Welcome to the United Nations
Background
ABOUT THIS REPORT
This report is issued in line with Paragraph 89 of the 2030 Agenda, “The HLPF will support participation in follow-up and review processes by the major groups and other relevant
stakeholders in line with resolution 67/290. We call upon those actors to report on their contribution to the implementation of the Agenda.” The Business and Industry Major Group
(B&I MG) paragraph 89 report provides a background on the Major Group and the crucial role of the private sector for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
and outlines the B&I MG contribution to the 2030 Agenda, its Co-Chairs’ individual contributions, as well as contributions of selected members.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY MAJOR GROUP (B&I MG)
The Business & Industry Major Group (B&I MG) is one of the 21 major stakeholder groups whose engagement is considered by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) to be integral to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
B&I MG is co-chaired by the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and United States Council for International Business (USCIB) and includes more than 180 members from around the globe, from developed to developing and least developed countries (LDCs). Members include individual companies, non-governmental organisations, academia, as well as industryspecific associations and national employer organisations that represent a multitude of companies, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The B&I MG offers its members and partners opportunities to bring the global voice of business and employers to formal and informal UN consultations and events. It also seeks to raise awareness of the 2030 Agenda in the private sector and to build bridges for innovative public-private partnerships to achieve the SDGs.
2030 AGENDA AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) is a resolution by UN Member States in 2015 that established 17 interlinked SDGs to be achieved by 2030. The goals provide a bold vision and a comprehensive framework for furthering sustainable development for the good of the “people, planet, and prosperity.” The SDGs have been operationalized with specific targets and indicators for monitoring progress.
PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE IN ACHIEVING THE SDGS
With only 9 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda, and as efforts are currently falling short of the targets, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General has called for a Decade of Action to accelerate momentum on sustainable development to ensure that “no one is left behind.” Recovering sustainably in the Decade of Action and Delivery will require a stronger than ever
commitment to multi-stakeholder engagement and partnership in inclusive intergovernmental deliberations. In particular, the private sector must be a meaningful partner in building back better – contributing not just funding, but innovation, expertise, technology, fresh ideas, and diverse perspectives of business and employers, particularly SMEs, who are so crucial to economic growth at the local level.
Business is committed to the SDGs, not only because implementing the 2030 Agenda is the right thing to do, but also because of the strong business case for doing so: companies can’t function in a world rife with poverty and climate change disasters. At the same time, the 2030 Agenda itself opens business opportunities, and the potential for decent job creation, which companies need to unlock with innovative approaches to tackle the challenges the world is facing.
