Private sector partnership is an increasingly important thrust of UNDP's work around the world. There is now a powerful convergence of UNDP's priorities and principles with business principles and objectives.

In today's borderless world, business decisions can and do have a greater impact on people's welfare and the environment, than the decisions of most governments. Of the top 100 economic entities, less than half are countries. Business is driving globalization and business is the primary source of economic growth, employment creation and public revenues that pay for national development programmes. As a consequence, more and more business is expected to deliver in new areas and against a wide range of social norms.

Within this context, there are three broad reasons why it makes sound business sense to contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Each of these is a crucial pillar for building successful and competitive private enterprises:

Global prosperity is in the long term interest of business and the UNDP needs to engage the energy and resources of the private sector for greater development gains.

Who Do We Work With?

CSR can support numerous development initiatives - empowering poor women; responding to HIV/AIDS; anti-corruption; e-learning and eco-management, and so on. Some of the partnerships pursued by UNDP Malaysia include:

How Do We Work With the Private Sector?

UNDP's engagement with the private sector differs according to a country's level of development. UNDP recognizes that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) depends on vibrant economic growth, driven by private enterprises that create jobs and provide goods and services for the poor, as well as generate tax revenues to finance essential social and economic infrastructure. The private sector - from large multi-national companies to small enterprises and cooperatives servicing local markets - also has an essential role to play in achieving broader UNDP goals in areas such as energy and environmental service delivery, crisis prevention, gender equality and democratic governance.

In Malaysia our aim is to engage business directly through CSR and public-private partnerships in support of national development aspiration consistent with the development thrust of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010). Companies get a deeper understanding of CSR by getting their staff involved in project activities and reflecting on their contribution to local and national development challenges.

UNDP seeks to build capacity of private sector employees to view development and environment issues from new perspectives and to get some convergence of cultures. A further aim is to encourage corporates to take ownership of development challenges by putting country specific MDGs as targets on their balanced scorecards.

In addition, UNDP plays a leading role in supporting the principles and objectives of the UN Global Compact through the establishment of the Malaysia Compact.

UNDP welcomes opportunities to partner with corporates working in Malaysia who share our aspirations to support national and local development.