Dubai Land Department (DLD), have announced that the three annual Global Compact events will take place in Dubai, UAE on 24-26 October, 2016. These events will be attended by 84 networks from the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) drawn from 84 countries. Led by Lise Kingo, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Executive Director of the UNGC will discuss the global strategy of sustainability and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
HE Sultan Butti Bin Mejren, Director General of DLD said: "DLD will utilise a number of its departments and arms to work in harmony alongside a group of local partners, in order to achieve success in this global event in front of a galaxy of dignitaries who are keen to attend UNGC events throughout the year.”
This occasion will include three major events - the UN Annual Local Network Forum (ALNF), the United Nations Private Sector Focal Points Meeting (UNPSFP) and the Business for Peace (B4P) Annual Event. The common theme between all three events will be around partnering for action on the SDGs. In addition, in partnership with the Pearl Initiative, the Global Compact will be holding a Regional Sustainability Forum and gala dinner for the second year.
Mahmoud El-Burai, CEO of DREI and representative of UN Global Compact in the MENA region said: “We were honoured to host the UN Global Compact in MENA Region in the UAE last year, and over the past year, the network has made great efforts to disseminate knowledge related to the ten principles of the Global Compact. This has provided us with more opportunities to improve our ability to reach the highest levels of leadership in the field of sustainable business in the region, which has enabled us to be the fastest-growing global network reaching up to 150 companies from all across the private sector.”
El-Burai added: “The 2016 Annual Local Network Forum (ALNF), hosted by Global Compact Network UAE, will take place in Dubai on 24-25 October 2016. The forum will bring together around 100 local network contact points and representatives to discuss subjects related to the governance of the local networks. The annual forum will focus primarily on presenting and launching the Global Compact 2020 Strategy, as well as on the capacity building programme for the SDG Action plan. In addition, the social platform for internetwork collaboration will be launched during the meeting.”
During the two days, there will be a joint meeting on 25th October between the local networks and the United Nations Private Sector Focal Points (UNPSFP), where about 50 UN staff tasked with business engagement will convene to discuss recent trends and developments in UN-business collaboration, share partnership innovations, challenges and opportunities, and develop plans for network initiatives over the coming year. A plenary session and informal workshop will be designed to address Focal Points’ key thematic priorities and technical concerns, whilst also taking stock of efforts required to advance implementation of General Assembly Resolution no. 70/224 (‘Towards Global Partnerships’).
There will also be a joint meeting on the 25th of October between UNPSFP and ALNF, where UN participants will explore opportunities to deepen UN-business partnerships at a country level, in collaboration with the Global Compact Local Networks.
On the last day Dubai will witness the Third Business for Peace Annual Event, to discuss how violent conflict and instability affects too many people and markets all across the world. With over 60 million people, including 19.5 million refugees displaced by conflict, and the cost of violence reaching 13.4% of world GDP, never before has it been so urgent for businesses to step up efforts to support the most fundamental of UN goals: peace. As such, the Third Business for Peace Annual event will focus on SDG16 and the Agenda for Humanity.
A gala dinner will be organised on the night prior to the joint forum, and on the 27th of October, over 600 senior representatives from publicly listed and private companies, family firms, academia, civil society, state-owned entities, UN agencies and government bodies from across the MENA Region and beyond are expected to attend a forum called ‘Pearl Initiative & United Nations Global Compact- Sustainability In Action: Business And The UN Global Goals’. This forum will focus on the role of the private sector in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with the following themes: prosperity, people, planet, peace and partnership.
El-Burai concluded: "Dubai Real Estate Institute will launch, from the UAE, initiatives and global projects in cooperation with the UNGC, aimed at contributing towards the provision of global innovative solutions, to face the challenges in applying the objectives of sustainable development goals. This meeting will be a milestone in the participation of the private sector to implement sustainable development goals.”
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