Why Partner
Investing in partnerships can help your business create long-term value and achieve a positive impact on society far beyond what you could accomplish alone. Collaborations can take many forms – within a value chain, across industries, with a local government or civil society organization, or with the UN.
Partnerships: A Key Way to Implement the Sustainable Development Goals
Partnerships can help you implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs address the growing complexities of global challenges. Because these challenges are often interconnected, they require involvement from many parties.
How the UN Global Compact Advances Partnerships
The UN Global Compact helps participants create partnerships across sectors in several ways:
● Resource Development: Partnerships require significant time and resources to develop, maintain and scale. Our tools and resources support you at every stage.
● Events and networking opportunities: There can be no substitute for the powerful impact of in-person dialogue and cross-sector collaboration. The Global Compact convenes a number of meetings every year, where you can meet stakeholders from government, business, the UN and civil society. These meetings address common challenges and identify new partnership opportunities:
○ The Private Sector Forum allows you to contribute to inter-governmental discussions on key global issues. It is held annually by the Secretary-General in parallel with General Assembly debates.
● Local engagement: The UN Global Compact works closely with our Local Networks to build their capacity to connect the business community with the UN system and other stakeholders and advance partnerships at country level.
One example is the Partnership Process, which is managed by Local Network Partners. This process:
○ Connects relevant stakeholders around a challenge of critical national importance (i.e., water and sanitation);
○ Identifies mutual interests;
○ Sources tangible projects providing innovative solutions to the challenge; and
○ Spurs collaborative action and partnerships to address the challenge.
