CASDP champions the partnership approach in appreciation of the following principle: the combined strengths and collective actions of partners have the potential to deliver results more efficiently, effectively and innovatively than parties working independently.

Although cross-sector partnerships have been around for decades, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, September 2002) gave partnership initiatives a tremendous boost as a key implementation mechanism for achieving a broad range of sustainable development objectives.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development has been collecting examples of partnerships (originally called 'type II' partnerships) in the run up to and since the summit. However, these partnerships form only one small part of the rich tapestry of the thousands and thousands of partnerships out there. If sustainable development is to be achieved, all types of partnership will need promotion and support.

CASDP recognises the formidable challenge the Summit and current political and business climate has placed on partnerships.

CASDP’s mission is to ensure that partnerships of all types are given every support in meeting this challenge.

CASDP is an independent, non-profit organisation governed by a board of directors who share the vision of sustainable development and are committed to increasing the capacity of partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions. CASDP benefits from the counsel of an advisory committee comprised of representatives from organisations with active sustainable development programmes.

CASDP works in partnership to help achieve its mission. The initial project portfolio includes Partnerships Central, an internet-based independent platform designed to deliver the motivation, means and opportunities for the creation of, or capacity building of partnerships. CASDP also set up and ran the original Secretariat of the Seed Initiative, a UNEP, UNDP, IUCN programme to inspire, promote and support locally-dirven, entrepreneurial partnerships for sustainable development. It continues to provide support to the Seed Award-winning partnerships.

At the same time, CASDP takes on commissioned work from all sectors.