Multinational companies that compete with each other in the marketplace can be on the same side of the game when it comes to protecting the environment. Here is an emerging example of a group of such companies joining together to protect the ozone layer and climate...

Recently, a private sector entrepreneur began collecting limes in Sri Lanka and smoking them. These smoked limes could then be exported to Middle Eastern countries where there is high demand. However, the entrepreneur was not able to get all the necessary requirements together to expand the venture on his own. Hence a partnership was required...

Environmental monitoring and governance is one of the strong thematic focuses of the United Nations University (UNU). Since 1996, the UNU and Shimadzu Corporation in Japan have partnered to build a capacity-development project on chemical analysis and detection of environmental pollutants in the Asian region...

Procter & Gamble, an international corporate partner of UNICEF, has now committed to a multi-year, multi-million dollar initiative to support UNICEF’s efforts to eliminate Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) through the Pampers “One Pack = One Vaccine” campaign around the world...

What do the International Herald Tribune, the Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre and UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre have in common? At first glance, perhaps not much. But if you look a little closer, these three entities actually share many objectives and have decided to join forces in favour of the World Heritage Marine Programme...

Some additional new partnerships with short summaries and links to further information...

Close to 80 representatives of UN agencies gathered at Centre International de Conférences (CICG) in Geneva on 2 - 3 October 2008 for the seventh annual conference of UN private sector focal points. Titled “Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Collaboration throughout the Partnership Life Cycle”, the meeting offered participants the opportunity to share experiences and build upon lessons learned in the context of evolving UN-business partnerships...

The Global Compact guidelines, designed to give UN agencies a framework in which to build partnerships with the private sector, were designed to protect the United Nations and ensure the agencies maintain the values of neutrality and impartiality that the UN stands for. As all of us who have worked in private sector partnerships know, it is sometimes difficult to fit partnerships with real-life corporates into this framework. But at the World Food Programme (WFP) something is changing...

At the halfway point towards the 2015 target to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly brought together world leaders to review progress, identify gaps, and commit to concrete action to bridge these gaps at a United Nations High-level Event on 25 September 2008...

Following the high-level launch of the Global Compact (GC) in Jordan in November 2007, UNDP continued its work to expand the Global Compact Local Network (GCLN) by building partnerships with the private sector, civil society and NGO’s throughout 2008. As a result, the Jordan network witnessed significant growth over the past year and now includes more than 25 signatories from different sectors...

With 9.2 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths per year, Tuberculosis (TB) remains a devastating disease in the world. Nearly 75% of those affected by TB are adult men and women in their most productive years of life. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Stop TB Strategy is designed to address the global TB epidemic fuelled by the emergence of HIV...

A High level meeting on Africa’s Development needs focusing on “transforming the climate for business to accelerate private sector-led growth and progress towards the MDGs” was held on 22 September 2008 and organized by the UN Office for Partnerships and Business Action for Africa...

On 9 October 2008, the United Nations Secretary-General together with senior officials from the United Nations system met with seventeen of the world’s research-based and generic pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to review progress on strengthening efforts to expand access to HIV services in low- and middle-income countries...

As the new Director of Strategic Resource Mobilization, Surendra has his work cut out for him. In this role, among other important tasks, he oversees UNEP's strategic resource mobilization and relevant policy development, working closely with various development partners of UNEP...

The first report of UNDP’s Growing Inclusive Markets Initiative and the first such one with such depth and local knowledge, “Creating Value for All” showcases 50 studies by researchers predominantly from developing countries...

When Warren Buffett donated $30 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2006, many commentators heralded the arrival of a new age of private philanthropy in the Carnegie and Rockefeller tradition. This new philanthropy is not only global, but is also increasingly being seen as a significant player in international development...

Sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in Paris in 1948, human rights increasingly resonate with business. Today sees the launch of a new publication, “Human Rights Translated: A Business Reference Guide”, which explains human rights concepts in the language of business...

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

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