Your Excellency, Ambassador Eneström,
Ms. Carin Jämtin,
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to welcome you to this meeting of the Core Group agencies that support the work of the Secretary-General’s Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance.
At the outset, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Sweden and to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Their strong and continuous support, as well as the excellent partnership, are greatly appreciated.
Your contributions have been instrumental to the successful establishment and implementation of the GISD Alliance. Moreover, the link with the Swedish Investors for Sustainable Development (SISD), has provided inspiration and valuable lessons for the work of GISD.
I also thank all colleagues from the Core Group Agencies. UNDP, UNCDF, UNCTAD, UN Global Compact, PRI, UNEP FI, the Regional Commissions, the World Bank and the IFC have provided critical support to the work of the GISD Alliance. Including on the implementation of the agreed Key Deliverables. Without you, the success of the GISD Alliance would not have been possible.
Looking back at the one and half years since the launch of GISD in October 2019, the Alliance has had some remarkable achievements. Its CEO Members have agreed on a shared definition of Sustainable Development investing.
In addition, the Alliance prepared the “Renewed, recharged and reinforced” report. This Report fed into the deliberations of the European Commission on its Renewed sustainable finance strategy. And it continues to provide a basis for further engagement with global policymakers. GISD also provided a decisive response to the COVID-19 outbreak, by issuing a call to action for COVID-19 bond issuance.
Most recently, the Alliance and UNDP launched the SDG Investor Platform. This provides investors with critical data on SDG investment opportunities in developing countries.
Furthermore, the GISD Alliance has been working to advise governments on building a pipeline of investment-ready projects – in the context of the SDG Investment Fair. It is also engaging with leading policy-making bodies and processes. These include the G20 and its Sustainable Finance Working Group, as well as COP26.
As we approach the second anniversary of GISD in October, it is time to discuss the future of the Alliance. Our world has changed dramatically, not least due to the impact of COVID-19. The need for moving the money behind the SDGs – through greater long-term investment and for stronger alignment of private business and finance with the 2030 Agenda – has never been greater.
As a result of its good work so far, the GISD Alliance has shifted even more into the focus of:
- Member States,
- the wider business community,
- development finance institutions, and
- other stakeholders.
Against this background, we would like to hear your views on the new frontiers of action that the GISD Alliance needs to tackle. And, how it can do so in the most effective way.
Let me take this opportunity to convey that the Secretary-General has recognized the critical work by the GISD Alliance. Indeed, it has become a key mechanism for the UN to engage the private sector. The Secretary-General has repeatedly highlighted the potential for the GISD Alliance to boost relevant initiatives and outputs, produced in the UN system.
The continuous support and contributions from the Core Group Agencies will thus be essential for the success of the GISD Alliance. In particular, for addressing the challenges to scaling up private investment for the SDGs.
I look forward to continuing our collaboration in the Core Group. I now would like to hear your thoughts and ideas on how to further elevate the work of the Alliance.
Thank you.