From United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme started collaborating with the private sector as early as 1995 and since then it has become a pioneer in promoting corporate volunteerism. By fielding corporate volunteers in areas such as food processing, environment, marketing or information and communications technologies, UNV has concretely supported development efforts all over the world with specialized skills and knowledge.
 
UNV brought together 13 partners from the private sector, governments and other UN agencies in an Innovation Space workshop that was held on 2-3 February 2016.
 
Under the new Agenda 2030, the call for multi-partner collaboration in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been renewed – particularly with the private sector. To support this effort, UNV brought together 13 partners from the private sector, governments and other UN agencies such as UNDP, UNHCR, UNFPA and UNFCCC in an Innovation Space workshop that was held on 2-3 February 2016.

Among the private companies and foundations that participated in the workshop were SAP, Credit Suisse, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Post DHL, IBM, Medtronic Foundation, Microsoft, Philips Foundation, Samsung, UPS, Vodafone Foundation, Volvo Group and Zurich Insurance Group. The workshop explored innovative and cost-effective volunteer-based solutions that can help achieve the SDGs.

As an example of collaboration, UNV presented its new Online Volunteering prototype, which offers multiple functionalities for targeted cooperation with the private sector. This application can potentially allow companies to measure both their contribution to global development efforts and the impact on their participating employees.

Among the volunteer-based solutions that were explored were volunteering opportunities, online engagement and thematic approaches that could be adopted by the private and public sectors to support the SDGs. The UNV programme, governments such as Germany, Sweden and Korea and the private sector acknowledged that their common purpose and shared values can help meet significant development objectives, especially if the innovation capabilities and expertise of the business community can be combined with the global development network of the UN.

The Innovation Space is expected to pave the way towards the co-creation of innovative volunteering solutions for sustainable development.

Click here for further information about the Innovation Space.

Source: http://goo.gl/ICgj4P