The Sustainable Development Goals Business (SDG) Conference was held today in Sarajevo with an aim of raising awareness on the role of businesses in delivering on the promise of sustainable and inclusive development. More than 400 representatives from all levels of government, business sector and academia, gathered at the Conference that was organised under the SDGs Roll-out and Private Sector Engagement project funded by the Embassy of Sweden in Bosnia and Herzegovina and implemented by the United Nations in BiH team.

Conference participants had an opportunity to discuss global topics in the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including, amongst others, responsible resource management and environment protection, ethical businesses, opening of quality work places and its effect unto the business image and competitiveness.

„This conference is an excellent opportunity for private sector, civil society and state sector to learn about Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to hear experiences from Swedish companies that are here today. Ministry that I lead, strongly supports the fulfilment of responsibilities that BiH took and BiH will strive in the next years, despite humble resources, to give its contribution to goals written in Agenda 2030“ said Mirko Šarović, Minister of foreign trade and economic relations.

“The private sector was an important and constructive force when the 2030 Agenda was negotiated, and now it has an even more important role to play in its implementation. We need to use the innovative power of the private sector. That is why I am extra glad to see the engagement from the private sector and that many companies view the SDGs as business opportunities. This forum clearly shows that there is a better understanding, now more than ever, of the role of investors and the finance sector in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals” said Mr. Johannes Oljelund, General Director for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden.

„Many corporations around the world have recognized that the SDGs not only make good sense but also make for good business. Worldwide many companies are incorporating the SDGs – explicitly and implicitly – in their core business“ said Mrs Sezin Sinanoglu, UN Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the Conference, representatives of 20 businesses from Bosnia and Hercegovina shared example of their best practices in the areas of sustainable development. Keynote speakers included Mr. Ola Rosling, President & Co-Founder of Gapminder Foundation, Mr. Saša Bešlić, Head of Group Sustainable Finance at Nordea Bank, Mrs. Susanne Sweet, Associate Professor at Stockholm School of Economics and a Research Manager at Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets, Mrs. Katarina Eriksson, Project and Partnership Development Director at Tetra Laval Food for Development Office and Mr. Daniel Paska, Ericsson's sustainability and corporate responsibility Program Manager for the Nordics and Central Asia.

The Conference was an opportunity for businesses to show joint commitment to having sustainable development as part of their business models and contribute to Agenda 2030 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.