On 5 December 2007 the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the Resolution "Towards Global Partnerships" recognizing the importance of voluntary initiatives and partnerships toward the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

"This Resolution reaffirms the importance of the UN-business partnership agenda and provides additional support and legitimacy to the UN Global Compact Office and its future work in the context of the UN system," said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Office.

The Resolution "encourages the activities of the United Nations Global Compact as an innovative public-private partnership to advance United Nations values and responsible business practices within the United Nations system and among the global business community". It also "acknowledges the special management, support, funding structure and position of the Global Compact within the United Nations system…and encourages it to continue its efforts, in particular in continuing to share relevant lessons learned and positive experiences from partnerships" as a contribution to the development of more effective United Nations partnerships.

Full text of the Resolution.

Full text of the Secretary-General's Report to the General Assembly (provided to the General Assembly as background for their deliberations).

Contact: Kola Badejo, badejo@un.org