UN Global Compact Kicks Off Annual Conference in New Delhi, with More than 300 Global Business and Civil Society Leaders

• Two-day forum presents business opportunities for sustainable development in India through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Launches Global Opportunity Explorer, the world's largest digital platform that provides the global business community with direct access to business solutions around the SDGs.

 
Today, the United Nations Global Compact kicked off its two-day event, bringing together over 300 leaders from business, finance, civil society, government and the UN in New Delhi for its regional flagship event Making Global Goals Local Business – India. With less than 5,000 days left to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the event aims to mobilize responsible business actions, drive breakthrough innovation and create new market opportunities that advance the Global Goals.
 
"The SDGs provide a global plan of action for people, planet and prosperity – a plan of action with a universal set of goals and targets that empowers us all to deliver the world that we want," said Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. "Every year, as part of our Making Global Goals Local Business movement, we host a flagship regional event. This year, we are in New Delhi because India is the land of opportunity for sustainable development: If India delivers on the Global Goals we will be halfway towards the 2030 Agenda."
 
To enable business around the world to take action on the SDGs, the UN Global Compact launched two important initiatives on the first day of the event. The new Global Opportunity Explorer aims to be the world's largest digital platform connects business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors with new partners, projects, markets and talents to deliver on the SDGs. Through a new Blueprint for SDG Leadership, the UN Global Compact will guide businesses on how to take concrete leadership action on each of the SDGs.
 
In the opening plenary, India's Minister of State for Finance, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, said, "I congratulate the UN Global Compact for organizing this dedicated program on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India." He continued, "The Indian government has taken bold initiatives in the last three years so as to translate our commitment to SGDs, and our visionary leader Narendra Modi is working tirelessly to achieve SDGs by 2030 in a big way….Making Global Goals Local Business is a strategy to engage business on the 2030 SDG agenda to develop innovative business models and help achieve the SDGs."
 
Mr. Kamal Singh, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network India said, "We are extremely honored to bring a global platform to India to showcase local businesses and innovations around SDGs. With the launch of this 2-day event, we have set a mission of providing a blueprint for forward-thinking. This gives Indian businesses an opportunity to succeed in implementing Global Goals and innovate the SDGs in the local context."
 
Tomorrow at the forum, the UN Global Compact will outline the breakthrough innovation and systemic solutions needed to meet the Global Goals by 2030 and will launch the 2017 series of the Global Compact SDG Pioneers campaign at the closing plenary. Additionally, the Business and Sustainable Development Commission will release its Better Business Better World – India country report highlighting how the SDGs offer a compelling growth strategy for the private sector in India.
 
A full agenda for the forum can be found here. A list of distinguished speakers can be found here.
 
Making Global Goals Local Business – India is part of the UN Global Compact's multi-year Making Global Goals Local Business campaign. Launched in 2016, the campaign aims to help companies see both their responsibilities and opportunities around the SDGs globally and on the ground through the 70+ Global Compact Local Networks.
 
For more information, or to get involved, please contact media@unglobalcompact.org. About the UN Global Compact
 
The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Global Compact is a leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible corporate practices. Launched in 2000, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 9,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 170 countries, and more than 70 Local Networks. For more information, visit www.unglobalcompact.org. Follow us on Twitter: @globalcompact