27 April 2006

GPPi co-hosts conference on UN-private sector partnerships and launches Business UNusual in Oslo

 

On April 25, 2006, the Global Public Policy Institute and the United Nations Development Programme jointly hosted a conference on "United Nations and Private Sector Partnerships." Around 80 participants from the United Nations, research organisations, international and Norwegian business, government, and civil society gathered at the Oslo Governance Centre for this daylong event.

 

The key focus of the conference was to explore the potential of partnerships between the United Nations and business for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The conference was introduced by the Norwegian Minister for International Development Minister Erik Solheim. In his opening remarks, he argued that both the state and the market have key roles to play in the promotion of economic and social development. In his view, state and market, growth and equity are inextricably intertwined and interdependent. Partnerships, according to Solheim, can make an important contribution to development by facilitating the sharing of resources and expertise for the common good.

 

Following Solheim’s remarks, the conference proceedings were introduced by the presentation of two key reports that have shaped the international debate on the role of the private sector and public-private partnerships in international development in recent years. First, Jannik Lindbaek, chairman of Statoil and member of the UN Commission on Private Sector and Development, presented Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor. Showing what the private sector can contribute in terms of value creation and service delivery, he focused on the conditions that have the potential to facilitate entrepreneurial action in developing countries.

 

Following Lindbaek, GPPi’s Jan Martin Witte presented Business UNusual: Facilitating United Nations Reform through Partnerships. He focused on partnerships between businesses and the United Nations in concrete development projects. He argued that partnerships can become a motor for reform at the United Nations and that they are most likely to be successful if they have local ownership and draw on the core competencies of each partner.

 

The participants then turned their attention to practical initiatives and new opportunities for engaging business in development. Søren Petersen, head of UNDP’s Nordic Business Outreach, introduced this initiative aimed at forming new partnerships between the UN and companies in the Nordic area. Vidar Lindefjeld, of NHO and focal point for the Global Compact Nordic Network, presented the goals and activities of the Global Compact, challenging companies to join this voluntary UN initiative. Both initiatives were discussed in greater detail in ensuing workshops.

 

Christian Thommessen, the new director of UNDP’s Division for Business Partnerships, made the concluding contribution to the conference. Using his own personal example of a businessman now working for the UN, he conveyed a strong sense of just how important the engagement of the private sector is for development.

 

For pictures of the event please click here.

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