On 6 June 2024, we had the pleasure of welcoming many participants, business leaders, government representatives and civil society experts to our General Assembly and Global Compact Dialogue in Schlieren (ZH). We look back on a successful day that emphasized the critical role of the private sector in achieving the 2030 Agenda.
General Assembly
The assembly started with the presentation of the Annual Report, which gave an overview of past activities, events, and highlights. Furthermore, the Secretariat team shared an outlook on the current and planned activities on a local and global level including interactive Accelerator Programmes, insightful Academy e-learnings, upcoming peer learning groups, and other training and learning opportunities. For all upcoming events, please visit our event page.
In addition, a thorough review of the 2023 financial statements and 2024 budget was presented, detailing our income, expenses, and overall financial health. Given the importance of transparency and accountability to our organization, we also shared an additional financial audit conducted by PwC Switzerland.
Another important point on the agenda was the election of our network's board of directors. We would like to warmly welcome the following new people to the board of the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein:
Aurelia Figueora | Global Director of Sustainability at Breitling
Vanessa Hans | Head of Private Sector at Basel Institute on Governance
Stephanie Ossenbach | Group Sustainability Officer at dormakaba International Holding AG
We also said goodbye to two board members who stepped down. Their dedication, impactful contributions, and efforts played a vital role in supporting our organization and our activities. A big thank you to:
Adrienne Williams | Group Vice President, Head of Corporate Responsibility at ABB
Helen Medina | Senior Public Affairs Manager, Government and Multilateral Relations at Nestlé SA
Global Compact Dialogue
Following our General Assembly, participants as well as other interested individuals were welcomed to our Global Compact Dialogue - an interactive event that brought together business leaders, government representatives, SDG stakeholders, and professionals from civil society dedicated to advancing sustainability. The event provided a platform for dynamic discussions on ambitious corporate sustainability action and practical workshops focused on key areas, where the private sector can collectively make the biggest, fastest impact by 2030.
After a brief welcome, Noemi Rom, Head of Sustainability Transformation at Zühlke, kicked off the event with interesting insights into how sustainability can be used as a driver of opportunity and how Zühlke supports clients in transforming their businesses to become more sustainable. This input was followed by Lucas Ribeiro, Climate Ambition Accelerator Lead at the UN Global Compact, who introduced the Forward Faster initiative and shared some numbers that underline why more than ever it is essential that companies play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.
A highlight of the event was the engaging panel discussion with industry experts who shared their experiences and showcased examples of impactful measures taken to drive sustainable transitions and effect positive change for both people and the environment. We would like to extend our gratitude to our insightful panelists:
Serena Alonso, Human Rights Specialist at dormakaba | Addressing child labour in the cobalt supply chain
Carrie Scott, Head, Sustainability and ESG at Novartis | Internal governance measures to drive access to health
Brett Dodge, Lead - Human Rights in Agriculture and Food Systems & Senior Consultant at Ergon Associates | The centrality of living wages to address root causes of human rights risks
Lucas Ribeiro, Climate Ambition Accelerator Lead at UN Global Compact | Good practices from SBTi & climate action and achievements from Climate Ambition Accelerator
The panel was followed by three parallel workshops focusing on topics of the Forward Faster initiative:
Ensuring a Living Wage for All
Driving Gender Equality in the Workplace
Science-Based Climate Action: Managing key decarbonization challenges
The workshops offered a deep dive into relevant topics, creating a platform for participants to discuss their challenges and opportunities while learning from peers and experts in their field. The event concluded with a networking apéro where attendees had the opportunity to connect and continue the conversations started during the panel discussions and workshops.
We would like to thank everyone who attended our General Assembly and Global Compact Dialogue! A special thank you goes to our host Zühlke for sponsoring the venue, lunch and for their invaluable logistical support. Thank you also to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA for sponsoring the apéro.
We look forward to witnessing how the insights, connections, and discussions gained from this event will contribute to the collective effort to create a sustainable future.
All photo credits: Fabio Endrich / Endrich Media Agency