16 October 2024, Beijing, China - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Social Impact Investment Foundation (SIIF) have officially signed a cooperation agreement in Beijing, announcing the establishment of the United Nations Global Leadership & ESG Programme. This marks the first specialized programme by UNITAR in the Asia-Pacific region, focused on global innovation leadership, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) institutional capacity building, and talent development. UNITAR and SIIF have both experienced substantial growth in recent years, driven by a shared commitment to sustainable development and capacity-building. UNITAR has expanded its global partnerships and has been recognized for its contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other international agreements. Meanwhile, SIIF plays a pivotal role as a funding partner, implementing partner, and technical advisor to the UN and other international entities, providing a clear roadmap for sustainable development and social responsibility.

Recognizing their complementary strengths, UNITAR and SIIF are launching this initiative as a natural and strategic alignment. This partnership adds significant value to both the UN system and SIIF’s ongoing efforts to promote diplomacy, governance, and capacity-building in the Asia-Pacific region. The programme, headquartered in Hong Kong, will serve as a global hub for innovation and knowledge-sharing in leadership development and ESG.

The mission of the programme is to harness UNITAR’s vast knowledge, research, and training resources, along with the expertise of the entire UN system, to empower partner organizations. The aim is to foster global leadership in green transformation and technology innovation while cultivating ESG leaders with practical skills. The programme aspires to become a global resource accelerator and a best-practice hub for leadership and ESG talent development. It will focus on the following five key areas:

• Global Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Development
• Global Green Leadership Capacity Building
• Youth Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship Sustainable Development
• Digital Transformation & Governance
• Public Diplomacy and International Cooperation

At the programme’s inauguration, Mr Nikhil Seth, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNITAR emphasized that ESG principles are essential not only for fostering sustainability but also for promoting social inclusion. He also mentioned that UNITAR’s global network would be mobilized to support the development of the ESG Programme, which will serve as a key platform for ESG leadership development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr Luo Xiang Roy, Chairman of the UN Global Leadership & ESG Programme and Chairman of SIIF, also underscored the programme’s significance. He stated that the programme will provide an essential platform for addressing urgent SDG actions and global challenges. Additionally, he emphasized its role in empowering global youth through education in science, technology innovation, and sustainable development.

Dr. Luo Xiang currently serves as the Chairman of the steering committee of the UN Global Leadership & ESG programme, co-developed by UNITAR & SIIF, the chairman of Social Impact Investment Foundation (SIIF) and the chairman of ESG Committee of Multinational-Companies Carbon Neutral Association (MNC Carbon Neutral 50 Forum). He leads the committee that strongly supports the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and responds to the complex global climate crisis by providing systemic solutions in the areas of sustainable investment in global clean energy, carbon neutral strategic transformation, green finance, ESG, and the digital economy through institutional capacity development, research and knowledge sharing, innovation centers, and programme performance. 

From 2014 to 2019, he had served as country director of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)-China, led the multinational programme with the Chinese government and countries along the Belt and Road in the sectors of clean-energy, food security, life sciences, healthcare, knowledge-economy and other innovation projects. Prior to 2014, he had a long history of involvement as a senior official in the development of industry clusters under the responsibility of other agencies of the United Nation’s system and international economic development agencies, and led multiple internationally renowned funds, he established the special industry sustainable fund of over one billion US dollars and a global innovation fund of one hundred million US dollars cooperated.

Dr. Luo holds a PhD in the Philosophy of Business Administration and served as a core expert for WWF Climate Initiative, in addition he is the chief advisor of the committee of China-Euro Green Industrial transformation & Innovation. Dr Xiang has also been recognized with a series of awards: “2020 China's Top 10 Smart Economy Leaders” awarded by the Economic Daily Group, “2023 Global Green Finance and ESG Sustainability Leader Award” awarded by Global Alliance for Ecological Sustainable Development, France, “2022-2023 Asia-Pacific Green Finance and Clean Energy Person of the Year” awarded by Asia Economy Development Association.