2024 Global Advocacy Dialogue Series: Leveraging Private Sector Strength in the Global South

September 18, 2024

When: 26 September 2024 at 9:30 – 11:00 – High-level Panel Discussion, followed by 11:00 – 12:45 – Technical-level Ideas Foundry Session
Venue: 304 East 45^th Street; 11^th Floor Doha Conference Room, FF Building, UN Headquarters, New York
Hybrid format: Join by Zoom link: https://undp.zoom.us/j/84332909450
Download Detailed Concept Note

Join us for the second dialogue in the 2024 Global Advocacy Dialogue Series on 26 September 2024, at the UN Headquarters in New York. Co-organized by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), this event will explore leveraging private sector strength in the Global South to accelerate sustainable development.

The dialogue features two dynamic sessions:

Session 1: A high-level panel discussion on “Advancing Strategic Alliances: Leveraging Private Sector Strength in the Global South” (9:30 AM – 11:00 AM EDT)

Objectives:

The private sector plays an indispensable role in driving economic growth, innovation, and job creation – all of which are critical for achieving the SDGs. However, the potential of the private sector to contribute to sustainable development in the Global South remains largely untapped. This event will:

Explore innovative strategies for building alliances between the private sector and development organizations to accelerate progress towards the SDGs in the Global South and the North.
Identify actionable strategies for leveraging private sector (especially those from the Global South) for crowding in investment in SDG-related financing, trade and innovation, especially considering the untapped South-South trade potential and technology transfer.
Strengthen partnerships and foster new collaborations with a focus on mutual benefit (win-win), shared value creation, ownership, and

Expected Outcomes:

A deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges for private sector engagement in achieving the SDGs in the Global South and North.
A set of actionable strategies and recommendations for leveraging the private sector to crowd in investment in SDG-related financing, trade, and innovation.
Strengthened partnerships and new collaborations between the private sector and development organizations.
Commitment from leading organizations, including IsDB and UNOSSC, to foster enabling environments that enhance private sector contributions to the SDGs.

Agenda:

Time	Description
09:00 – 09:30	Coffee and registration – Participants arrive, register, and connect with fellow attendees over coffee
09:30 – 09:40	Welcoming and opening remarks: Welcoming remarks by Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, UNOSSC Director Opening remarks by Dr. Issa Faye, Head of Delegation of IsDB to UNGA, Director General, Global Practice and Partnerships
09:40 – 09:55	Keynote speech, moderated by Ms. Dima Al-Khatib H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Egypt Mr. Hattan Bin Samman, Senior Advisor and General Supervisor for International Organizations, to deliver a Statement of H.E. Mr. Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
09:55 – 10:40 10:40 – 10:55	Panel discussion: Models of Collaboration for SDG Progress – Building Blocks of Success, Davos style to be moderated by Dr. Issa Faye H.E. Amb. Tri Tharyat, Deputy Minister for Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia H.E. Amb. Mr. Mohamed Methqal, Director General of Moroccan Agency for Internation Cooperation H.E. Amb. Ms. Esen Altuğ, Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye Mr. Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States Discussants: Scaling Impact – Insights from the Private Sector Amnah Shaari, Group Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Serunai Commerce Sdn Bhd Mr. Tarik Bourquouquou, Manager of International Projects Development, MASEN (virtual) Mr. Sahba Sobhani, Director, UNDP International Centre for Private Sector in Development
10:55 – 11:00	Wrap-up by Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, Director, UNOSSC

Session 2. A technical-level Ideas Foundry session on “Harnessing Private Sector Contribution through South-South and Triangular Cooperation” (11:00 AM – 12:45 PM EDT)

Objective:

Identify potential SS&TrC collaborations/partnerships that will involve the private sector, which may cover among others, the following thematic areas: energy, digital transformation, health, connectivity, logistics, Halal and transport.
Expose the private sector to the development arena (i.e., achieving SDGs) and encourage their technical and financial contributions through SS&TrC engagements.
Enable experienced private sector partners in SS&TrC to share their projects and activities to guide and convince fellow private sector stakeholders to participate in SS&TrC engagements facilitated by development partners.
Provide the opportunity for the private sector to expand its network of partners from member countries, development partners, and fellow private sector partners.

Expected Outcomes:

To develop a pipeline of SS&TrC projects and activities for involving the private sector.
Create a set of realistic action items to realize this pipeline.

Agenda:

Time	Description
11:00 – 11:10	Coffee Break and Rearranging of room – Coffee break after first half of session and tables and chairs to be arranged to enable participants to sit around in groups.
11:10 – 11:20 11:20 – 11:30 11:30 – 11:40	IsDB Reverse Linkage – The Mechanism and Private Sector Experience Mr. Aminuddin Mat Ariff, IsDB Lead Technical Cooperation Specialist (Reverse Linkage), in charge of SS&TrC Global Private Sector Partnerships – Brief Introduction to the IsDB SS&TrC Mechanism: “Reverse Linkage”. Ms. Amnah Shaari, Group CEO and Founder of Serunai Commerce Sdn Bhd – Case Study 1: Private Sector role in strengthening the capacity of stakeholders in a growing industry (Halal Industry) in Uganda. Mr. Ho Wei Ming, Executive Director, Probase Manufacturing Sdn Bhd – Case Study 2: Private Sector participation in SS&TrC loan-based financing projects (road construction).
11:40 – 11:50	Presentation by UNOSSC on South-South and Triangular Cooperation Solutions Lab Exploring potential collaboration opportunities with the private sector within the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Solutions Lab.
11:50 – 12:40	Ideas Foundry: Strategic Brainstorming, Concretizing Ideas and Networking Session Participants will be free to move around and discuss among themselves. The private sector partners will be responsible to identify one or two potentially realistic SS&TrC engagements (based on their experience) that may be considered for further discussion. Quick reporting by the private sector partners of the potential areas of engagement that can be done through SS&TrC. Q&A
12:40 – 12:45	Wrap-up by Mr. Zanofer Ismalebbe, Chief, Knowledge Management, UNOSSC

Participants:

Members States, private sector, UN entities, and development partners.

This hybrid event offers both in-person and virtual participation options. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with global leaders and shape the future of private sector engagement in sustainable development.