Xinhua, Geneva :
The World Investment Forum 2014 scheduled to be held here next week will be a platform to tap into the policy frameworks and conditions for investment to address sustainable development challenges, said the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Tuesday.
A high-level gathering held every two years, the UNCTAD’s World Investment Forum is designed to facilitate dialogue and action on the world’s key and emerging investment-related challenges, and this year’s theme was investing in sustainable development.
“Faced with common global economic, social and environmental challenges, the international community is defining a set of sustainable development goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they expire next year,” Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD Secretary-General said in a statement.
The head of the UN organ noted that there is a clear role for the private sector to galvanize efforts to deliver on the new goals, which cannot be met with public money alone.
“The core purpose of this year’s World Investment Forum is to bring together public and corporate leaders to amplify the discussion about private sector involvement in the sustainable development goals,” Kituyi stressed, saying that the event will be a unique opportunity to fulfil the important gap in global economic governance.
Over 2,000 private and public sector representatives from the developing and developed world would participate into the forum with nearly 40 events scheduled, including private sector-led sessions, ministerial round tables and the World Leaders Investment Summits.
Being the fourth edition after those held respectively in Ghana (2008), China (2010) and Qatar (2012), this year’s forum will discuss investment needs, opportunities and strategies to meet the sustainable development goals which will be launched next year after the expiry of MDGs.
It was introduced that a number of deliverables for investing in sustainable development will be announced at the biennial event.
