Completing a process that began about five years ago, the International Chamber of Commerce became the first business organization to receive observer status at the United Nations last month, a decision that signals increasing private sector engagement at the institution.
“It’s about time business is part of that discussion and problem-solving mechanism,” said John Danilovich, the secretary general of the ICC.
While the decision is historic, it comes as a result of a growing recognition that the private sector needs to be part of solving global challenges, as evidenced by the influence companies had on the Paris climate agreement and in shaping the 2030 agenda. The ICC — and the tens of thousands of companies and associations it represents — now has a formal avenue to present and move forward ideas they believe will have an economic, political and social benefit. It’s an achievement that didn’t come without its challenges.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
