planet, prosperity)- across all areas of activity.
- Visions, strategies and plans relating to sustainability to be publicly available and incorporated into planning documents.
- Commitments to be in line with local, regional, national and/or international targets and ambitions.
- Incorporation of sustainability into reporting for funders and other stakeholders, including the public. Reporting to include commitments and progress towards targets.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Incorporation of sustainability considerations into procurement, in terms of advertisement and invitation to tender, contracts, and selection criteria for suppliers.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
- Extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in formal, informal and non-formal education programmes and activities drawing on and related to collections.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans in place for near and longer term to withstand and actively adapt to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- National organisations, institutions and networks relating to collections and collections-based institutions to have integrated climate change measures into policies, strategies and planning relating to collections and collections-based institutions, including funding and other resourcing considerations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans in place to enhance positive contributions to addressing climate change through use of collections. Plans in place to ensure collections, collections institutions and broader society can adapt effectively to climate change.
- Plans in place for effective education and awareness raising on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
- Plans in place to reduce negative contributions of collections-related functions, e.g. measuring greenhouse emissions with plans and targets in place to reduce them.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of collections-related programmes, for example research and education, that aim to reduce marine pollution.
- Quantity, and reduction, of waste of all sorts, with plans in place to eliminate waste of all sorts as soon as possible.
- Quantity, and reduction, of plastic waste, with plans in place to eliminate the production and release of plastic waste as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of marine and coastal areas in a good ecological condition.
- Numbers of educational and awareness-raising programmes, research activities, and partnerships drawing on collections aiming to support protection of marine and coastal areas.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of habitats, notably endangered habitats, and species with favourable conservation status, with special reference to locally, nationally and globally endangered species.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to habitats and species drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and continued existence.
- Measures taken to enhance biodiversity value of green space associated with collections institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of invasive alien species for which effective measures are in place to reduce their impact on land and water ecosystems.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to invasive alien species, to support their effective management, and to prevent spread and impact.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
- Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
- Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
- Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
- Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
- Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
- Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of population [audience/users/non-users] reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed in the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law.
- Number and proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, in the full sense of recognizing all three of social, economic and environmental considerations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, linking to SDGs and targets.
- Incorporation of policy considerations from outside the collections sector into policies of collections-based institutions, to facilitate partnerships and effectiveness.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships involving developing countries that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of local, national and regional multi-stakeholder (public, public-private and civil society) partnerships that address the SDGs drawing on collections, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of educational programmes relating to collections that address road safety.
- Number of targeted programmes drawing on collections that address issues relating to road safety.
- Effective relationships and partnerships in place with related agencies to promote road safety.
- Effective policies and procedures in place to mimimize risk of death or injury from transport relating to collections-based institutions, including for all workers, visitors and others involved in the supply chain.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development, to ensure collections can be used to help support water quality programmes.
- Number of educational, awareness-raising, research and partnership programmes using collections that aim to ensure people have access to safe and affordable drinking water.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development, to ensure collections can be used to help support water quality programmes.
- Number of educational, awareness-raising, research and partnership programmes using collections that aim to ensure people have access to adequate sanitation and hygiene, paying special attention to the needs of women, girls and those in vulnerable situations.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans in place to ensure safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, in terms of accessing collections-based institutions.
- Plans in place to use collections-based institutions to provide education and awareness of public transport systems and their development.
- Special attention to those in vulnerable situations, including women, children, disabled and older people, taken in plans regarding public tansport.