Insider Perspective: Key takeaways for business from UN General Assembly week 2018

In September leaders from a broad range of sectors and geographies gathered in New York around the opening of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

In September leaders from a broad range of sectors and geographies gathered in New York around the opening of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

This week is not only an integral part of the UN calendar, bringing together world leaders to kick off debate and discussion around key global issues, but has also come to represent an important landmark for wider stakeholder groups, including business, to convene and advance solutions to some of the the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. Since 2009, New York Climate Week has been organized alongside the UNGA, providing a platform for important dialogues and advocacy around climate change, while 2016 saw the introduction of a further groundswell of parallel events exploring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as part of an annual Global Goals Week initiative.

From a private sector perspective, the UNGA continues to consolidate its position as an essential opportunity for business leaders to engage in valuable dialogues across a wide spectrum of issues that sit at the heart of the SDGs, and to explore innovative new collaborations and partnerships.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and its member companies again played an active role across a variety of important dialogues during this year’s assembly. Click here to download our briefing note on the UNGA which expands on several key takeaways and impressions from the week, built around the following themes:

• UN-level discussions and implications for the private sector;
• Record levels of representation by business;
• The role of WBCSD in advancing key conversations;
• Climate action: Keeping up momentum;
• The launch of the World Benchmarking Alliance.