UNITAR Hosts Dialogue on Advancing the SDGs in Collaboration with the Private Sector

26 September 2018, New York, United States – UNITAR with the support of the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN in New York hosted the Dialogue “Advancing the SDGs - A partners perspective” during the U.N. General Assembly week.

The special meeting was inaugurated by H.E. Hugo Francisco Rivera, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation of the Dominican Republic and the discussion was facilitated by Dr. David Nabarro, former Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda.

The Dialogue provided a unique perspective from private sector corporations on how they are working in different areas related to the SDGs and on opportunities for collaboration to make local progress towards the global goals.

Some private sector initiatives presented included EUCORD’s initiative to increase farmers’ capacity to sustainably grow quality crops matched to the commercial needs of the food and feed industry; The Nature Conservancy’s water funds strategy that helps cities and communities protect their water sources.  AB InBev's Road Safety Data Dashboard- a tool developed by data specialists and donated to the governments of the State of Sao Paulo in Brazil and to the State of Haryana in India – to help monitor data related to road traffic crashes following a minimum set of indicators.

UNITAR’s intervention was in the specific field of Road Safety on concrete examples of how the Institute is strengthening the capacity of government officials to design strategies that address road safety risk factors and is contributing to build awareness among youth.

The private sector constitutes a key partner in advancing the SDGs, not only in providing funding but also in implementing measures that contribute to sustainable development. From designing road safety codes, to addressing climate change and reducing water use, to supporting programmes that empower women, and promoting economic growth, private sector companies are leading the march towards long lasting solutions. 

Photo 1: Speakers of the Dialogue “Advancing the SDGs - A partners perspective”