WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

WORKING TOGETHER TO
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy
1st September 2010
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United Nations Office for Partnerships
One United Nations Plaza, Room DC1DC1-1326,
New York, NY 10017
“GIVEN THE INCREASING
CHALLENGES WE FACE IN THE
HUMANITARIAN AND
DEVELOPMENT SPHERES
,
WE MUST KEEP ASKING
OURSELVES HOW WE CAN ALL
WORK BETTER TOGETHER
.”
“ADDRESSING GLOBAL
CHALLENGES REQUIRES A
COLLECTIVE AND CONCERTED
EFFORT
, INVOLVING ALL ACTORS.
THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND
ALLIANCES
, AND BY POOLING
COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES
, WE
INCREASE OUR CHANCES OF
SUCCESS
.”
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL,
UN SECRETARY-GENERAL,
ASHA-ROSE MIGIRO
BAN KI-MOON
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WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy – 1st September 2010
T
he United Nations system has been partnering with the private sector and civil
society in a variety
variety of ways for over 60 years (since
(since the birth of the United Nations).
The past decade has witnessed a surge of Corporate
Corporate Social
Social Responsibility,
Responsibility, the
and
d communication technologies.
globalization of business, and a revolution in information an
This has led to the establishment of new networks between the public and private sectors,
and the rere-defining of the traditional roles and expectations
expectations of governments, business, and
civil society.
Partnerships have emerged as the new way of doing business: Using the skills of
business, the capital of philanthropy, and the rigor of the marketplace, partnerships can
develop and deliver systemsystem-changing
changing solutions. The challenges
challenges and issues facing us—
us—be they
polio eradication, the fight against HIV/AIDS, ensuring access to safe drinking water or
striving for environmentally
environmentally sustainable growth—
growth—are too vast and too complex for any one
sector to confront
confront alone. The UN system works with a variety of companies and foundations
to successfully use their comparative advantages.
This paper provides a small selection of partnership initiatives to give a flavor of what
is out there, and encourage innovative thinking about working together. We hope the next
few pages will inspire your imagination and provide some ideas about engagement with the
United Nations.
We look forward to working with you!
Executive Director
United Nations Office for Partnerships
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The Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most broadly supported, comprehensive and
specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound goals
provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions.
They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease,
inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for
Development.
Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both
global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs. They provide a
framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end –
making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved,
world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people
will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy.
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
DHL Disaster Response Teams (DRT)
In response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake which hit Haiti on 12 January 2010, the DHL DRT
Americas, based in Panama, touched down and started operating out of Toussaint L’ouverture
International Airport in Port-au-Prince within 48 hours. The DRT with 10 DHL volunteers were
the first logistics team at the airport. With so many shortages, security and logistical challenges,
the DRT’s skills at managing aid were sorely needed. More than 500 tonnes of relief goods were
handled and temporarily stored by the DRT within the first week. One week after the earthquake,
DHL moved its main DRT operations from Haiti to the Las Americas International Airport in
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Until the end of January 2010, a team of 5 DHL volunteers
continued to unload humanitarian aid flights bringing drinking water, medical supplies and other
aid, in close cooperation with the United Nations. In particular, the team managed a 3,000 square
meter warehouse used to store and sort incoming aid on behalf of non-government organizations
(NGOs). Thereafter, the DHL DRT team made its way back to Port-au-Prince, to assist different
NGOs on an ad hoc basis until Saturday 6 February 2010. Taking all three phases together 36
volunteers handled more than 2,000 tonnes of relief aid. Deutsche Post DHL has cooperated with
OCHA in disaster management since 2005.
“Haiti Hope Project” — A Joint Effort to Help Haiti
The UN Office for Partnerships hosted the launch of the Haiti Hope Project at the UN
Headquarters. During the launch, His Excellency Jean-Max Bellerive, Prime Minister of Haiti,
and President Bill Clinton, UN Special Envoy for Haiti and co-chair of the Clinton Bush Haiti
Fund, along with Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the Inter-American Development Bank,
Muhtar Kent, CEO of The Coca Cola Company and Amir Dossal, Executive Director of UNOP,
expressed their support for this public-private partnership, which will benefit Haitian mango
farmers. The five-year project, estimated at $7.5 million aims to double the income of more than
25,000 mango farmers in Haiti by developing a sustainable mango industry. The initiative will
raise the farmers’ standard of living by giving them access to an international market and
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contribute to the long-term development and revitalization of Haiti. Amir Dossal welcomed the
initiative as a “pioneering model on how the concerted efforts of the public sector, corporations,
and civil society can make a difference to the lives of people living in extreme poverty”.
Local Shell businesses assist refugees in cooperation with UNHCR
In 2002, UNHCR began a pilot project under which Shell employs refugees in part of the
company’s retail network in Greece. Following an initial screening by one of UNHCR’s
implementing partners, candidates are interviewed by Shell Hellas. Successful ones go on to
receive training while holding temporary, renewable contracts with Shell. In a very different
scenario in south-west Asia, Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) made another valuable contribution in
the form of diesel and container drums to both new and old refugee camps hosting Afghan
refugees. From May 2002 until mid-February 2003, SPL provided some 252,000 litres of diesel
to run the generators for 15 water-supply systems. In addition to fuel, SPL also donated some
10,000 buckets and 3,000 multi-purpose steel drums, which were distributed to refugee camps in
the Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province and the province of Baluchistan for the purpose of
water collection.
Post-Tsunami Relief Partnership with the Coca-Cola Company: Philanthropy
Meeting the water and sanitation needs of communities in select tsunami affected countries
On December 26, 2004, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the waters off the Sri Lankan coast,
triggering a massive tsunami that would eventually reach the shores of eight countries and wreak
catastrophic devastation. Over 230,000 people were killed and an equal number injured. Some 5
million survivors were in need of emergency relief in the form of food, shelter and clothing. For
long-term recovery from the tsunami, water and sanitation infrastructure such as wells, pipelines
and sewage systems must be rebuilt in order to provide sustainable access to safe drinking water
and improved sanitation systems. To support the transition from relief to recovery, The CocaCola Company (TCCC) and the United Nations Foundation (UNF) forged a collaborative
partnership with UNDP in support of community based-water and sanitation reconstruction
efforts in tsunami-affected areas of Indonesia, the Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka. TCCC
recognizes that water is a critical human and ecological resource under great stress around the
world, and as a beverage company, responsible water management is a priority. The total
financial resources available for this partnership total $2,447,076. UNF matched a $1 million
donation from TCCC, as well as over $45,000 in individual donations from Coca-Cola employees
around the world. The Coca-Cola Foundation provided $300,000 in parallel funding to support
the project activities in Indonesia. In addition, the India Development Relief Fund provided
$54,000 in support. In addition to the financial resources, the partnership was established to
leverage the tremendous non-financial resources and combined capacity of UNDP and the CocaCola bottling companies operating at the country level. The various project’s activities were
implemented in Indonesia, the Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka and aimed at providing
immediate relief for the affected populations as well as sustainable solutions for reconstruction.
World Food Programme Partnership with Royal DSM
In January 2010, Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company,
announced a three-year extension of its partnership started in 2009 with the World Food
Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organisation. The aim of this partnership is
to combat the debilitating effects of hunger in the developing world. Hunger affects an estimated
one billion people around the world, mostly in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. It takes its toll
on the individual and society from increasing the prevalence of chronic diseases and higher
mortality to impaired mental and physical development to higher healthcare costs to lower
economic output. According to WFP, the cost of child malnutrition accounts for between 2 to 3%
of GDP in some developing countries. DSM and WFP have trialed and tested new products and
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programmes to tackle hunger related malnutrition, developed a more sophisticated understanding
of the problem and have been very active in building awareness of the problem and available
solutions. DSM also worked very closely with WFP during the design of its Nutrition
Improvement Approach, which shifted its strategic focus from food security (providing enough
calories) to including nutrition security (providing nutrient-rich food). Having established the
foundations, DSM will assist WFP in implementing its Nutrition Improvement Approach.
Nutritionists from DSM and WFP are, for example, currently working together to address the
nutrition needs of Haitians in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and on a longer-term
food recovery program, with an emphasis on nutrient-rich food, especially reaching children.
DSM and WFP will continue to work closely together to build further awareness amongst world
leaders and the broader public about the problem of malnutrition and the need to deliver global
nutrition security.
Growing Sustainable Business
The Growing Sustainable Business initiative (GSB) facilitates business-led enterprise solutions to
poverty reduction. Precisely, this means brokering multi-stakeholder partnerships in developing
countries to foster pro-poor investment that: 1) Develops new business models to reach the poor;
2) Extends value chains to reach small entrepreneurs. The program was uniquely designed to
accelerate achievement of the MDGs by increasing access of needed goods and services for the
poor while strengthening and creating small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by linking them
with larger company value chains and external markets.
Moving the World
In 2002, TNT and the World Food Program (WFP) launched a groundbreaking multi-million
dollar partnership called Moving the World to help fight global hunger. Through this initiative,
TNT is committed to sharing its highly qualified staff, skills and resources in transportation and
logistics to 1) support WFP’s efforts to respond to humanitarian emergencies more efficiently; 2)
to enhance WFP’s capacity to manager an inter-agency supply chain; 3) to help WFP acquire
cash, commodities and services from the private sector.
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
UNHCR and Nike dressing refugee girls for sports and education
UNHCR and Nike started the “Together for Girls” project in 2004. It combined UNHCR’s
expertise in assisting refugees with Nike’s experience in inspiring excluded young people through
sports and physical activity. In this case, “Together for Girls” was a tool to increase the number
of refugee girls going to school. In the first year of the project, additional teachers were hired and
trained, sports and youth personnel were appointed, new classrooms were built, girl-friendly
latrines were constructed and learning materials including books, pencils and paper were
distributed. More recently, Nike has been supporting interventions in infrastructure and human
resources necessary for girls’ education activities in Dadaab’s refugee camps in eastern Kenya.
The sporting giant has committed itself to “Together for Girls” by investing both money and
products in the partnership. It also plans to involve other partners in the initiative.
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Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Coalition for Adolescent Girls
The Coalition for Adolescent Girls is a public-private partnership between the UN Foundation,
Nike Foundation, and over 30 leading international organizations that advocate for mainstream
positioning of adolescent girls in global policy and programming. A major success of the
Coalition has been the Count Girls: A Global Investment & Action Agenda report, a collaborative
effort from the Center for Global Development, the International Center for Research on Women,
and the Population Council, that provides the evidence base for why and how to initiate effective
investments in adolescent girls.
Girl Up Campaign
Girl Up, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation, gives American girls the opportunity to
channel their energy and compassion to raise awareness and funds for programs of the United
Nations that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls. Through Girl Up’s
support, girls have the opportunity to become educated, healthy, safe, counted, and positioned to
be the next generation of leaders. Campaign supporters are encouraged to give a "High Five" to
girls in developing countries by donating $5 or more to provide girls with such basic needs as
access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, safety from violence, and more.
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
The GAVI Alliance
The GAVI Alliance is a unique, multi-dimensional partnership of public and private sector
resources with a single, shared focus: to improve child health in the poorest countries by
extending the reach and quality of immunization coverage within strengthened health services.
GAVI’s partners include UN agencies and institutions (UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank), civil
society organizations (International Pediatric Association), public health institutes (The Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), donor and implementing country governments, the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UN Foundation, other private philanthropists, vaccine industry
representatives, the financial community and others whose collective efforts and expertise are
enabling much greater progress to be made in this field than ever before.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Polio is one of the few major diseases that is close to being eradicated, providing a unique public
health opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the health of children worldwide. The World
Health Organization, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the
support of donor governments, private sector foundations, including Rotary International, the UN
Foundation, UNFIP and the Gates Foundation, are spearheading efforts to support the final stages
of polio eradication.
Measles Initiative
Measles affect over 30 million children and claim 454,000 lives each year—more than half of
them in Africa. Measles is also the single leading cause of vaccine-preventable death among
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children. The good news is that measles is easily preventable with a simple vaccination that costs
less than one dollar per child. Recognizing the opportunity to address this challenge, the Measles
Initiative, launched in 2001, is a long-term partnership based on a common commitment to
control measles deaths starting in Africa by vaccinating at-risk children. Leading the Measles
Initiative effort are the American Red Cross, World Health Organization, UNICEF, U.S. Centers
for Disease Control, and the UN Foundation with UNFIP playing a supporting role. In just five
years (2001-2005), the Measles Initiative has made a major contribution to the reducing global
measles mortality by 60%, thus exceeding the UN goal of 50% reduction from 1999. In Africa,
mortality was reduced by 75%.
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Obstetric Fistula—One by One initiative
Together with UNFPA’s Campaign to End Fistula, the private-sector volunteer initiative—One
by One—contributes to the elimination of obstetric fistula worldwide by engaging the public and
providing financial support to those who treat and prevent fistula in the developing world.
UNF/UNFIP has provided technical and financial assistance to UNFPA’s campaign and
leveraged a donation of just $5,000 for core support to over $100,000 in individual contributions
for fistula surgeries and prevention through One by One.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
aids2031
aids2031 is a global consortium of partners who have come together to analyze the first 25 years
of the AIDS response and chart options for a sustained, long-term response to the pandemic. They
bring together multi-disciplinary teams—including economists, epidemiologists, and biomedical,
social, and political scientists—to stimulate new research, encourage public debate, and uncover
new evidence. Partners, including Rockhopper TV, and BBC World are also producing a
documentary film series that will involve youth in 8 cities around the world.
Global Handwashing Campaign
Infectious diseases are the primary threat to public health in much of the world. Unilever is
collaborating with UNICEF, the World Bank and other partners in support of The Global PublicPrivate Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. The primary objective of the initiative is to
reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases in poor communities through public-private
partnerships promoting handwashing with soap.
Windsor Health Dialogues: Confronting the Diseases of Poverty
At the midpoint of the MDG project, the first annual series of Windsor Health Dialogues:
Confronting the Diseases of Poverty charted a consensual, cross-cutting and cross-sectoral
approach to the convergence of health and development in the digital age. The series of
dialogues, co-hosted by the UN Office for Partnerships, focused on a variety of topics, such as
Digital Health in the Age of AIDS, Digital Health in the Face of Chronic Disease, and Digital
Health in the Climate of Green. Participants will look at the leadership and stewardship issues
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surrounding the new field of “digital health” as a global response to the major health and poverty
challenges of the day in infectious disease, chronic non-communicable disease, and the diseases
of climate change.
Nothing but Nets Campaign
Malaria is a significant limiting factor in malaria control, especially in Africa, is the short supply
of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Long-lasting treated nets can be used without replacement
three-years, providing continued protection. In 2006, the National Basketball Association and the
UN Foundation launched the ‘Nothing but Nets’ initiative – a grassroots campaign asking
individuals to donate $10 to “send a net, save a life”. Each $10 donation pays for an insecticide
treated bed net to a family in Africa, and provides education on its proper use to prevent Malaria.
So far, more than 3.1 million nets have been sent to families in need.
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
e-Commerce and Renewable Energy (eCARE)
In rural Ghana, it can be very hard for locals to make phone calls. Telephone cables are few,
electricity can be scarce. The e-Commerce and Renewable Energy (eCARE) project is trying to
overcome these obstacles by providing telephone and internet services to these areas—and
proving that it is both profitable and sustainable. The eCARE project is a joint effort of the United
Nations Foundation (UNF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), ARB Apex
Bank, Kumasi Institute for Technology and Environment (KITE), Telecom Management Partner
(TMP) and Ghana Telecom (GT). The project establishes Rural Business Centres that are owned
and operated by local entrepreneurs. eCARE then identifies and supports the entrepreneurs
through financial aid provided by UNF, technical assistance, and training. Centres in remote
Ghanaian communities are powered by renewable solar energy systems and provide telephones,
computers and Internet access. With additional training, entrepreneurs can provide services such
as product sales, computer courses and secretarial services for local residents and surrounding
communities. In June 2005, eCARE launched a pilot project, establishing three
eCARE Rural Business Centres in Sogakope, Nkurakan and Sege. The pilot phase proved that the
project was feasible and ready to be scaled up. The main phase was then launched in September
2005. By December 2006, eCARE had a total of 50 units in operation in seven regions
of Ghana including Western, Central, Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo.
By 2008, that number climbed to over 100 eCARE Business Centres. In 2009, the Rural Business
Centres were rebranded as Easy Business Centres (EBCs) that now allowed the entrepreneurs to
offer products and services from any provider of their choice to foster competition. 100 additional
EBCs are going to be deployed over the next two years.
"Every Drop Matters" to UNDP and Coca-Cola
In 2006, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe, the CIS, and The Coca-Cola Company announced a
USD 6 million partnership agreement to cooperate on improving access to safe drinking water.
Recognising the significant challenges related to water, both the Coca-Cola Company (TCCC)
and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have committed to identifying and
supporting solutions to these challenges. Every Drop Matters is designed as a regional partnership
initiative in the countries of Europe and CIS, aiming at increasing access to safe drinking water,
facilitating the use of environmentally sound industrial technologies, and promote responsible
water resource management by outreach and awareness raising activities.
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Indian Solar Loan Programme
A four-year $7.6 million effort was launched in April 2003 to help accelerate the market for
financing solar home systems in southern India. The project is a partnership between UNEP
Energy Branch, UNEP Risoe Centre (URC), two of India's major banking groups—Canara Bank
and Syndicate Bank—and their sponsored Grameen banks. India's solar PV manufacturing sector
has grown significantly since the 1990s, mostly for export. However, the market for solar home
systems has been slow to develop, in part due to a lack of consumer financing options. The aim of
this effort is to help Canara bank and Syndicate bank develop lending portfolios specifically
targeted at financing solar home systems (SHS). With the support of the UN Foundation and
Shell Foundation, the project provides an interest rate subsidy to lower the cost to customers of
SHS financing. Indian banks are keen to develop new loan products and the partnership with
UNEP allows them to do so in a growing clean energy sector. An interest subsidy helps them to
build solar financing portfolios without distorting the credit risk—sometimes a problem with
guarantees—or the existing cash market for solar home systems. Five solar vendors completed
the programmes' qualification process, making their customer eligible for financing.
Investor Summit on Climate Risk
The 2010 Investor Summit on Climate Risk identified climate change as crucial for ensuring
future economic prosperity. To highlight the enormous opportunities of this transition and to
assess the need for climate change policy, Ceres, the UN Office for Partnerships, and the UN
Foundation co-hosted the fourth Investor Summit on Climate Risk at UN Headquarters in New
York on 14 January 2010. More than 520 investors, financial, and corporate leaders from around
the world with over $22 trillion in combined assets participated at the Summit, which explored
how the rapid global shift to clean technologies and energy efficiency can stimulate economic
growth, and highlighted how investors can participate in the low-carbon transition. The
participants discussed with leading policymakers, investors, and business leaders how to manage
risks and seize the economic opportunities related to climate change. Speakers included UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Vice-President Al Gore, U.S. Climate Envoy Todd
Stern, media mogul and Philanthropist Ted Turner and UNOP Executive Director Amir Dossal.
The Summit underscored the critical role investors will play in driving the new clean energy
economy. The Summit also featured the announcement of the Investor Statement on Catalyzing
Investment in a Low-Carbon Economy, which advocates strong national climate policies.
McDonald's, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Unilever, Carlsberg:
“Refrigerants, Naturally!” partnership with support of UNEP and Greenpeace
An alliance of companies – McDonald’s, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Unilever and
Carlsberg – is promoting a shift in point-of-sale cooling technology in the food service and retail
sectors towards alternative refrigeration technology that protects the Earth’s climate and ozone
layer. This partnership is supported by both United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
and Greenpeace. In 2000, at the request of The Coca Cola Company and McDonald’s, the UNEP
along with the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) convened an experts group to
review the options and inform the process of technology choice at the company level.
The Proteus Partnership: Making Biodiversity and Ecosystem Data Available to All
In 2003, the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre
(UNEP-WCMC) initiated the Proteus Partnership between oil and gas, mining and technology
companies with the goal of making biodiversity and ecosystem information available to support
decision-making. In this respect, Proteus’ most significant achievements have been the
compilation of global biodiversity data and the development of tools to aid accessibility by a
range of sectors, including business. These tools include the World Database of Protected Areas
and the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) created through a partnership with
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BirdLife International, Conservation International and IUCN. Proteus was also instrumental in
the compilation of critical coastal and marine ecosystem datasets, which support the marine
extension of the Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES); a new web-based tool
for assessment, planning, and valuation of areas for ecosystem service provision. Worldwide
users will be able to create protected areas information, through data improvement, commenting
and citizen science initiatives. This will allow more accurate information to reach decisionmakers faster. The quality indicators of protected areas information will be automatically
generated from objective measures and will be transparent to anyone using the information. The
current Proteus 2012 partners are: Anglo American, BHPBilliton, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni,
ESRI, ExxonMobil, IHS, Microsoft, Oracle, PremierOil, Repsol YPF, RioTinto, Safe Software,
Shell, StatoilHydro, Total and WellData.
Atlas of our Changing Environment
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has established a partnership with Google Earth—
Google’s 3D virtual world browser—that features the UNEP Atlas of our Changing Environment,
offering satellite images of 100 environmental hotspots from around the world.
BioTrade Initiative
This programme of the UN Conference on Trade and Development assists small and medium
enterprises in developing countries to promote trade in biodiversity based products and services.
The product groups it supports are based on economic, social and environmental criteria that
include edible plant products like fruits and nuts, plant-based pharmaceutical and cosmetic
ingredients. The UN/UNFIP supported programme provides practical trade promotion services,
including assistance to enterprises in supporting market assessments, product development,
quality improvement and certification and labeling.
Blue Planet Run
A global around-the-world run started on June 1st on the North Lawn of the United Nations
Headquarters in New York to raise attention for over 1 billion people without access to safe
drinking water. The first time ever around-the-world run was going to continue for 95 days until
the 20 outstanding athletes will have crossed 16 countries and covered 15,200 miles. The main
objective of the run is to encourage people to open their eyes and support the over one billion
people that lack daily, immediate access to safe drinking water at the 1400 events that are planned
along the Blue Planet Run. The United Nations Office for Partnerships assisted the partners of
this run, which include the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a non profit organization, the Dow
Chemical Company, Motorola, Skype and PayPal, in the set-up of the launch of the Blue Planet
Run and will also provide advice to the partners on the allocation of funds that will be raised
during the run to various projects aimed at providing access to drinking water.
China Motor System Energy Conservation Program
The China Motor System Energy Conservation Program of the UN Industrial Development
Organization seeks to promote improvements in motor designs and operating practices in
Shanghai and Shandong provinces in order to lay the groundwork for a national efficient-motors
program that could be replicated in other developing countries. Thirty-eight industrial energy
efficiency, plant assessments identified 40 million kWh in annual savings potential were
completed by Chinese engineers who received motor system optimization training through the
project.
Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program
The Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) is promoting energy
efficiency standards and labeling programs—one of the most cost-effective means to reduce
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greenhouse gas emissions—in China, India, Brazil, and South Africa. In China, the UN Dept of
Economic and Social Affairs together with other CLASP partners, including USAID and the
Energy Foundation, has assisted the government in implementing 11 minimum energy
performance standards for 9 products and endorsement labels for 11 products.
Galapagos Wind Farms
The e8 (a non-profit organization consisting of ten leading electric utility companies including
American Electric Power), the UN Development Program, the Government of Ecuador and UN
Foundation/UNFIP are supporting a project in the Galapagos Islands to construct a US$ 10
million, 2.4 megawatt wind farm. The project will provide energy for half of the St. Cristobal
island’s 6,000 residents and reduce CO2 emissions from the existing diesel generating plant by an
estimated 2,800 tons per year. It will be the largest wind farm project in Ecuador and the first
wind energy project on a World Heritage site.
Increase in energy efficiency investment
A project of the UN Environment Program in Brazil, China and India aims to achieve major
increases in energy efficiency investments, both in existing financial institutions and new entities,
by undertaking multiple activities designed to overcome the various market barriers present in
each country. The UN Foundation supported project produced a study showing that retrofits in
buildings and factories in the three countries could reduce energy use by at least 25 percent while
saving hundreds of millions of dollars, cutting air pollution.
Renewable Energy Enterprise Development Initiative
The UN Environment Programme’s Renewable Energy Enterprise Development Initiative,
supported by UN Foundation, helps local entrepreneurs create clean energy enterprises in Brazil,
China, Mali, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia for the rural and peri-urban poor. In the case
of African Rural Energy Enterprise Development (AREED) project, US$1,147,762 has been
approved for investments in 35 enterprises serving 331,000 people and offsetting 421,637 tons of
CO2 annually.
The Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation Programme
The UNDP Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation Programme is promoting
community-based conservation initiatives at six World Heritage sites around the world in Kenya,
Tanzania, Mexico, Dominica, Belize and the Philippines. A portfolio of over 160 communitybased UNF/UNFIP supported projects promote ecosystem conservation and environmental
awareness while also addressing the alternative livelihood needs of local populations. The range
of products and services provided by the community-based enterprises supported through the
programme include organic honey, certified timber, non-timber forest products, and ecotourism.
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Access to Communications Publication Series
The United Nations Foundation—Vodafone Group Foundation Access to Communications
Publication Series publishes studies that give governments, NGOs and the private sector research
and recommendations on how to use technology and telecom tools to address the world’s
toughest challenges more effectively and efficiently.
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Better World Campaign
The Better World Campaign (a sister initiative of the UN Foundation) works to strengthen the
relationship between the United States and the United Nations through outreach,
communications, and advocacy. It encourages U.S. leadership to enhance the UN’s ability to
carry out its invaluable international work on behalf of peace, progress, freedom, and justice. In
these efforts, BWC engages policy makers, the media, and the American public to increase
awareness of and support for the United Nations.
Broadband Commission for Digital Development
The Broadband Commission for Digital Development believes that high-speed, high-capacity
broadband connections to the Internet are an essential element in modern society, with wide
economic and social benefits. Its mission is to promote the adoption of broadband-friendly
practice and policies so that the entire world can take advantage of the benefits broadband can
offer. More specifically, the Commission wants to demonstrate that broadband networks: (1) have
the same level of importance as roads and electricity networks; they are basic infrastructure in a
modern society; (2) are uniquely powerful tools for achieving the MDGs; (3) are remarkably costeffective and offer an impressive return-on-investment (ROI) for both developed and developing
economies; (4) underpin all industrial sectors and increasingly are the foundation of public
services and social progress; (5) must be coordinated nationally by governments in partnership
with industry, in order too reap the full benefit of these powerful tools. The establishment of the
Commission in 2010 comes five years after the World Summit on the Information Society, and
ten years after the launch of the MDGs. Expanding broadband access in every country is the key
way to accelerate attainment of these goals by the target date of 2015. The Broadband
Commission will define practical ways in which countries—at all stages of development—can
achieve this, in cooperation with the private sector. The Commissioners are leaders in their field
who represent governments from around the world, relevant industries, international agencies,
and organizations concerned with development.
Business Advisory Council (BAC) for the Greater Tumen Region
The Office for Partnerships and the United Nations Development Programme have been
supporting the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) and developed a BAC to attract new investment to
the region. It consists of senior business leaders from the countries of the Greater Tumen
Region—the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
Republic of Korea and Russian Federation—and foreign investors operating in these countries.
Investment in the Greater Tumen Region will provide businesses a gateway to build and expand
their operations. The Member Governments are committed to providing special incentives to
encourage new businesses to flourish in the region. Members of the Business Advisory Council
also have the opportunity to provide direct advice to the governments on how best to improve the
investment climate in the region, seeking corresponding changes in economic policies. The
unique mechanism of joint sessions of the BAC and the Consultative Commission will provide
the opportunity for direct exchange between business and government representatives. All GTI
member countries share a common vision of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by
2015, working together to strengthen economic and technical cooperation and attain greater
growth and sustainable development for the people and countries of North-East Asia and the
Greater Tumen Region.
Global Business Council
The Commonwealth Business Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN
Office for Partnerships establishing a partnership in the creation of a Global Business Council in
support of the achievement of the MDGs. It will provide leadership in increasing international
trade and investment flows, creating new business opportunities, promoting good governance and
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corporate social responsibility, reducing the digital divide, and integrating developing countries
into the global market. The Global Business Council strives to provide a bridge between the
private sector and governments, between emerging markets and developed markets and between
small businesses and international private sector.
Ericsson helps the United Nations establish a mobile network in quake-stricken Haiti
The earthquake that rocked Haiti in January essentially destroyed the country’s
telecommunications infrastructure. Telecommunications are key to relief operations: they enable
assessment teams to quickly communicate priority needs. The United Nations promptly activated
its partnership with Ericsson Response and asked the company to provide communication
services and Information Communications and Technology support. Sarah Gannon led the first
team, composed of six employees from Ericsson Response Volunteers. Within days of the
devastating earthquake, they arrived from Sweden, Brazil, Costa Rica and Canada with the
necessary equipment. The Brage GSM system deployed by Ericsson Response provides mobile
telephony coverage for approximately 200km2. This area includes the United Nations logistics
base, Camp Charlie where many aid workers are staying, and parts of downtown Port-au-Prince.
A second GSM system deployed to Haiti, and now being set up, will increase the coverage to
around 400km2. The GSM system “Brage” is connected to the central United Nations telephony
gateway via satellite, making this mobile GSM system a seamless part of the United Nations
telephony system. Since 2000, Ericsson Response has provided staff and mobile communication
systems for humanitarian crises in many countries including Afghanistan, Democratic Republic
of the Congo, India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Republic of Panama, Sudan and USA.
First on the Ground
The "First on the Ground" partnership uses private sector capacity to bring the power of
technology and resources directly to the service of humanity, and in particular, humanitarian
relief operations. Ericsson's "First on the Ground" concept is designed as an in-kind contribution
at the disposal of the UN system to provide and maintain effective mobile communications
equipment and expertise for humanitarian relief operations. This initiative provides and maintains
mobile communications equipment and expertise for humanitarian relief operations, and also
helps improve existing communications networks where appropriate. The programme draws on
support from Ericsson’s offices in more than 140 countries worldwide and focuses on disaster
preparedness, as well as response.
Health Data System
The United Nations Foundation is working with the Vodafone Group Foundation to address
challenges of collecting health data in Africa by collaborating with WHO and national health
ministries to build digital health data systems. These systems are powered by data gathered by onthe-ground health professionals equipped with personal digital assistants (PDAs) and flexible
epidemiological surveillance software. The Partnership launched a major program in June 2006 to
fund training, software, and mobile computing devices for the full complement of health data
officers in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Zambia to support the fight against measles, through the
NGO DataDyne.
International Initiative of Non-Food Crops
The UN Office for Partnerships has been working with Lees Court Estate, Kent County Council
and Imperial College on the establishment of an International Initiative of Non-Food Crops. This
initiative recommends the organization of an International Centre for Non-Food Crops to be
established in the United Kingdom in partnership with the United Nations System. The Centre
serves as a hub of excellence in tapping the considerable expertise on non-food crops that already
exists, but also strengthen the technological, marketing and business linkages. A major push for
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the establishment of the Centre is the increasing constraint on non-renewable fossil reserves, due
to diminishing supplies and higher costs. A second key reason is to develop sustainable economic
activities. Non- food crops can deal with the causes and consequences of global warming and
climate change together with providing worldwide reductions in carbon emissions.
MDG Monitor
The MDG Monitor comprises of a web application that tracks real-time progress toward the
Millennium Development Goals in countries around the world. It has been developed by UNDP
and Google.org in collaboration with multiple UN agencies. The new online resource serves as an
educational and advocacy platform to realizing the MDGs. Created as a tool for development
practitioners, policymakers, journalists, students and others, the MDG Monitor website can be
used to track progress, to learn and to support the MDGs around the world.
Unlimited Potential Initiative
The Microsoft Unlimited Potential initiative seeks to align the company’s technologies,
partnerships, business and corporate citizenship in a concerted effort to bring the benefits of
information technology to people who are under-served today—and to help enable sustained
social and economic opportunities for communities around the world. Built on the principles of
relevance, access and affordability, the initiative is focused on delivering solutions in three key,
interrelated areas that are foundational drivers of economic opportunity: transforming education,
fostering local innovation and creating jobs and opportunities.
UN-Marvel Partnership
The UN Office for Partnerships, together with DPI, has collaborated with Marvel Entertainment,
Inc. to create a comic book about the United Nations collaborating with world renowned Marvel
super heroes to address the MDGs. The comic book will initially be distributed for free to
selected schools in the U.S. The storyline focuses on the themes that embody the spirit of the UN
– “cooperation of people from diverse backgrounds to provide solutions to conflicts and aid to
those in need all over the world.” Along with the comic, supplementary games and posters will
be produced. Also taking advantage of the huge recognition the Marvel Heroes have across the
globe, the UN hopes to translate the comics into other languages and distribute them worldwide.
The Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition
The Reproductive Health (RH) Supplies Coalition is a partnership among agencies that have a
role in providing reproductive health supplies. The members include: United Nations Population
Fund, UN Foundation, United States Agency for International Development, Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, Partners in Population and Development etc. It provides global leadership in
making supplies available to low and moderate-income countries. The Market Development
Approaches Working Group (MDA WG), which is one of the Coalition’s three working groups,
aims share and disseminate existing models, tools and approaches that facilitate RH supply
market development, raise awareness, exploit synergies, avoid duplication among Coalition
members and strengthen supportive environment for RH supply market development.
Rapid Response Emergency Telecommunication
The United Nations Foundation’s Rapid Response Emergency Telecommunication project works
with UNICEF, the World Food Programme and the UN’s Organization for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to improve access to life-saving technology and
telecommunications tools in natural disasters, conflicts and famines. The initiative supports
Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF), a humanitarian NGO, to deploy rapid response telecom teams to
join UN missions anywhere in the world within 48 hours of an emergency.
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RH Reality Check
In 2006, the Better World Fund launched Reproductive Health (RH) Reality Check, an interactive
Web-based publication that has established itself as the online “op-ed page” for the reproductive
health community. In 2007, RH Reality Check’s content and subscriptions improved steadily—
the publication now counts a core subscriber base of more than 5,000 readers and recently won
the 2007 Global Media Award for Best Electronic Media Forum in the area of Population
Reporting.
Fuji Optical and UNHCR improving vision for refugees in Armenia
Over a period of six days in late July 2003, a total of 912 persons, including 748 refugees and 164
locals, underwent eye examinations and received eyeglasses under the Vision Screening Project
of Refugees in Armenia carried out with the support of UNHCR’s corporate partner, Fuji Optical
Co. Ltd (Japan). During 2002, Fuji Optic donated and delivered 2,000 pairs of pre-made
eyeglasses and 1,000 pairs of ophthalmic frames to refugees in Armenia. The eyeglasses were
distributed through the national non-governmental organisation, Mission Armenia (MA), and the
State Department for Migration and Refugees (SDM). The project was managed through
UNHCR’s existing programmes.
UNESCO-Hewlett-Packard and CNRS project to reduce ‘brain drain’ in Africa
Scientists at the Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar (Senegal) are now better placed
to cooperate with researchers overseas thanks to the installation of the first computing grid at the
university, the fruit of a joint effort by the UNESCO/Hewlett-Packard project “Reversing Brain
Drain into Brain Gain for Africa” and the Grid Computing Institute of France’s National Centre
for Scientific Research (CNRS). The project aims to provide universities in five African countries
with grid computing technology so as to reduce migration of African university graduates by
giving them the tools they need for their research. Grid computing is a hardware and software
infrastructure that clusters and integrates high-end computer networks, databases and scientific
instruments from multiple sources to form a virtual environment in which users can work
collaboratively. Connected over the internet, these sets of servers or computers make it possible
to process and store data and to multiply computing power and speed. This project follows the
successful implementation of a similar UNESCO/Hewlett-Packard project for southeast Europe,
launched in 2003. It has helped create websites, data bases and new research projects in several
universities in the region. Four universities have become entirely self-sustainable in the use of
grid technology and the project continues in three others.
UN, Google, Cisco unveil online resource
The United Nations, Google and Cisco unveiled a pioneering online site that tracks progress
towards decreasing global poverty by 2015, a global campaign known as the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the project, called
MDG Monitor, and highlighted the urgent need to increase global cooperation. The site is
available at www.mdgmonitor.org. MDG Monitor tracks progress toward the MDGs in a number
of categories in nearly every country in the world. The site presents the most current data from
multiple sources in development bellwethers like public health, education and women’s
empowerment. By laying out areas of progress and continuing challenge for the world to see,
MDG Monitor aspires to keep the global community’s eye firmly fixed on the Millennium Goals,
and to provide vital information for policy makers and development practitioners worldwide.
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United Nations Office for Partnerships
The United Nations Office for Partnerships serves as a gateway for partnership opportunities with the
United Nations family. It promotes new collaborations and alliances in furtherance of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and provides support to new initiatives of the Secretary-General. UNOP
provides Partnership Advisory Services and Outreach to a variety of entities, as well as managing the
United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), established by the Secretary-General in
March 1998 to serve as the interface in the partnership between the UN system and the UN
Foundation, and the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), established by the Secretary-General
in July 2005 to support democratization throughout the world. The Office, headed by Mr. Amir
Dossal, reports to the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. The Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. AshaRose Migiro, oversees the day-to-day operations of UNOP.
Organogram of the United Nations Office for Partnerships
UNFIP Advisory Board
SecretarySecretary-General
UNDEF Advisory Board
Deputy SecretarySecretary-General
United Nations Fund for
International Partnerships
Partnership Advisory
Services and Outreach
United Nations
Democracy Fund
The Office oversees three areas:
1. Partnership Advisory Services and Outreach to a variety of entities, including academic
institutions, companies, foundations, government agencies, and civil society organizations.
Investment in high-impact initiatives is encouraged by:
•
•
•
•
•
Advising on UN procedures and best practices;
Assisting in the design of programmes and projects;
Advising on the conversion of Global Compact •principles into practice;
Helping establish and, in some cases, manage global and regional networks;
Advocating use of the MDGs as a framework for action.
2. The United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) established by the SecretaryGeneral in March 1998 to serve as the interface for the partnership between the UN system and the
UN Foundation - the public charity responsible for administering Ted Turner’s $1 billion contribution
in support of UN causes. The United Nations Partnership with Ted Turner’s Philanthropy has enabled
the UN family to find creative solutions to all problems.
3. The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) established by the Secretary-General in July
2005 to support democratization throughout the world focuses on supporting democratic institutions,
promoting human rights, and ensuring the participation of all groups in democratic processes.
For further information, please contact:
Lucie Brigham, Chief of Office
Tel: 212-963-3441 E-mail: [email protected]
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