Welcome to the 12^th issue of the UN-Business Focal Point newsletter!

While the problem of HIV/AIDS among truck drivers has been made widely public in past years, it is also a serious issue among workers in the maritime sector. In this context, the Global Partnership on HIV and Mobile Workers in the Maritime Sector - a new group that brings together eight organizations representing the United Nations, NGOs, unions and employers – set out its strategic aims in London on 29 April 2009...

The Territorial Approach Initiative is a response to the increasing demand from sub-national authorities for assistance in assessing and managing the physical and socio-economic impact of climate change. One of the main objectives of this initiative is to enhance the capacity of regional and local governments to enact regulatory measures, as well as to take advantage of new sources of environmental finance, in order to implement their climate change responses...

UNESCO has teamed up with a popular animated television show about submarines – “Dive Olly Dive!” – to teach children about the world’s underwater cultural heritage...

The Natural Resources Stewardship Circle (NRSC) of the Aromatic, Perfume and Cosmetics Industry, comprised of industry leaders and specialists concerned with natural resources and the industry, adopted a declaration in an effort to support the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Global Compact and the International Labour Organization standards...

The Sustainable Apparel and Footwear Initiative (SAFI) is a coordinated set of initiatives designed to promote rapid responses to the urgent needs presented by the current economic crisis and to orient stakeholders around solutions that will drive long-term, positive impacts and value for the industry...

The Dreams Academy, a project being implemented in partnership with the Vodafone Turkey Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Turkey and the Alternative Life Association (AYDER) has been granted The Golden Compass Award in the category of best project in the civil society category...

Launched in May 2008, the GET-IT partnership harnesses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide training and skills development to young people aged 16 to 25 who are unemployed or underemployed, and who lack necessary qualifications. The goal is to help young people gain meaningful employment or set up their own business and, at the same time, promote sustainable industrialization in Africa and the Middle East...

Sun Microsystems and UNESCO will promote the use of open source technologies, including OpenOffice.org and OpenDocument Format (ODF) standard, as a low-cost way to improve education with universal access to information and knowledge. They will also support the development of open and inclusive knowledge societies in developing and emerging economies...

Brief descriptions of new partnership initiatives...

The Forum provides a unique opportunity for the private sector to make the case to Heads of State and Government that business has a strong interest in the negotiation of a balanced and effective United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen this December...

Cassandra-like predictions that the global economic crisis would force most UN-business partnerships to significantly reduce their activities have not yet come true. While it is certainly too early to assess the overall impact of the crisis on the partnership agenda, a number of trends have emerged...

The launch of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Global Partnership Initiative demonstrates how the Obama Administration is putting partnerships with the private sector, civil society and multilateral organizations at the heart of what Secretary Clinton refers to as "smart power"...

The UN Office for Partnerships (UNOP) worked with the X PRIZE Foundation, BT Global Services and the John Templeton Foundation to stage the “Incentive to Innovate” Conference which highlighted two essential tools with which to solve today’s challenges: open collaboration and incentivized competition...

How can an organization expand awareness of its work and attract new support? How can the organization leverage its current activities in a simple, cost effective manner to accomplish these same goals? This is the power of networking...

On 1 May 2009, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from some of the world's leading companies took the unprecedented step of calling on Governments to implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption...

A recent event in Phnom Penh, Cambodia discussed key issues regarding access to finance for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia...

The winners of the 2009 SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development were announced 12 May 2009 at a high-level award ceremony and reception. The international award recognizes innovation in local, socially- and environmentally-responsible and sustainable entrepreneurship...

As part of a UN-wide thematic evaluation of the contribution of UN-Business partnerships towards the implementation of intergovernmental agreements on climate change, UNECE has designated Ms. Laura Altinger as Focal Point for UNECE dealing with climate change issues at the nexus between the public and private sectors...

In order to get a better idea of how such a multi-faceted working relationship between the UN and the private sector can function, the editor spoke with Mr. Richard Golding, Global Relations Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world’s largest professional services firms...

The labour principles of the UN Global Compact may be among the most specific of the initiative’s ten principles, but that does not suggest that they are the easiest to implement. Many companies face difficulties in knowing what is expected of them and what more can be done to uphold these principles...

A new UNAIDS report looks at the contribution of AIDS-related public-private partnerships to the six building blocks of health systems: service delivery; human resources; information; medicines and technologies; financing; and leadership...

The “Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative” was established to start up and foster partnerships between companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations and academic institutions on meeting the challenges that result from the production, usage and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment. This report presents highlights of the initiative’s work and achievements...

The UN Business Monitor is a bi-monthly newsletter singularly dedicated to informing American business about the United Nations, its decisions, opportunities for UN-private sector cooperation, and the impact on potential business interests...

A list of upcoming events relevant to UN private sector focal points...

The names and contact information of new colleagues and other personnel changes...