UN-Private Sector Focal Points Meeting

GPPi's Jan Martin Witte, together with Melissa Powell of the UN Global Compact Office, moderated a workshop on improving communication platforms during the United Nations System Private Sector Focal Points Meeting at UNESCO in Paris from June 1-2. The session, "Enhancing UN communication platforms: A focus on the UN/Business website," was designed to enhance inter-agency collaboration on partnerships with business. GPPi supports the United Nations in facilitating an internal exchange of lessons learned and best practice among Private Sector Focal Points by producing the UN-Business Focal Point Newsletter.

Overall objectives of the Focal Point meeting in Paris included enhancing communication, strengthening learning, advancing coordination, and improving collaboration among Private Sector Focal Points in the various UN agencies. Special emphasis was placed on impact assessment of partnerships and facilitating effective local ownership. Workshops gave Focal Points an opportunity to gather and share expertise. Participants discussed topics such as Partnership Impact Assessment and Review Mechanisms, Partnerships in Action, Partnerships in Bilateral Development Cooperation: Lessons Learned and Scope for Collaboration, Implementing Partnerships on the Ground, The Growing Sustainable Business Initiative at the Country-Level, An Industry-Wide Approach to Partnerships, The Role of Business in Humanitarian/Disaster Relief, Enhancing UN Communication Platforms (Focus on the UN/Business Website), Improving Partnership Performance through Enhanced Accountability, and Communicating Partnership Success.

Participants in the UN/Business Website workshop, all of whom work with partnerships between the UN and business, discussed how to maximize the potential of the UN/Business website as a communication forum and address the correct target audience. Revamping the UN/Business Website should help channel corporate good will more efficiently to areas where it is most needed. With this new strategy, the UN hopes to avoid situations where contributions go to waste before an appropriate use can be found. Businesses will choose preferences for UN agency recipients, but also will have an option to allow their donation to be forwarded to approved NGOs if it cannot be matched to needs within the UN system agencies. As a result of the discussion, the website will become much easier to navigate for business people and civil society.

The website will first be piloted with a few of the UN agencies which have been involved in the revamping process. If successful, the tool will be expanded to other organizations interested in participating. The workshop resulted in the formation of a small working group to suggest enhancements to the UN/Business website, which should be up and running as a pilot project soon.

In closing, Melissa Powell also highlighted the utilization of the UN-Business Focal Point Newsletter, in addition to websites, as a forum for communication.

Click here for a conference agenda.