18 June 2013: The UN Global Compact has delivered a report to the UN Secretary-General emphasizing the need to incorporate in the post-2015 development agenda the strengths of the private sector. The report, titled ‘Corporate Sustainability and the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda,’ is the product of UN Global Compact consultations and surveys with thousands of businesses across different regions.

The report will feed into preparations for the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013, which will bring together chief executives from among the initiative’s 7,500 corporate participants, as well as representatives from civil society, government and the UN, on 19-20 September in New York.

The report is divided into three sections, addressing: determining the core of a post-2015 agenda, including proposed sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets; how to engage business and investors towards SDGs; and recommending ways that countries can advance inclusive and sustainable markets.

Representatives of Global Compact LEAD companies, a leadership platform that includes 56 multinational corporations, shared their perspective in the report on worldwide goals to extend and amplify the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Suggestions include: to end poverty and increase prosperity via inclusive economic growth; provide quality education for all; achieve women’s and girls’ empowerment; provide universal health coverage; and provide water and sanitation for all.

The report also highlights ways to engage business towards the post-2015 development agenda, including by broadening the corporate sustainability movement and leveraging the potential of private finance and investment. [UN Global Compact News] [Publication: Corporate Sustainability and the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda] [NGLS Press Release]