A/HRC/21/21 C. Partnerships 88. Across the United Nations system, the number and type of partnerships with business have multiplied rapidly in recent years. This increases the opportunities to promote corporate respect for human rights, but also the risk of being linked to actors potentially involved in activities that have a negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights. 89. As part of the efforts coordinated by the Global Compact to promote greater coherence in United Nations business partnerships, guidelines on cooperation between the United Nations and the business sector were developed to generate more effective partnerships while ensuring the integrity and independence of the Organization.31 While the guidelines contain human rights principles, which declare that the United Nations will not engage with business sector entities that are “complicit in human rights abuses”, they should now be updated to ensure full alignment with the Guiding Principles. Individual entities at various levels also have their own policies for partnerships with business actors, some of which have integrated, or contemplate integrating, the Guiding Principles.32 90. In his five-year action agenda announced on 25 January 2012, the Secretary-General launched his plans for scaling up transformative partnerships with the private sector through the creation of a new United Nations partnership facility integrating the Office for Partnerships. In this regard, it is important that steps be taken to ensure that its approach to partnerships is coherent with United Nations core priorities, including by aligning its policies with the Guiding Principles and the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. 91. The network of United Nations Private Sector Focal Points is an important platform for integrating the Guiding Principles as a core standard relevant for United Nations partnership policies, screening processes and management of relations with business. The annual Private Sector Forum convened by the Secretary-General provides an opportunity for raising awareness on the Guiding Principles with business leaders and public policymakers. Lastly, the United Nations Business Partnership gateway, an online portal to facilitate partnerships with the private sector, should reference the Guiding Principles and the corporate responsibility to respect human rights as the baseline standard expected of business conduct. VII. Conclusions and recommendations 92. The business and human rights agenda of the United Nations and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights should be an integral part of global efforts to bridge existing governance gaps and safeguard protection and respect for human rights in the context of economic activities. The entities and mechanisms of the United Nations system already contribute towards that end, but the sheer scale and complexity of the issue requires a coordinated strategic effort by the United Nations system as a whole. 93. In order to achieve system-wide coordination and coherence with regard to business and human rights, the business and human rights agenda, and particularly the Guiding Principles, should be embedded throughout the United Nations system at the strategic policy level. In this context, the United Nations High Commissioner for 31 32 Available from http://www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/news_events/9.1_news_archives/2009_11_23/ un_business_guidelines.pdf. For example, the OHCHR internal policy on partherships with the business sector. 17