Dubai: Business leaders speaking at a workshop hosted by the General Secretariat of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact in the UAE said that the private sector “is an engine of change and sustainable development” and has a crucial role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ahead of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which has as its theme “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crisis: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions,” which takes place in New York from July 8–17, the workshop was held recently.
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To emphasize the role of the private sector in attaining SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 13 (Climate Action), 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for Goals), business leaders will share the ideas addressed during the Dubai workshop there. At the session, executives from over 80 firms participated to exchange expertise, discuss best practices, and offer suggestions and ideas to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, remarked that, “The UAE’s decision to extend the Year of Sustainability to include 2024 reflects the leadership’s commitment to promoting sustainable practices within society, which directly supports national efforts in achieving SDGs. Achieving SDGs can only come from collective effort, so strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors is vital to a more sustainable and prosperous future.”
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Anita Lebiar, the UN Global Compact’s Head of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, was among the other attendees of the session. In the UAE, Bérangère Boëll serves as the UN Resident Coordinator.
Omar Khan leads the Dubai Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Business Studies and Research. Mark Esposito is a professor of public policy at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government and a faculty affiliate of the Harvard Center for International Development at Harvard Kennedy School.
Participants at the roundtable discussed the findings of a survey that inquired about the hurdles, triumphant endeavors, and best practices that local businesses faced in implementing the SDGs.