CEOs in Saudi Arabia Get Together with the United Nations to Talk About their Journey Towards Sustainability

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Last year the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the G20 and B20 summits where the voice of the global business community was recognized and addressed by G20 Leaders. Business has its share of responsibilities to honour and a substantial role to play in building back an economy that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

The year 2020 in particular has shown that businesses can’t operate in isolation. Businesses need to unite to contribute towards the umbrella of ‘corporate sustainability’ to support workers, communities and companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing guidance and support to companies everywhere.

A coordinated subnational approach involving the business sector will be critical in efforts to support people and companies affected, limit further disruption to the economy and facilitate business continuity for a swift recovery.

In collaboration with UN Global Compact, UN in Saudi Arabia will organize a roundtable to CEOs in Saudi Arabia to exchange bestpractices and knowledge around sustainability and recovery as well ass challenges and opportunities. This first roundtable will unravel the influence of business to inspire innovation and leadership and bring us closer to the Saudi Vision 2030 and UN 2030 Agenda. 

Through this roundtable, we will get a clear idea of what Government plans are to support corporate sustainability as a vehicle to make progress on the SDGs and what ambition goals leading companies are setting that can set an example for others in addition to the challenges they face.

To illustrate the importance of Sustainable Development Goals and the role of the private sector in both Vision 2030 and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Mr. Ayman Afghani, Deputy Minister of Economy & Planning, will urge the CEOs to advance sustainable development through the investments they make, the solutions they develop, and the business practices they adopt. H.E. Dr. Khalid Al Yehya, Secretary-General of the Council of Saudi Chambers, will discuss with the CEOs the role of the Council of Saudi Chambers in achieving the plans and initiatives of the Saudi Vision 2030. Mr. Majid Al Asfoor, General Manager for strategy and alignment of Ministry of Economy and Planning, will present the priority SDGs in the Kingdom and explain how the private sector can support the Government in the national SDG processes and the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Finally, we will hear closing remarks from Ms. Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of UNGC, to encourage all companies to join the UN Global Compact and to take greater action on the SDGs.

About the UN Global Compact

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the mandate of the UN Global Compact is to guide and support the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 10,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

Click here for more info on UN Global Compact in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia