The United Nations of the 21st century is operating in a very different world from the one that existed at its inception 60 years ago. New threats such as HIV/AIDS, climate change and catastrophic terrorism have emerged or taken on heightened significance. New technologies have connected the world in ever-expanding networks of trade, commerce and cultural exchange. Awareness of global interdependence continues to spread. And with the resources, know-how and tools at our disposal today, ours is truly the first generation capable of defeating the age-old scourges of poverty and hunger.

If the United Nations is to be a useful instrument in responding to these challenges, and if it is to effectively serve the world’s peoples, the Organization must keep pace with this changing world. That is why, in recent years, the United Nations has been engaged in a broad and continuous programme of institutional change and reform. An important component of this process has been the progressive opening of the United Nations to non-state actors, including business and civil society, as indispensable partners in our work.

Almost all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes are engaging in partnerships with business. Some of these partnerships have been designed to advocate specific causes; others have developed norms for business conduct; still others have sought to support the development and expansion of sustainable markets. Whatever form they take, they have proven to be a critical tool in achieving two complementary objectives: strengthening the work of the United Nations for development, security and human rights and introducing the Organization to different and sometimes more efficient ways of management.

This publication, a collaborative effort of the United Nations Global Compact Office and the Global Public Policy Institute, provides an overview of recent partnership activities in the United Nations, as well as the challenges the Organization faces in its efforts to engage the private sector and create effective coalitions for change. It suggests ways to make such collaboration more effective, and offers insights that could contribute to the ongoing reform effort. As we proceed along the path of organizational renewal, I hope this publication will be a source of inspiration to Governments, business, civil society and United Nations entities in our shared global mission of prosperity, dignity and peace.

Kofi Annan
Secretary General of the United Nations
August 2005