16 January 2015: Addressing the 2015 Partnerships Summit, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director General Li Yong stressed the essential role of partnerships in successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He said multi-stakeholder partnerships are indispensable, due to the post-2015 development agenda’s “heavy demands on financing, accountability, universality, integration and data.”

Li said the UN system’s post-2015 consultations on private sector engagement, which were co-led by UNIDO and the UN Global Compact, had underscored the potential of multi-stakeholder approaches, and explored how to leverage the creativity and dynamism of private sector actors in achieving sustainable development objectives. He further highlighted the potential of inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) to eradicate poverty through economic growth, and welcomed its inclusion as proposed SDG 9.

The Partnerships Summit also addressed: the role of new partnerships and strategies in global growth and global rebalancing; financing for growth and development; the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in development; and mega-regional trading blocks and emerging economies.

India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Government of Rajasthan co-organized the summit in Jaipur, India, from 15-17 January 2015. [UNIDO Press Release] [Partnerships Summit Website]