Excellencies,Ms. Gillian Tett,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honoured to welcome you to this luncheon event on the opening of the 2019 SDG Investment Fair and announcement of the “Global Investors for Sustainable Development” (GISD) Alliance.
The luncheon is hosted jointly by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
I am pleased to share this stage with my good friend Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
I wish to thank Dr. Kituyi at the outset for UNCTAD’s support to the organization of the SDG Investment Fair and the establishment of the GISD Alliance.
One year ago, DESA and partners organized the first SDG Investment Fair. What started as a half-day in a hotel, has now transformed into a 3-day event here at United Nations headquarters, at the heart of the discussion on Financing for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. This development illustrates some critical points:
First, the enormous challenge of mobilizing huge amounts of resources to achieve the SDGs is becoming increasingly apparent.
We have no time to waste to achieve the Goals by their 2030 deadline and fulfil the promise we made four years ago, to build a world of dignity for all.
Second, the business case for the SDGs has never been clearer. Governments will have to play their part to achieve the 2030 Agenda, but the engagement of the private sector is essential. Investing in sustainable development will reduce vulnerabilities and increase resilience. This in turn will enhance the financial performance of investments in critical areas, such as infrastructure.
Public and private incentives need to be aligned with sustainable development so that sustainability becomes a central element of all financing and investment decisions.
Third, the United Nations is the ideal setting to bring together governments, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to advance the discussion on closing the SDG investment gap. The SDG Investment Fair is a unique venue to discuss issues relating to the scaling up of long-term investments, in:
Policy spotlights will address critical policy and regulatory issues to help mobilize long-term private finance for sustainable development.
Partnership arenas and café conversations will offer additional opportunities to present important partnerships for SDG investments and to facilitate informal exchanges.
I already thanked UNCTAD, but there are many other partners from the UN system that have worked together to lift this year’s SDG Investment Fair off the ground to its new scale. I am so grateful for the strong support from the Global Compact, PRI, UNEP-FI, UNDP, UNIDO, UNECE, IFAD, ILO, UN Foundation, ITU, UNCDF, UN Office for Partnerships, IFC, ICC and the Global Partnerships Forum. Please allow me to also thank PIMCO, which will be a member of the GISD Alliance, for generously sponsoring this luncheon event.
My Department will continue working with more countries in the next year to support the mobilization of investments and present their actions at the SDG Investment Fair. My Department is fully committed to support the UN Secretary-General with the implementation of the GISD Alliance.
In closing, I would like to encourage all of you to make full use of the SDG Investment Fair. It is a place for frank discussions, mutual learning and extensive networking. Your ideas on how to close the SDG investment gap – and your initiative to turn these ideas into reality – will be vital for the achievement of our common goals. I wish you a productive event.
Thank you and bon appétit.
I am honoured to welcome you to this luncheon event on the opening of the 2019 SDG Investment Fair and announcement of the “Global Investors for Sustainable Development” (GISD) Alliance.
The luncheon is hosted jointly by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
I am pleased to share this stage with my good friend Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
I wish to thank Dr. Kituyi at the outset for UNCTAD’s support to the organization of the SDG Investment Fair and the establishment of the GISD Alliance.
One year ago, DESA and partners organized the first SDG Investment Fair. What started as a half-day in a hotel, has now transformed into a 3-day event here at United Nations headquarters, at the heart of the discussion on Financing for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. This development illustrates some critical points:
First, the enormous challenge of mobilizing huge amounts of resources to achieve the SDGs is becoming increasingly apparent.
We have no time to waste to achieve the Goals by their 2030 deadline and fulfil the promise we made four years ago, to build a world of dignity for all.
Second, the business case for the SDGs has never been clearer. Governments will have to play their part to achieve the 2030 Agenda, but the engagement of the private sector is essential. Investing in sustainable development will reduce vulnerabilities and increase resilience. This in turn will enhance the financial performance of investments in critical areas, such as infrastructure.
Public and private incentives need to be aligned with sustainable development so that sustainability becomes a central element of all financing and investment decisions.
Third, the United Nations is the ideal setting to bring together governments, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to advance the discussion on closing the SDG investment gap. The SDG Investment Fair is a unique venue to discuss issues relating to the scaling up of long-term investments, in:
- sustainable infrastructure,
- building local capital markets,
- providing access to finance for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, and
- many other pertinent topics.
Policy spotlights will address critical policy and regulatory issues to help mobilize long-term private finance for sustainable development.
Partnership arenas and café conversations will offer additional opportunities to present important partnerships for SDG investments and to facilitate informal exchanges.
I already thanked UNCTAD, but there are many other partners from the UN system that have worked together to lift this year’s SDG Investment Fair off the ground to its new scale. I am so grateful for the strong support from the Global Compact, PRI, UNEP-FI, UNDP, UNIDO, UNECE, IFAD, ILO, UN Foundation, ITU, UNCDF, UN Office for Partnerships, IFC, ICC and the Global Partnerships Forum. Please allow me to also thank PIMCO, which will be a member of the GISD Alliance, for generously sponsoring this luncheon event.
My Department will continue working with more countries in the next year to support the mobilization of investments and present their actions at the SDG Investment Fair. My Department is fully committed to support the UN Secretary-General with the implementation of the GISD Alliance.
In closing, I would like to encourage all of you to make full use of the SDG Investment Fair. It is a place for frank discussions, mutual learning and extensive networking. Your ideas on how to close the SDG investment gap – and your initiative to turn these ideas into reality – will be vital for the achievement of our common goals. I wish you a productive event.
Thank you and bon appétit.
File date:
Monday, April 15, 2019