In our globalized world, economically interconnected as never before, challenges and opportunities go hand in hand. Global market developments, economic growth and recessions, currency fluctuations, international trade, investment and state of businesses worldwide shape and define our global and planetary wealth, and policies follow suite; from inclusive and sustainable development to health, education to energy, women’s empowerment to youth. We are not even talking about hunger, economic disparities, social injustice, conflicts, refugee crisis, climate change, natural disasters or complex emergencies…
In this more than ever complex yet interconnected economic and social landscape, more and more private sector companies recognize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as levers not only for good reputation, corporate social responsibility or good corporate citizenship, but for innovation, growth, better governance and competitive performance for their businesses. If we are to achieve the SDGs by 2030, it is not even a question of whether to involve the private sector in development or not. It is rather a question of how to involve and work with. It’s the very question that how do we support companies to develop innovative business solutions where “business/market success” or “profit” oriented goals of the private sector, which are absolutely natural, not to be at odds with the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability addressed in the 2030 Agenda. At the end of the day, private sector now is the driving force of our planet’s economic, societal and environmental shape, with privately owned business now generating more jobs, growth, income and innovation for billions of men and women, together with the expenses that all come together with the economic success and development.
The first “Prioritization Workshop” to set the compass towards Agenda 2030
Well, these were the questions that members from the private sector and UNDP experts were discussing and seeking answers to address, together at the roundtables in Istanbul, on May 30th. Business for Goals Platform (B4G), established last February in Istanbul by UNDP, and Turkey’s two pioneering business associations gathering thousands of companies and business people under their umbrella, TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association) and TÜRKONFED (Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation) held its first “Prioritization Workshop” to set the compass towards Agenda 2030.
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