18 March 2021
On Thursday 18 March, ICC Albania launched a new working group which primary focus of work will be the Sustainable Development Goals.
This initiative names as Commission on Sustainable Development and Integrity will have as purpose to build dialogue and expertise among representatives from private and public sector, civil society and academia and youth to reinforce responsible business conduct and integrity in their business model.
The Commission will focus on three main areas of work; i. Sustainability, ii. Integrity and iii. Circular Economy.
This initiative is supported by international partners who have the sustainability agenda central to their work and business model. Leaders and other representatives from ICC Albania member companies, partners from other business organizations, academia and youth representatives joined this first meeting and shared their experiences and needs to better engagement with the SDGs, promotion of supply chain responsibilities and circular economy practices. United Nations in Albania, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania and the Embassy of Sweden in Albania have joined as honorary members this initiative.
‘’The SDGs offer the private sector a robust framework to create value & growth while protecting the world & the people. The commitment of private sector is key in accelerating actions towards a sustainable future.’’
said the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Albania Fiona McCluney.
Ambassador Guusje Korthals Altes, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Albania highlighted in her remarks:
‘’For the Netherlands the SDGs are the leading policy framework for the next decade. The private sector (including the financial sector), civil society, knowledge institutions and youth organizations have welcomed the SDGs to accelerate the achievement of their own sustainable development ambitions. They have not only welcomed them, but also formed coalitions to achieve them. Therefore, I am pleased to see that striving for partnerships and coalitions to achieve sustainable development is also materializing in Albania and I am gladly on board of this commission.’’
Another important international partner to this initiative is also the Embassy of Sweden in Albania. Ambassador Elsa Hastad while addressing her remarks to the participants at the launching meeting said
‘’Sweden is a global promoter and supporter of the Sustainable Development Goals. In Sweden the SDGs are part of the governance system, foreign policy, Development Cooperation and also Swedish businesses.
In Albania, the Embassy would like to address SDG 12 and to explore cooperation possibilities with UN. The Embassy of Sweden in Albania is encouraging Albanian business partners who are not only interested in business and trade but to look further in the concept of sustainability, to also combine women economic empowerment and women rights. ‘’
The work of the ICC Albania Commission on Sustainable Development and Integrity will serve for the fulfillment of several objectives such as; to mobilize companies operating in Albania to join the UN Global Compact; to contribute Albanian business views to international forums via ICC Global; to share best practices and challenges in the implementation of SDGs; to inform the development of enabling policies; and to consider the need for the development of new tools and guidelines, including for SMEs.
Delivering fully on the promise for a more sustainable and prosperous future requires a collaborative effort between stakeholders to enable the transformation of business practices towards sustainability more broadly.
That’s why at ICC we are working to define responsible business as the new normal and to cooperating on different levels to ensure that every business model has sustainability and inclusivity at its very heart.
For more information about this working group and other policy areas of ICC contact us at [email protected].