In 2022, UNCT reinforced existing partnerships and forged new ones to further advance the SDGs. To pave the way for new, innovative solutions, partnerships were established at the international level with teams that are moving the frontiers in their industries, including Lightcast, a world leader in labor market analysis through big data, Deep Pavlov, the Neural Networks and Deep Learning Laboratory at Moscow Institute Physics and Technology, UK’s Behavioral Insights Team, SweRoad, Swedish National Road Consulting company, Oslo Governance Center, Global Data Barometer, Istituto di Moda Burgo and more.

Partnerships with the private sector

2022 witnessed also the establishment of partnerships with the private sector, previously an underutilized source of funding for UN initiatives. The collaboration between the UN and the private sector has been increasingly prominent, including the examples below:

Yeremyan Projects has been our business partner in promoting healthy eating habits. Thanks to the public-private partnership, 350 schoolchildren receive free quality milk every day. We are observing changes in the children’s behavior, aiming to see a rise in milk consumption and healthier breakfast choices.

Together with the Body Shop franchise, we amplified the voices of young people in public life. This collaboration builds upon a partnership between the UN SG’s Envoy on Youth and The Body Shop, which aims to break down barriers preventing youth participation through the “Be Seen Be Heard” campaign.

AraratBank, is the 2nd Armenia-based company, along with Grant Thornton CJSC, that joined the special initiative of the UN SG on establishing Global Compact in 2022. AraratBank’s collaboration with the UN for the “food cards” pilot program showcases their corporate social responsibility and agile partnership. By providing access to “food cards” and financial services, the Bank is helping vulnerable households in need. UNCT continues to encourage more private sector companies to join the UN Global Compact in collaboration with exemplary local networks, such as UN Global Compact National Network in Georgia.

South-south cooperation

In a valuable display of south-south cooperation, the All-Armenia ‘Hayastan’ Fund in Argentina and the UN have joined forces to launch a 2-year program will offer a wide range of multidisciplinary services to children in difficult life circumstances, such as rehabilitation, case management, prevention of family separation, and mental health services.

Last year, UN Armenia also shared its experiences with Moldova on electoral administration, with Mongolia on Parliament’s engagement in the climate change agenda, and with Macedonia on oversight of government policy implementation.

Funded by South-South Triangular Cooperation Fund, the “Green Energy for Productive Farming” project uses an economically self-sustaining, climatesensitive, and community-led approach to increase agricultural production for smallholder farmers. By providing farmers with access to solar stations, we make significant impact on agricultural development. The savings made by the farmers on electricity costs allow them to invest more in their farms, increasing their productivity and output.

Data partnership

Data partnership with UN Statistical Division triggered another South-South collaboration by supporting the Government of Colombia to mine social media data with AI. 

UN-STARMUS collaboration brought together 100 young people in Armenia to explore the intersection of science and art. Co-founded by astrophysicist Garik Israelyan and legendary Queen guitarist Brian May, STARMUS unites world-renowned scientists, Nobel prize laureates, astronauts, and the brightest minds of science, art, and technology.