Bengaluru to host UN Global Compact Network India convention

Global Compact Network India (GCNI), a local network of the United Nations Global Compact in New York, is holding its 13th National Convention on the theme of 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This year, the GCNI convention is of a greater significance as it is coinciding with the UN India Business Forum being hosted on June 7.

As part of a long term association, Accenture, will support the event as the Knowledge Partner of GCNI.

D K Hota, CMD, BEML is the convention's chairman, while Shashi Shanker, CMD, ONGC, will be its president.

Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan will grace the event as chief guest, while Amitabh Kant CEO, NITI Aayog, will be the keynote speaker.

Apart from them, a board of eminent speakers comprising of corporate, PSUs, academia, civil society organisation heads and key representatives of UN agencies globally, will also be president.

Some of the speakers include Mr. Yuri Afanasiev (UN Resident Coordinator India and UNDP Resident Representative in India), Mr. Vishvesh Prabhakar (Managing Director, Sustainability, Accenture Strategy), Dr. H Chaturvedi (Director, BIMTECH), Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee (Secretary General, Indian Steel Association), Dr. Raman Ramachandran (Chairman & Managing Director, BASF India Ltd. and Head, BASF, South Asia), Dr. Shalini Sarin (SVP HR- BG Professional, CSR & BoP Leader- Lighting, Philips), Mr. Tom Thomas (CEO, Praxis), Mr. Marcos Neto (Director, Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, UNDP), Ms. Heather Grady (Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), San Francisco), Brig Rajiv Williams (Corporate Head - CSR, JSL Stainless Ltd.).

The unique feature of this convention will be the launch of GCNI - Accenture CEO Study, Exclusive CEO Panel, Concurrent Sessions on SDGs (Quality Education, Integrating Human Rights into Sustainable Business Strategy, Affordable Urban Housing: Challenges & Perspectives, SDG Philanthropy Platform) and a special session on Innovative Practices Awards 2018 on SDGs.

"The implementation path to achieving SDGs would not only help India grow but also help us grow and sustain our society without taking away what we owe to our future generations. As we inch towards creating the New India, we need to understand what needs to be done and act now," says, Mr. D K Hota, CMD, BEML.

Mr. Kamal Singh, ED, GCNI says, "GCNI Convention 2018 theme puts emphasis on the real, on-ground actions that the businesses need to take to make a real impact on achieving the SDGs while also creating economic value for the Nation. It will include concepts such as organizational performance on SDGs, circular economy etc. which India needs to follow in the coming years."

Over 400 delegates from Government both Central and State, UN and its systems, Civil Society organizations, SME's, Members of Academia industry bodies' representatives are likely to attend this year's National Convention.