UN Resident Coordinator: the private sector is critical to achieving the SDGs
“At the UN we think of the private sector as a key development actor,'' said Khaled El Mekwad.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad, has highlighted the partnership between the United Nations and the Private Sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“At the UN, we think of the private sector as a key development actor—in creating employment, building skills, spurring innovation, providing essential infrastructure, and supplying affordable goods and services,” El Mekwad said at a consultative workshop with the Private Sector held today as part of multistakeholder consultations for developing the 2025-2029 United Nations Strategic and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
“The private sector is also crucial to SDG achievement as an investor of much-needed capital. Through its partnerships with private-sector actors, the UN can influence the adoption of inclusive and sustainable business practices,” he said.
On 23-26 April, companies from all over the world, including Bahrain, came together at the SDG Investment Fair in New York, where they presented their innovative ideas and investment projects for achieving the SDGs.
Mr El Mekwad also briefed the participants on the upcoming Summit of the Future that will be held in New York in September this year.
"The Summit will be pivotal to turbocharge the SDGs and reinvigorate multilateralism", he said.
The consultative process for the new UNSDCF began in January 2024 with a Strategic Prioritisation workshop with the Government of Bahrain. It has also entailed consultation workshops with youth and civil society.
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