Action Platform for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Remarks at UN Global Compact – Action Platform for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

July 18, 2019

As prepared for delivery

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

For UNDP, partnership with the private sector is an absolute priority for delivering Agenda 2030 and unlocking the $12 trillion needed to deliver the SDGs.  

Engagement of the private sector in promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies is critically important and we know from experience that the private sector is already playing a key role.

I will emphasize three points today:

Firstly, how multi-national companies do business matters. Over 1 billion people either work for a multi-national or a multi-national supply chain - or are supported by a family member who does.

The SDGs are grounded in human rights and in UNDP we have learned that when businesses respect human rights, they naturally align their operations to the 2030 Agenda and more specifically to the targets of SDG16. It is essential that multi-nationals adhere to human and environmental rights, to avoid reversals of sustainable development and this has an impact across the SDGs:

For example:
- By investing more in monitoring, auditing and complaints systems in supply chains, businesses contribute to end forced labor– relevant to SDG 8.
- When businesses provide for living wages, they promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth with the greatest impact for the poorest – relevant to efforts to address inequality in SDG 10.
- When businesses conduct robust environmental impact assessments, they reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination – critical for SDG 3.
- Businesses can develop and enforce anti-discrimination gender policies while ensuring women’s full and effective participation in economic life – highly relevant to SDG 5.
UNDP supports these efforts by working with member states and the private sector to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including by strengthening and supporting the roles of civil society and national human rights institutions to make the Guiding Principles a reality.  

For example, In India and Bangladesh, UNDP is helping companies in developing Human Rights Impact Assessment tools and to weed-out Human Rights risks related to gender-based discrimination in the work place.

Secondly, active engagement in the Global Alliance provides a space for the private sector to contribute to the SDG 16 agenda in close cooperation with Member States and civil society.

Our partners – many of you present here today - are already demonstrating the value of your contributions to SDG 16+.

UNDP as the facilitator of the Global Alliance has been leading on the new Global Alliance Report on SDG 16 with other UN partners. One of the key recommendations of the report launched this week is to further include the private sector in promotion of SDG 16+, especially related to reporting for action.

We are currently exploring how to make this work through UNDP’s engagement working with the private sector to provide complementing date to measure Goal 16 in Somalia.

Lastly, we believe that working more closely together with the UN Global Compact will advance progress on Goal 16.

UNDP warmly welcomes the UN Global Compact Action Platform for Peace, Justice and strong Institutions and I call upon the members of the UN Global Compact Network to support implementation of the UN Guiding Principles through the Action Platform.

In conclusion, let me take this opportunity to congratulate UN Global Compact on this event and the launch of the action platforms.  UNDP is fully committed to work more closely with private sector partners to propel progress on Goal 16 and support the Action Platform for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.