The U.S. Government has joined with foreign governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, academia, and the private sector to plan and implement voluntary partnerships that promote economic growth, social development and environmental stewardship. For example, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, the United States established and/or joined more than 20 partnerships to advance sustainable development. In addition, USAID, operating under the new Global Development Alliance (GDA) business model, has initiated or significantly expanded more than 200 public-private alliances in 2002 and 2003.

These partnerships play an increasingly important role in bringing all of the world's poor into an expanding circle of opportunity. Partnerships are vital to raising hope, improving peoples' lives, and creating a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world.

This SDP.gov site provides information on the U.S. Government's sustainable development partnership efforts to help countries create and carry forward their own development strategies and successes in areas such as:

• Poverty reduction;
• Universal primary education;
• Access to clean water and sanitation services;
• Access to energy services;
• Reducing the spread of infectious diseases;
• Reducing hunger and promoting agricultural and rural development;
• Conservation and environmental stewardship; and
• Protecting marine and freshwater resources.

The United Nations recently passed a resolution on partnerships, "Towards Global Partnerships" (A/RES/58/129), and additional information regarding international sustainable development partnership efforts may be found on the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development website (www.un.org/esa/susdev/)  at www.un.org/esa/sustdev/partnerships.