Public-private partnerships to meet Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon has called the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development “our declaration of interdependence”.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, global business leaders and UN heads met with Ban Ki-moon to explore opportunities for the United Nations to scale up public-private partnerships that will advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Secretary-General called on business leaders to work across sectors and industries, highlighting the need to engage more responsible businesses to take action on the Sustainable Development Goals, saying that “doing business responsibly is the first step for any company that wants to contribute to sustainability.”

The UN sees the private sector as playing a fundamental role in sustainable development and this year launched the ground-breaking set of global Sustainable Development Goals – these are a newly relevant framework for businesses to “guide their strategic priorities and efforts towards society – representing a huge opportunity to drive sustainable business.” The goals include ending poverty and hunger, achieving food security, and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

“The United Nations as a Catalyst for Innovation – built on the work of the UN Global Compact to mobilize business knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources that can deliver sustainable solutions at scale.”

According to a report of the meeting from the UNGC UN Global Compact Executive Director Lise Kingo told the Davos round-table meeting that the involvement of all stakeholders is a “prerequisite for success”. “We are all committed to making 2016 a year of implementation, of cooperation and of putting Agenda 2030 into action,” said Kingo.

She outlined how the UN Global Compact will be mobilizing its 13,000 participants and 85 Local Networks in 2016 to translate the SDGs into local business action and opportunity, including through identifying entrepreneurs, innovators and thought leaders from around the world who exemplify business as a “force for good”.

CourtHeath is a participant in the UN Global Compact and seeks to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of the UN Global Compact with business and government organisations in Victoria.

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