Employers’ Associations held an international meeting with support from the ILO’s Bureau for Employers’ Activities where they discussed how to support the Sustainable Development Goals often referred to as Agenda 2030. The meeting was held in Belgrade on December 13th and 14th.
The SDG document adopted by all 193 UN member countries states that “private business activities, investment and innovation are major drivers of productivity, inclusive economic growth and job creation” thus highlighting the importance of private sector in realization of Agenda 2030.
Participants of the Belgrade meeting coming from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, agreed that both the private sector and employers’ organizations should get involved in making the SDGs. SDGs are not only good for business in a long term perspective, they can also be good business provided that the public development agencies and the private sector unite to realize innovative economic, social, or environmental solutions. EOs agreed that companies have to mainstream sustainability into core business strategies rather than aiming at ad hoc engagements.
Case studies from companies that have already harmonized their business strategies with the SDGs demonstrated their impressive social and environmental awareness. For example, the renowned Serbian company Delta Holding trains all suppliers on Corporate Social Responsibility and the SDGs, modern production methods and energy efficiency.
Employers’ organizations also used the meeting to develop a blueprint for the engagement in the SDG agenda that included capacity building and knowledge sharing on sustainability initiatives linked to the 2030 agenda, potential services to members supporting their sustainability efforts and an appropriate advocacy agenda relating to SDGs.
Source: International Labour Organization
