4th ICC Geneva Business Dialogue Roundtable

We were happy to have welcomed business, NGO and state representatives to our 4th Business Dialogue Roundtable at the WTO. Under the topic “Harnessing Business Resources to meet the SDGs” the focus lay on SDG 2,3,12 and 17.

The statement that companies are global, but governments are not highlights the important role companies play in this debate and we were happy to see that many representatives of companies attended. Panellists and participants talked of real actions and real activities they are taking, that is what is important and what is needed. It is for both governments and states to act, governments need to provide the right guidelines and both need to work towards the SDGs by taking real actions.

There are conflicts of interests for businesseses but also among the SDG’s itself, to overcome these as good as possible it is important to be open about it and this in turn will also generate trust in business as well as governments which is crucial.

Obstacles in trade cause delays, which in turn hinders the goal to obtain zero hunger, good health and well-being as well as responsible consumption and production, that is why it is important to further promote free trade.

We would like to once again take this opportunity to thank Yi Xiaozhun, Michael McKay, Norinne Kennedy, Nora Kronig Romero, Jerome Bellion-Jourdan, John Fairhurst, Helene Medina, Denise Weger, Melissa J. Kopolov McCall and Crispin Conroy for taking part in the ICC Geneva Business Dialogue Roundtable.