📅 21 March 2024
Tokyo, Japan
On 21 March 2024, UNU will host “Uniting Business for a Better World: How the Private Sector Will Help Advance the 2030 Agenda and Beyond”, a conversation with Ms. Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. This event will start at 18:30 in the 2F Reception Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
The world is lagging in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Over the past few years, the world has encountered several serious challenges, including the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe — each of which has had an impact on the global economy, food security, and overall stability. The 2030 Agenda offers a framework for businesses, governments, and civil society to strategically think and act even in times of crisis.
As a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies worldwide to align their operations and strategies with ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. Its ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the ten principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 20,000 participating companies in more than 160 countries, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
Ms. Sanda Ojiambo will join UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala for a conversation exploring the role of the private sector and businesses in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. What role does the private sector play in addressing the world’s biggest challenges? What does multi-stakeholder action look like locally, regionally, and globally? How can the world ensure a future of responsible business leadership? And what are the challenges and opportunities for achieving the SDGs from a business perspective?