United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
United Nations Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
In 2017, as President of the World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD), I was invited to host and jointly organise WASD 16th Annual Conference and the 5th Diaspora International Annual Conference for the first time since its inception, both conferences were co-organised and hosted in conjunction with the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), an independent oversight body of the UN multi-stakeholder forums are occasionally convened by the UN in order to discuss issues such as human rights and environmental matters, however, rarely has the academic world been invited to share ideas with the UN in such close debate on issues of sustainable development (SD) and the role of the private sector.
The joint organisation of the two conferences reflects the participatory, multi-stakeholder approach that underlies the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at a historic UN summit. The four-day event, from 10-13 April, was held at the Palais de Nations in Geneva and was attended by over 300 participants. The thematic focus of the conferences was ‘Public-private partnerships for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for SD’, and a wide-range of topics were discussed from renewable energy and blockchain technology to Public-Private Partnerships in the domestic education sector.
The interactions between the academic world, the private sector and the UN which took place have already inspired a number of initiatives. Several projects were born as a result, among them an initiative for ‘17 hours per year education on Sustainable Development Goals’ and another project based around ‘port cities and their hinterlands for sustainable development’.
I was one of 10 Keynote Speakers, from a varied line-up of academics, UN senior officials, policymakers and CEOs. Other speakers included Michael M¬øller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and Lise Kingo, Executive Director and CEO of the United Nations Global compact. Many other notable figures were also in attendance and participated in panel discussions, including representatives from the International Finance Corporation, the International Organisation of Employers, the Global Policy Forum and numerous private companies and non-governmental organisations.
Three flagship publications were launched during the conference:
- The United Nations System – Private sector partnership arrangements in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, JIU/REP/2017/8
- World Sustainable Development Outlook 2018
- Global Compact International Yearbook: Sustainability in Troubled Times.