ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO has joined UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and heads of state and ministers from over 30 countries, in Geneva to mark the 60th anniversary of United Nations Trade and Development.
Representing ICC, the most inclusive business organisation in the world, Mr Denton joined heads of state and government representatives from over 30 countries for a historic “family” photo shoot ahead of UNCTAD’s Global Leaders Forum. Featuring six heads of state and government and 28 government ministers of Trade and Foreign Affairs from all world regions, the forum is expected to develop new ideas and partnerships, and to launch new initiatives aimed at accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Other stakeholders, including civil society representatives, leading economists, and international organisations will also participate.
ICC is a longstanding partner of UNCTAD, with collaboration spanning from efforts to facilitate investment in emerging economies to, more recently, joint actions to mitigate the spillover effects of the conflict in Ukraine.
ICC is committed to leveraging its unique global network –- and role as the only business representative with UN Observer status – to harness the expertise of the private sector to advance sustainable development and extend prosperity and opportunity to all.
Ahead of the Global Leaders Forum Mr Denton said:
“As we celebrate UNCTAD’s 60th anniversary and look ahead to the next 60 years, it’s crucial that we work to better harness the skills, expertise and networks of the private sector in a development context. This will be vital if we are to ensure a more effective response to global challenges – and, moreover, to put the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals back on track.
“For the next 60 years of UNCTAD’s work, I hope to see an even stronger pattern of collaboration between the public and private sectors, fostering a world where prosperity and opportunity are accessible to all.”
During the Forum, Mr Denton will join UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan to moderate a dialogue among heads of state, ministers and CEOs of multinational enterprises looking at how to bolster development cooperation in a challenging global context. He will also take part in discussions on trust-building and collaboration to drive the sustainable and inclusive economic transformation of emerging markets.
