Serve as an apex body for Civil Society Non-State Actors;

Advance and promote equitable human development;

Consult regularly and widely with civil society non-state actors to identify and agree on national priorities and develop appropriate actions via inter alia an annual Network Conference;

Encourage the formation and strengthening of sectoral umbrella bodies;

Promote and facilitate networking, communications, and collaboration between members and their respective sectors;

Help coordinate joint actions on issues of common interest by facilitating the involvement and leadership of members;

Facilitate the formulation of evidence-based positions drawing on credible scientific, social and economic data from past and current research;

Issue public statements on agreed matters of common interest where these carry a clear majority view;

Initiate and facilitate engagement with relevant stakeholders and institutions, e.g. government, communities, development agencies, private sector;

Promote good governance, best practice, and a code of ethics within the Network by following best practice (e.g. King IV) and transparency (e.g. an open-access website with key Network information);

Promote accountability and transparency by holding authorities and institutions (government, transnational corporations, private sector, donors, and others) to high standards of governance to counter corruption.