The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), part of USCIB’s global network, participated in the first session of the UN General Assembly’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which met March 14-15 at UN headquarters in New York to launch the intergovernmental process of developing a set of sustainable development goals.

ICC UN Permanent Representative Louise Kantrow addressed the UN General Assembly and delivered an intervention on behalf of business and industry, the scientific and technological community, and local authorities to emphasize the critical importance of engaging all stakeholders and major groups, particularly business, to ensure proper design and successful implementation.

Members of the Open Working Group were named after the adoption of a General Assembly resolution earlier in January which concluded extensive negotiations among member states to determine which countries should occupy the 30 seats.

Kantrow said that each goal should be well defined, underpinning all three dimensions of sustainable development. “Enabling conditions for sustainability will need to be front and center, building on a foundation of economic growth, improved quality of life, good governance, inclusion and strong institutions as key drivers of development,” she said.

Kantrow encouraged member states to build on recommendations that came out of the Rio+20 Conference in 2012 and to make the best use of the collaboration mechanisms, created through the Rio+20 process, through enhanced participation of major groups and other stakeholders in line with the multi-level and multi-stakeholder model.

USCIB, in partnership with ICC and other parts of its global network, will continue to provide business input to the SDG development process.

Staff contacts: Adam Greene and Norine Kennedy