REPUBLIC OF KOREA

PERMANENT MISSION TO THE

UNITED NATIONS

Concept Note

Exploring Inclusiveness in the 2030 Agenda

for Sustainable Development
Organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN, UNCTAD, and
the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

Date: Monday 14, December 2015

Time: 1:00 pm to 2:45 pm
Venue: Conference Room 6 in UNHQ
Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the historic 70th
session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, calls for a renewed global
partnership to foster transformative changes that will apply to all countries, including: poverty
eradication, tackling exclusion and inequality, women and girls empowerment, managing
environmental challenges, inclusive and sustainable growth and decent employment, peace building and
effective governance, while addressing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of
sustainable development in an integrated manner.
In this connection, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN, the UN Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) will host an
interactive dialogue on the multiple dimensions of inclusiveness to shed some light on how Member
States can best ensure inclusiveness and how the UN and other stakeholders offering policy reviews and
capacity building can best support them in this endeavor.
These five goals specifically mention inclusive[ness] in the 2030 Agenda:

Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and
foster innovation
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable;
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access
to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

The will of Member States to leave no one behind is reflected in their decision to qualify a number of
sustainable development goals with the need for an "inclusive" approach and sustainability in meeting

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
PERMANENT MISSION TO THE
UNITED NATIONS

the goals. The term "inclusive" is highlighted in education, economic growth, industrialization, cities and
societies and institutions goals. And though the word "inclusiveness", is not explicitly mentioned in Goal
5, Goal 5 establishes a strong link between women's economic empowerment and access to economic
resources. Delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development framework will require the
collaboration and contribution of the public and private sectors. The scaling up of inclusive business
efforts and the creation of new partnerships to drive economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty
will be necessary.
Inclusive business models defined as sustainable business solutions that expand access to goods,
services, and livelihood opportunities for low-income communities while generating sales and profit
growth, provide an interface with low-income communities and have the potential to stimulate
sustainable development through multiple avenues, including skills transfer, the provision of needed
goods and services, integration of informal practices into the formal economy, and enhanced nutrition,
to name a few.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the need to foster entrepreneurship through
education at all levels, while harnessing the potential of ICT.
Enterprise development and
entrepreneurship offer the opportunity to earn a sustainable livelihood for many of the worlds poor. In
addition, paragraph 68 establishes that international trade is an engine for inclusive economic growth
and poverty reduction, and contributes to the promotion of sustainable development. Furthermore,
paragraph 67 recognizes that private business activity, investment and innovation are major drivers of
productivity, inclusive economic growth and job creation. Achieving these goals will not be possible
without the contribution business, especially with an estimated US$2.5 trillion (UNCTAD) annual
financing gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Financing a transformative development agenda will require that available financial resources be used
more effectively and strategically to catalyze additional financing from official and business sectors.
Emphasis on new partnerships between public and private investment, new and innovative forms of
financing, new investment policies that emphasize responsible investment and SDG-relevant incentives,
and a reorientation of the business mindset are all elements that will need to characterize the path
ahead. In this context, inclusive investment models that prioritize investment in the poor, for the poor
and with the poor should be given greater attention.
Exploring legal framework in this globalized and interconnected economy is another critical point of
inclusiveness to be touched upon in order to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable
development as well as to build inclusive institutions at all levels. In this regard, UNCITRAL, the legal
body of the United Nations providing harmonized and modernized legal instruments and guidelines in
international trade law should also be highlighted to find a sensible inclusive solution to various crossborder transactions and investment.
The 2030 Agenda also makes provision for open, inclusive, participatory and transparent follow-up and
review processes at sub-national, national, regional and global levels. Such reviews should draw on
contributions from indigenous peoples, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders, in line
with national circumstances, policies and priorities. National parliaments as well as other institutions
can also support these processes.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
PERMANENT MISSION TO THE
UNITED NATIONS

This seminar is the third in the series1 to identify synergistic and multi-dimensional methods both in
Trade, Development and Law specifically on issues around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Panelists will explore the multiple dimensions of Inclusiveness especially on
entrepreneurship, investment, trade, gender, institution, legal framework, business and investment.
This will then be followed by interactive and creative dialogues featuring speakers from foreign Missions,
UN secretariat, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The outcome of this seminar will provide
some guidance on how the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be
effectively inclusive, involving all relevant actors in the national, regional and global levels.

The first event, Seminar on Trade, Development, and Law In the Context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda
and Financing for Development was held on 23 June 2015 and the second event, Seminar on E-Commerce in the
Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was held on 21 October 2015.