Inclusive business solutions in support of the Millennium Development Goals
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), along with a number of the world's leading business networks and initiatives, is convening an event in New York City focused on inclusive business, i.e., sustainable business solutions that expand access to goods, services, and livelihood opportunities for low-income communities.
The event, which will take place on September 21, will gather some 200 specially selected leaders from companies, governments, international organizations, aid agencies and NGOs from around the world to highlight concrete examples of how business is "walking the talk" in developing sustainable, market-based solutions to poverty challenges. These include: the creation of employment opportunities for low-income communities either directly or through companies' value chains as suppliers, distributors, retailers and service providers; the supply of affordable products and services to meet basic needs for food, water, sanitation, housing and health care; and innovative business models to enhance the access to key development enablers such as energy, communications, financing and insurance.
WBCSD members who will be speaking at the event include Accenture, Anglo American, Coca-Cola, Environmental Resources Management, GDF SUEZ, Grundfos, Masisa, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Unilever.
The following partners are organizing the event along with the WBCSD: Business Action for Africa, Business Call to Action, Global Compact, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government's CSR Initiative, International Business Leaders Forum, International Chamber of Commerce, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Office of Partnerships.
On September 21, the organizers will also issue a joint statement highlighting the role of inclusive business ventures in delivering the "win-win" of business value and development impact. It will underline the importance of government support and a sound enabling framework in view of scaling up these business-led solutions. The statement will be presented in the following day's United Nations Private Sector Forum, which will be chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and will convene approximately 300 Heads of State and Government, Chief Executive Officers, Civil Society Leaders and Heads of UN Agencies.
These events takes place on the sidelines of the United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of internationally agreed targets to eradicate poverty and other social ills by 2015. The Summit will bring together world leaders to review progress made and accelerate action on the MDGs. As the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reported, a number of countries have achieved major successes, but progress has been uneven and it is likely that without a determined collaborative effort of all stakeholders, MDGs will be missed in many countries.
More information
Agenda and additional information on the 3 "Insight Labs" to be run on 21 September, which will be facilitated by experts in the field
Business guide to the MDG Summit