private sector

The Blue Economy: Perspectives from the private sector

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One important side event during the Ocean Conference held last week at the United Nations was the meeting co-organised by the Ocean Foundation and Rockefeller & Co. on the topic “The Blue Economy”.

The meeting started with a speech from Mr Mark J. Spalding’s, who highlighted that the ocean generated economic values that were not usually quantified, and that we should stop taking the ocean for granted. He further stated that the old ocean economy, such as offshore oil and gas, was short-sighted and unsustainable. Mr. Spalding has worked with the Ocean Foundation to identifying business activities that comprise a sustainable blue economy.

In addition to the discussions, Mr Rolando F. Morillo presented the concept of ‘circular economy’: a restorative and regenerative model which emphasizes on reducing, reusing and recycling. It can enable increased value while reducing dependence on scarce resources. Mr. Rolando has faced challenges at the Rockefeller Foundation on how to crack the linear mindset as some companies may felt ‘locked in’.

Meeting: The Blue Economy (Perspectives from the private sector)

Date/Location: Thursday, June 8, 2017; 18:15-19:30; Conference Room 7, United Nations Headquarters,NewYork,NY
Speakers:  Mr Mark J. Spalding, the President of the Ocean Foundation; Mr Rolando F. Morillo, Vice President and Equity Analyst for the Sustainability and Impact Investing Team, Rockefeller & Co.

Written by: WIT Representative Brady Leung

Partnering for Impact to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

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#17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

The meeting consisted of a panel discussion on the importance of partnerships in relation to the goal of achieving the SDGs. The panel discussion opened with Mr. Ibrahim Mayaki, and his organization NEPAD is the lead organization in Africa to implement programs across sectors. He explained that the organization is looking at the lens through wealth creation rather than poverty alleviation.  He stated that the emerging trends on which we can reflect are significant improvements in public finance management, prioritizing domestic resource mobilization, and engagement with the private sector. He concluded with the remark that a high participation of the civil society and private sector has a director effect on partnerships, and that the UN development system has to play a leading role to ensure partnerships are genuine and balanced.

The second speaker in the panel was Mr. Sayed Aga, and he said that partnership is an unquestionable and important part of the 2030 Agenda, as the SDGs require massive resources. He stated that the Islamic Development Bank is blending grand resources with banks, and that loan power will be the way forward to address challenges that the SDGs have identified. He also stated that significant investment in the youth is necessary to achieve sustainability. The future workforce will not look for employment alone, but also entrepreneurial opportunities.

Another notable speaker was Ms. Lise Kingo, who announced that over 8,000 companies participate in UN Global Compact, and that working with businesses can provide input into achieving the partnership’s goals. For example, she stated that the CEOs at last month’s meeting suggested that to scale partnerships, the UN should assume greater risks and speak the language of business. After the panelists spoke, the floor was open for delegates to comment and ask questions.

Meeting: Operational activities of the United Nations for international development cooperation: Follow-up to policy recommendations of the General Assembly and the Council. Panel discussion on “Partnership approaches: How to ensure accountability, coherence and evaluation of impact?”

Date/Location: Wednesday February 24, 2016, 10:00 – 13:00; Trusteeship Council Chamber

Speakers: Moderator Mr. Amir Dossal, Founder and Chairman, Global Partnerships Forum Panellists; Mr. Ibrahim Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, African Union; Mr. Sayed Aqa, Vice-President for Cooperation and Capacity Development, Islamic Development Bank; Ms. Lise Kingo, Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact; Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and InterAgency Affairs, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Written By: WIT Representative Kangho (Paul) Jung

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: United Nations

In Search of a New Definition of ODA

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Mr. Gass opened the panel by stating that the discussion on the future of Official Development Assistance (ODA) is an important one, for “ODA will be critical, but not sufficient” for the implementation of the SDGs. He also recognized that ODA is outshined by other sources of financing for development. However, he added that as long as the total funding channeled to developing countries meets the demand, it is not necessarily a change for the worse.

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Mr. Kwakkenbos stated that 2013 saw a huge increase in ODA, but the increase came in form of loans but not gratuitous grants. Further, while ODA to middle-income countries increased, ODA to the least developed countries (LLDCs) suffered a setback in the last decade. Mr. Guillaumont suggested that one way to redress to lack of attention to LLDCs is to provide more loans to the LLDCs, as it is often difficult for them to access commercial lending market. Dr. Chaturvedi responded to the calls for redirecting loans from middle-income country to the LLDCs, saying that middle-income countries like India will still need ODA in forms of loans in support of infrastructural projects.

 

Mr. Solheim brought to the panel two messages. The first is the recognition of the new sources of financing, including private funding and South-South cooperation funding. The second contains some proposals on the ways in which the future definition of the ODA may be redefined. He proposed that future government encouragement of private investment into developing countries may be counted towards ODA. Further, there should be consensus on whether loans should be considered as part of the ODA. The current calculus only consider the difference between the commercial and concessional interest rate as part of the ODA, which means contribution from donors lending to countries with high possibility of default are not taken account into the ODA.

Meeting Title: New measures for development financing in a Post-2015 world
Speakers: His Excellency Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs; Mr. Erik Solehim, Chair of the Developmental Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooepration and Development; Dr. Sachin Chaturvedi, Research and Information system for Developing Countries; Mr. Jeroen Kwakkenbos, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Eurodad; Mr. Patrick Guillaumont, President, Fondation pour les etudes et recherches sur le developpement international (FERDI)
Location: Conference Room 5, North Lawn Building, United Nations Headquarters
Date: 10 July 2014
Written By WIT Representative: Harrison Chung
Edited By WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan

Private Sector’s Current State of Play in the SDG Process

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masthead_resourcesDr Louise Kantrow opened the discussion by noting the paradigm transition from the MDGs to the SDGs, wherein the role of the private sector has grown. ICC coordinated the Global Business Alliance 2015, which brought together global and regional business organisations aimed at constructively engaging with the post 2015 process and the UN agencies. The key points from the private sector perspective are the following: effective governance, rule of law, and security are critical enablers to achieve the SDGs; poverty eradication involves economic growth and jobs creations; and therefore it is crucial to address the informal employment and low governance challenges arisen in many developing countries.

H.E. Jean-Francis Regis Zinsou recognised that the global environmental and social challenges should be addressed through mobilising private finance for SDGs, innovative and technologically advanced business models. There is a move in the approach of the private sector from maximising profits for shareholders to stakeholders and the planet should be considered a stakeholder. Ms Esin Mete, then addressed the importance of agriculture and rural development as primary drivers to address poverty reduction and food security.

Mr Vinicius Carvalho Pinheiro stated that 75 million young people are currently unemployed. It is imperative to not just address the quantity but the quality of jobs available. As economic growth does not automatically create jobs, the private sector is the core driver of jobs. He then addressed the critical need to create a safe environment for workers as every 15 seconds one worker is killed due to working accidents: making it a world epidemic.

Finally Ms Katharine Maloney underlined the fundamental beliefs of KPMG to explain their active participation in the consultations of the post 2015 agenda. First, they recognise the paradigm shift explained previously by Dr Louise Kantrow. Second profitability and developmental agenda are not mutually exclusive. Third, business and social values are inextricably linked. Fourth, the private sector can provide a lot more than money, for instance real ideas, innovation, technical know how and a lot more resources.

Meeting Title: Private Sector Briefing: Current State of Play in the SDG process
Speakers: Dr Louise Kantrow, ‎Permanent Representative to the United Nations at International Chamber of Commerce; H.E. Jean-Francis Regis Zinsou, Permanent Representative of Republic of Benin to the UN; Ms Esin Mete, Director General, IFA (International Fertilizer Industry Association); Mr Vinicius Carvalho Pinheiro, Deputy Director of the ILO Office for the United Nations; Ms Katharine Maloney, Director, Development and Exempt Organizations (DEO) Practice at KPMG LLP.
Date: 3 July 2014
Location: Conference Room 5, NLB, United Nations, New York.
Written by WIT Representative: Aslesha Kaur Dhillon

Trends in Humanitarian Financing: do resources meet the needs?

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UntitledHumanitarian crises and needs in 2013 was extraordinary, the level of international humanitarian response rose to a record high of US$22 billion. As crises developed or emerged over the year, the numbers of affected people fluctuated. In light of that, financial resources are increasingly stretched. At the United Nations panellists gathered to discuss and identify how resources can more effectively channelled in order to meet the needs of affected civilians.

H.E. Ambassador Nusseibeh commenced the meeting by highlighting 2012 as a year of “recurring disasters” during which there was a stark change in the number of high-level humanitarian crises in 2013. Millions of people were affected by various crises, which stretched international response and funding. In particular adversity in South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen affected hundreds of thousands of people and called for significant international humanitarian response.

Ms. Swithern emphasised that South Sudan and Syria now appear at the top of the list of nations in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. This is due to the ongoing conflict driven crises in these respective countries. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Turkey and Japan were the largest government donors in 2013. He stressed that even though the international humanitarian response has increased significantly, it is still not enough to fully meet the ever-growing global needs.

Mr. Strohmeyer briefly explained the importance of looking at various funding mechanisms and developing multi-year strategies as funding moves through chains of transaction in varying lengths and complexity. He also stated that in order to improve the effectiveness of resources, it is necessary to provide independent, transparent and accessible information.

It is clear that national and local NGOs form an essential part of the humanitarian response. Ms. Genel introduced a Turkey-based NGO ‘Support to Life’, which works internationally on humanitarian principles. Despite NGO assistance Ms. Genel emphasised that domestic government resources are substantial and should continue to be the key driver of long-term development.

Meeting Title: Trends in humanitarian financing: do resources meet the needs?
Speakers: Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations; Ms. Sophia Swithern, Programme Leader, Global Humanitarian Programme of Development Initiatives; Mr. Hansjoerg Strohmeyer, Chief, Policy Development and Studies Branch (OCHA); Ms. Sema Genel, Director, Support to Life (Turkey)
Location: Conference Room C, United Nations HQ, New York
Date: 24 June 2014
Written By WIT representative: Samantha Kong
Edited By WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark 

Lessons Learned from Typhoon Haiyan

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H.E. Mr Libran Cabactulan stated that the Typhoon Haiyan has taught significant lessons to the Philippines and other member states. All partners and shareholders, shared the cost and capacity to make response more effective. Ms Kang highlighted that the 2004 Indian Tsunami reflected the need for a fundamental reorientation in humanitarian response and the Typhoon Haiyan response gave us an opportunity to assess the same.

Following, Ms Nanette Salvador-Antequisa stated that ‘Ecosystem Work for Essential Benefits’ with their respective partner organisations have provided relief to 10,000 families. The challenges they faced were in areas such as storage, distribution, funding for the transportation of the goods and retaining their staff because of lack of resources (technical and financial). Further critically addressing the Cluster, she stated that they should be based on more practical issues and should give platform for local groups to have a greater voice.

Mr Andy Featherstone highlighted the key findings and recommendations of a high-end study, ‘Missed Again: making space for partnership in the Typhoon Haiyan response.’ First, the partnership of National and International NGOs strengthened the relevance, effectiveness and coverage of humanitarian assistance, through utilizing their respective resources: proximity to and knowledge of communities and their technical and financial resources. Second the humanitarian leadership and coordination mechanisms had an international look and feel. Third, the recommendations were as follows: (i) create an enabling environment for partnership; (ii) the need to ‘localise’ surge responses; (iii) an obligation to prioritise preparedness.

Next, Mr Butch Meily spoke on the role of the private sector in the Typhoon Haiyan response, where they plugged the gaps in government sector response. A case in point: the Department of Education needed emergency food aid, so instead of using the government process of bidding, the private sector, provided food aid for 27,000 students for one month. Lastly Mr Randolph Kent, questioned the sustainable impact of private sector within the humanitarian sector. He importantly highlighted that we must identify the core business interest of the companies in engaging with humanitarian assistance i.e. economic incentives and interests, and not just limit their involvement to philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. 

Meeting Title: The role of partnerships in humanitarian response: lessons learned from Typhoon Haiyan
Speakers: Chair- H.E. Mr Libran N. Cabactulan, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the UN; Moderator- Ms Kyung-wha Kang, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Panellists- Ms Nanette Salvador-Antequisa, Executive Director, Ecosystem Work for Essential Benefits; Mr Butch Meily, President, Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation; Mr Andy Featherstone, Co-author of new research commissioned by ActionAid, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, and Tearfund documenting the application of partnership approaches with national and local actors during the response to Typhoon Haiyan; Mr Randolph Kent, Co-author of a recent series of studies commissioned by UN OCHA, ODI, HPG, and Vantage Partners, and supported by DFID, on business community ad public-sector partnerships in disaster response.
Location: Conference Room 7, NLB, United Nations, New York.
Date: 24 June 2014
Written by WIT Representative: Aslesha Kaur Dhillon
Edited by WIT Representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark 

Private and Public Sector Collaboration for Renewable Energy Solutions

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During the Sustainable Energy For All Forum a side event was held on forming partnerships between the private and public sector in order to find renewable energy solutions. Beginning the discussion, Ms. Eibs-Singer spoke about opportunities for the public and private sector to collaborate using public sector instruments at the policy level and private sector investment at the market level in order to invest in renewable energy.

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A more direct integration of the public and private sector is necessary for successful renewable energy projects to take off. However, Ms. Eibs-Singer pointed out that a potential problem in working together is how much slower progress can occur in the public sphere than in the private , and that the two need to reconcile this problem in order to effectively work together.

Mr. Ford, the Managing Director of Accenture (one of the world’s largest consulting and technology companies), then spoke about Accenture’s nexus with civil society, corporations, and donors, and how these partnerships can be used to find renewable energy solutions. Mr. Ford also mentioned Accenture’s work in renewable energy, and how this relates to education, health, and capacity building for development.

The Rockefeller Foundation gave a statement about the need to build resilience for disadvantaged communities and cities, and to make economies more inclusive; allowing more opportunities for participation. The key to this, he said, is energy access from renewable sources. Access to energy is necessary for withstanding climate change, health pandemics, and for having access to information, and is also fundamental for participation in the modern economy. Government capacity, the skills of the private sector, as well as money from funders is needed to find renewable energy solutions.

Mr. Fast then followed up this statement with an example of Accenture’s project in Northern Uganda, which helps local villagers use solar energy more efficiently. Accenture created this project with the help of local schools and businesses. To close, Mr. Rubin a professor at University of Pennsylvania, talked about his project in Zimbabwe, which, with the help from universities, private sector donations, and public sector infrastructure, produced an innovative solution to efficiently refrigerate vaccines for children by using the electric infrastructure from already existing cell phone towers to power the refrigerators.

Meeting: Energy Access for Development Impact: How Can the Private and Public Sector Collaborate on Renewable Energy Solutions?
Speakers: Ms. Christine Eibs-Singer; Senior Advisor, SE4ALL; Mr. Roger Ford, Managing Director, Accenture Development Partnerships; Mr. Zia Khan, Vice President for Initiatives and Strategy, The Rockefeller Foundation; Mr. Scott Fast, Executive Director, Accenture Foundation; Mr. Harvey Rubin, Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Director, Energize the Chain
Location: United Nations HQ, New York, Conference Room A
Date: 4 June 2014
Written By WIT representative: Marli Kasdan