[Check against delivery]

Opening Plenary Address by Mrs Nardos Bekele-Thomas Resident Coordinator of the United Nations (UN) and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa

Responsible Business Forum (RBF) on Sustainable Development 2018

26 June 2018, 09:05 – 09:25 am – Johannesburg, South Africa

Distinguished Ministers, Other Government representatives, The co-organizers, Global Initiatives, UN colleagues, Dear business representatives, Members of the civil society and the media, Development partners, Distinguished Guests, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is an honour and privilege for me to open the Responsible Business Forum (RBF) on Sustainable Development 2018 and address you on behalf of the United Nations (UN) system in South Africa. Welcome to South Africa – welcome to Johannesburg – and welcome to the RBF!

I am very confident that the platform for dialogue created by the organisers of this event will assist all of us to think through some of the most pressing issues that constrain the continent’s development, with the intention that our collective reflections and value-added propositions to resolving these issues will contribute to the betterment of the lives of all of us across the continent; and most importantly the lives of those less privileged than us.

Today, I am filled with pride for two reasons: First, I am delighted that the Africa edition of the RBF returned back to our beautiful city of Johannesburg this year, after already hosting the Forum in 2017.  It is a testimony of South Africa’s economic leadership and a recognition of its great potential to be the continent’s economic engine and power.    I am therefore happy to learn that the Premier of the epicenter, the Honorable Premier of Gauteng Mr. David Makhura will also be participating at this year’s edition as a speaker.

As you know, Last year’s Forum, its inaugural edition in Africa, brought together 400 delegates from across Africa and the globe, including leaders from small and medium enterprises (SMEs), regional and global businesses, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governments, development banks, and UN agencies. It elevated the discourse to higher heights, informed policies and pushed businesses, governments, the UN and other development partners to work together more actively, efficiently and effectively to pursue sustainable development in Africa. Hence, the 2017 Forum provides us with a very solid foundation upon which we will build this year’s discussions and anchor our firm resolve to unlock greater private sector uptake in sustainable development practices for the benefit of expanding the numbers of stakeholders in the economic transformation of Africa.   

The second reason I am proud today is because the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the world’s leading development organisation, is co-organising this year’s RBF, in demonstration of its legitimate role as a facilitator of public-private partnership in the realization of SDGs.   We are delighted to collaborate with Global Initiatives, as the founder of the Responsible Business Forum and a thought leader in building partnerships and promoting business solutions to address global challenges.  Our partnership is premised on the shared commitment to advancing sustainable development globally and in this region, and it allows both parties to leverage their comparative advantages in creating a win-win value proposition with significant reach and impact. I would therefore like to thank Global Initiatives for the excellent collaboration

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nearly three years ago, the world adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to free humanity from poverty, secure a healthy planet for future generations, and build peaceful, inclusive societies as a foundation for dignified life for all. With its promise of “leaving no one behind”, the 2030 Agenda is deliberately ambitious and transformational. It importantly is a universal agenda that applies to all countries, the richest and the poorest.

In this respect I would like to underscore the fact that the African continent played an important role in the process of negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals.   Logically, It is highly expected that the continent leads the implementation phase of the process with the same level of commitment and determination. The urgency towards implementation is also driven by Africa’s self- realization of its obligation to the citizens of this continent who stand to benefit the most from the effective implementation of these goals. The same coordination we saw within the continent during the negotiation process which led to the historical Common African Position must equally be demonstrated during this period of implementation, with the involvement of our brilliant captains of businesses, and will allow us to share our different country experiences -  of what has worked and what has not worked - in our efforts to reduce poverty, increase employment, improve the quality and access to education.  It will also help us to interrogate our business processes and finally to commit to work together to implement the requisite reform measures,

The implementation of the 17 integrated and indivisible Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has begun. It is great to see the momentum that has been created around the 2030 Agenda, which is aligned to our AU 2063 agenda.   The achievements of the initial results are promising. However, progress is far slower than needed to meet the targets by 2030. For example, more needs to be done to lift the 767 million people who still live on less than 1.90 USD a day, and to ensure food security for the 793 million people who routinely confront hunger.  These are, Ladies and Gentlemen, not just figures, these numbers represent potential consumers, potential producers and potential capabilities and capacities, they represent opportunities for businesses, and expansion of economies!   Transform them from being a parasite to the economy to being productive assets of our economies!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In order to achieve substantial progress in these and other areas, and to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, including in Africa, broader, closer and more transformative partnerships are required, involving Governments, development partners but most importantly the private sector. This is especially true at a time where the dwindling public resources and declining Official Development Assistance (ODA) are not sufficient to cover the investments needed to achieve the SDGs, which are estimated at 600 billion USD per year until 2030 in Africa alone. The private sector must become a major contributor; not only through financing part of the resource gap but also by companies - large and small - aligning their core business operations along sustainability concerns, by sharing expertise, enhancing and sharing the sphere of research, creativity, innovation and technological progresses.

In South Africa, for example, we have seen exemplary private sector organizations which continuously review their operating models to embrace the idea of sustainability, with the objective of remodeling their businesses to better contribute to the goals. Those enterprises, leading in this critical shift towards sustainability, must assist us in being the change agents among their peers in an effort of converting the unconverted. As a UN system operating in South Africa, we are partnering with several companies in their efforts to develop SDG strategies, plans, toolkits and approaches. We also help test them and give them wider visibility and offer opportunities of replication through the myriad of country, regional and global platforms.

What has also impressed me is the growing number of private sector organizations that are working with the public sector to improve government systems, wanting reforms for a better use of tax payers’ money, demanding for more citizen-oriented,  responsive, transparent and accountable service delivery.     An example of this is the relationship between one of the banks in the country and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs which is responsible for local government in the country, aimed at promoting efficiency and excellence in local government. The partnership was established in 2014 to assist department to improve and strengthen the institutional and administrative capacity in municipalities. This is one example of how the role of the private sector is seen beyond the traditional conceptualization of funding charitable causes. The landscape across the continent is filled with such opportunities that need to be pursued.

In this regard I think that the United Nations Development System is well positioned to facilitate many of these conversations that could translate into collaborations of the type I have just highlighted. The work we do in the public sector with our government partners place us in a position where we are able to understand some of the inefficiencies in the delivery models of government, and our relationships with the private sector place us in a prime position to connect the demand with the supply.

At the same time – and I would like to emphasize this to all business representatives and investors in the room - the SDGs are also the biggest markets and innovation opportunity for the private sector. I want to reiterate the fact that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a compelling growth strategy for all types of businesses and the world economy by targeting the traditional basic needs of billions of poor customers and harnessing the investment and economic growth potentials of sustainable, clean and resilient business and innovative finance models called for by the SDGs. According to research by the Business & Sustainable Development Commission, achieving the Sustainable Development Agenda opens a new market worth at least USD 12 trillion by 2030 for the private sector - and potentially even2-3 times more. Well over 50 percent of the opportunity is located in developing countries, including in Africa. Therefore, besides the imperative of the private sector to contribute to the SDGs to cover the needs and facilitate sustainable development, it is in the companies’ self-interest to open up for SDGs partnerships, and pro-actively participate and help advance the progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to encourage you all to join this incredible journey to the promised glorious future of an expanded market economy where no one is left behind.   I would like to appeal to you to join the group of committed members of the responsible business forum to advance human dignity today and to secure the same for the generations to come. As the UN, we are fully ready to do our part and we pledge to further strengthen our responsible engagement with the private sector and all other visionary actors who believe in the achievement of the SDGs.  

From a South African context, I commit our UN Country Team in partnership with the local network of the United Nations Global Compact to continue these conversations with the private sector well beyond this Forum, and we stand ready to support private enterprises in the country as they move towards sustainable development practices.   We are here to walk the journey with you.

With these remarks, let me welcome you again to South Africa and wish you a successful Responsible Business Forum 2018.

Thank you.