Policy Development

"There is a growing recognition that many of the world's most pressing problems are too complex for any one sector to face alone. Thus, since the 1990s, the private sector and other stakeholders have increasingly become active partners in helping the Organization achieve its goals, as a complement to government action."

-Report of the UN Secretary-General, "Enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and all relevant partners, in particular the private sector" (document A/62/341)

The 8th UN Millennium Development Goal -- to develop a global partnership for development -- promotes action and interaction in all countries and from all sides -- governments, business, non-governmental organizations, academia, community groups, individuals and United Nations entities. Public-private and multi-stakeholder alliances are important to the global efforts to achieve each and all of the MDGs, for they are all interlinked.

The potential of contributions from the private sector to achieving the MDGs is huge, in terms of increasing productivity and creating jobs in the formal and informal sectors, service delivery through public-private partnerships, actions to improve corporate governance and good citizenship, collaboration with governments in policy design, advocacy for the MDGs and corporate philanthropy. As the ILO emphasizes, the main route out of poverty is decent work.

Key Facts

Developing and industrialized countries alike increasingly recognize the need to join the economic strength of transnational corporations, and the private sector in general, with international aims to achieve the UN development agenda and assist the efforts of developing countries.
Several resolutions of the UN General Assembly promote and give structure to closer relations between the UN and the business community.
Since the debut of the UN Global Compact in 2000, more than 3,800 participants in over 100 countries have joined, and endorsed the internationally agreed basic principles on labor, human rights, environment and anti-corruption. The Global Compact is a catalyst for expanding cooperation with the private sector throughout the UN system.
The "UN Principles of Responsible Investment" assist institutional investors to incorporate responsible environmental, social, and corporate governance issues in their investment analysis and decision-making. This helps link the fiduciary responsibilities of investors with the broader objectives of society.
The UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development (UNPPA) has taken shape as an ad-hoc initiative of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), with Madagascar, the Dominican Republic and now Angola and Ethiopia as pilot countries. PPAF has also been recognized by ECOSOC, and collaborates with the UNPPA.

UN Economic and Social Chamber

Our Response

PPAF seeks to help shape policy development through participation in meetings in and about the UN system and through formal statements and documents. These include the following:

Partners against Poverty Event to Launch the Public-Private Alliance Foundation at the UN
Press release for the event held on 18 May 2007.

United Nations Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development - Report of the Secretary-General
PPAF contributed to the report. This was reviewed by ECOSOC in its July 2007 session (document E/2007/61).

Statement by David Stillman at Civil Society Development Forum 2007
Contribution to the Forum's Plenary Discussion on Pro-Poor Growth, 29 June 2007

Statement by Ambassador Francis Lorenzo at the Civil Society Development Forum 2007
Contribution to the Plenary Discussion on Pro-Poor Growth, 29 June 2007

Conference of UN NGO's (CONGO) Civil Society Development Forum
The Outcome Document of the Forum refers to PPAF.

Letter to the President of ECOSOC describing the establishment of PPAF, June 2007
Letter from the Permanent Representative of Madagascar to the UN and the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN addressed to the President of the Economic and Social Council (document E/2007/81).

Statement by Ambassador Zina Andrianarivelo-Razafy at ECOSOC, July 2007
Statement by the Permanent Representative of Madagascar to the UN, at the High-level Segment of ECOSOC, 4 July 2007.

ECOSOC Resolution on the UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development, July 2007
Resolution adopted as submitted by the Vice-President of the Council, Léo Mérorès (Haiti). As part of this resolution, the Council recognized the establishment of PPAF (document E/2007/L.37).
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Enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and all relevant partners, in particular the private sector - Report of the Secretary-General
PPAF contributed to the report. This was considered by the General Assembly in the autumn of 2007 (document A/62/341).

Second Committee Hears Case for United Nations Partnership with Private Sector
UN Press Release, 8 November 2007, Sixty-second General Assembly Second Committee 25th Meeting (AM).

Statement by Ambassador Francis Lorenzo to the General Assembly Second Committee, on Global Partnerships, 8 November 2007
The speech discusses the 8th Millennium Development Goal - Global Partnerships

General Assembly resolution "Towards global partnerships," December 2007
PPAF board members contributed to this resolution, and the UN Public-Private Alliance for Rural Development is mentioned in it.

“The United Nations can only do its job properly with partners. We will need to forge even closer ties to civil society groups, foundations, academic institutions, the media, labour unions, and the private sector. Each has unique contributions to make.”

-Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General,
Address to UNA-USA Business Council
for the UN,
New York, 10 January 2007

Public-Private Alliance Foundation Tel: 914-478-3450 Fax: 914-478-7859 ppafoundation@gmail.com