Ki-Moon Stresses Role of Business in Advancing Sustainable Devt

This Day

22 December 2011

Ki-Moon Stresses Role of Business in Advancing Sustainable Devt

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has highlighted the critical role that businesses play in advancing sustainable development.

He also called for a surge in public-private partnerships ahead of a major United Nations conference on the issue next June.

"We need you. More than ever before, we need to develop a long-term vision for our planet," Mr. Ban said in remarks prepared for the UN Global Compact Board luncheon, held in New York, according to a release.

"A vision that not only relies on political will, but one that recognizes the critical role that business can and must play in advancing and ensuring sustainable development around the world," he added.

A growing number of businesses have signed up to the Global Compact since it was set up in 2000, pledging to align their business practices to 10 universally accepted principles concerning human rights, labour, environmental sustainability and the fight against corruption. The Compact is the world's largest corporate responsibility initiative with 6,000 companies in 135 countries.

The international community will gather at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Brazil next June to chart a course towards a more sustainable and equitable world.