25 September 2012: Leaders from business, government and civil society met to discuss business’ role in furthering the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and creating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The seminar, which was titled “Business, the MDGs and Beyond,” took place alongside the 67th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the post-2015 UN development agenda, on 25 September 2012, in New York, US. Georg Kell, UN Global Compact Executive Director, said that the rule of law is being strengthened in developing countries around the world, making new, larger investments possible. Miguel Pestana, Unilever Vice President of Global External Affairs, suggested that the SDGs should focus on: the poverty-fighting and personal living-standard objectives of the MDGs; economic growth and the conditions for making it sustainable; inclusiveness and equity; and environmental sustainability. John Fallon, Chief Executive of Pearson International, said business’ input to the post-MDG process should be to identify the most pressing problems facing the global community, and SDGs should maintain MDGs’ simplicity but be sharper in terms of efficacy and outcome.

The seminar was sponsored by the UN Global Compact, Business Fights Poverty, Business Call to Action, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). [UN Global Compact News]