UNITAR Facilitates an International Conference on Business and the SDGs

8 September 2016, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) partnered with the Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund) to host an international conference entitled, “Attaining the SDGs by 2030: Business and the UN, New Partnership Models.” The goal of the conference was to explore new ways to involve the private sector and the business community in attaining the 2030 agenda.

The International Conference began with opening addresses by Mr. Marco A. Suazo, Acting Head of UNITAR’s New York Office, and by Ms. Paloma Duran, Director of the SDG Fund. Following the opening addresses, Mr. David Nabarro, the UN Special Advisor on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development spoke briefly. He discussed the need for the UN and private sector communities to come together in order to meet the goals by 2030. Mr. Nabarro was followed by the keynote speaker, President Elect of the General Assembly and Ambassador of Fiji to the UN Mr. Peter Thomson. Ambassador Thomson focused on the need for the business community to be particularly involved with SDGs 13 and 14, the climate and ocean-oriented goals. The Ambassador also addressed the need for more commitment in the private to sustainable development and green finance efforts.

The morning session consisted of two different panels, both of which were moderated by Mr. Ignacio Alvaro, the Director for Organization at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas ICAI-ICADE. The first panel discussed Inclusive Economic Growth for Poverty Eradication. The panellists included Ms. Chantal Line Carpentier, Chief of UNCTAD’s New York Office, Mr. Babatomiwa Adesida, the Manager of the Sahara Group Foundation’s Nigeria Office, and Mr. Vinicius Pinheiro, Director of the International Labor Office’s (ILO) New York Office. The panellists focused on the need for local solutions to poverty eradication issues and the work that the private sector can do on the ground and in regional and local investment to help economically stimulate impoverished countries.

The second panel included Mr. Juan Chebly, Lead Adviser on Partnership and Outreach at UNEP, Mr. Gonzalo Sales of Ferrovial, and Mr. Alex Martinez of The Rockefeller Foundation. The main focus of this panel was Water and Sanitation. Panellists discussed the critical nature of developing infrastructure in countries that struggle with water and sanitation issues, either through the private, government or NGO sector.

Following a lunch break, Ms. Paloma Duran of the SDG Fund moderated the final three sessions of the Conference. The first afternoon panel included Ms. Carla Mucavi, the New York Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization, and Professor Glenn Denning of Columbia University. These panellists addressed the inexorable ties between reaching food security and basic nutrition standards around the world and attaining the SDGs by 2030.

The fourth panel covered Gender Considerations in relation to the SDGs. These considerations were discussed by panellists Ms. Meg Jones of UN Women, and Ms. Margot Baruch of Rutgers University. They spoke about the importance of global engagement for young women, and specific marketing and investment strategies in the private sector that companies can adopt to further empower women.