After the high level opening week of this year’s 72nd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), USCIB is moving ahead to draw attention to U.S. business accomplishments and recommendations as the UNGA now moves into its longer-term deliberations.
This year’s UNGA got underway during a time of stresses and strains in the international community. The nature of these stresses is particularly acute for the U.S. business community: a growing need for financing and investment in infrastructure, the open trading system called into question, and calls by some for a retreat from engagement in multilateral forums. How does American business plan for these challenges in the international marketplace, and where can we make the biggest difference?
The 72nd UNGA is a particularly relevant forum for USCIB this year because it provides platform to begin addressing these very questions through the lens of the UN’s 2030 Development Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s UNGA is also compelling because of the opportunities that UN reform proposals by Secretary General Guterres and others could offer to strengthen business access and enabling frameworks for business action.
In the face of challenges such as global unemployment, climate change and population growth, USCIB events last week spotlighted our members’ view that the SDGs are “must-wins” for the United States and for the American business community. While economic growth abroad helps create jobs at home, open markets and policies that foster private investment offers new markets for our products. In USCIB’s view, private sector-led innovation aimed at improved sustainability gives the U.S. a leg-up in global competition while advancing investment in energy sources and new technologies to combat climate change.
USCIB’s side events and messaging during UNGA’s high-level opening week also emphasized multilateral solutions to global challenges, with USCIB policy experts and its members constructively contributing to dialogues and forming close working relationship with both U.S. government and UN representatives to advance U.S. business contributions to sustainable development. USCIB’s commitment to the SDG’s was reflected in its theme, “Business Makes It Happen.” This continuing theme will emphasize that achieving the SDG’s relies on strong involvement, commitment and incentives for the private sector.
This newsletter consolidates summaries of USCIB-related side-events and activities during UNGA opening week and outlines outcomes and next steps.
For questions regarding USCIB’s work on Sustainable Development, please contact Norine Kennedy, vice president for strategic international engagement, energy and climate change: nkennedy@uscib.org.
