Overview

The United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) facilitates new alliances and partnerships for the UN system with non-state actors. UNOP promotes, encourages and facilitates the increased engagement of the UN System with private companies and foundations that remain largely untapped sources of additional support for UN objectives. UNOP partnership-building activities have the twin objectives of both educating the public in the work of the Organization and engaging new partners for collaborative work within the context of the United Nations.

The expertise of the Office lies in the following areas:

• Screening of internal and external inquiries;
• Provision of advice on UN procedures and best practices;
• Design of programmes and projects;
• Establishment and, in some cases, management of global and regional networks;
• Development of creative financing mechanisms

The Office and the Global Compact work closely together to reinforce each other's mandates by advising on the conversion of Global Compact principles into practice through concrete programmes and projects on the ground.

In 2007, the Office handled almost 500 inquiries from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and foundations wishing to collaborate with the United Nations system.