Devex Davos Dispatch

No government can finance the kinds of transformations needed for the world to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

That’s the word from Achim Steiner, administrator of the U.N. Development Programme, who argues the private sector is integral to the SDGs, particularly on climate change.

He talks to Devex Senior Reporter Adva Saldinger, who authors the Devex Invested newsletter, about the complexities of fossil fuels and renewable energy — and how we can keep the lights on while transitioning to a cleaner economy.

In addition to serving as administrator of UNDP, Achim Steiner is director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford. Most recently, he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. He previously served as director-general of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, director-general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and secretary-general of the World Commission on Dams in South Africa.

A mystery guest, a big announcement and a large pot of money. Devex Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar talks to Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund, which is approaching its three-year replenishment. It’s a critical time under normal circumstances, but it takes on added urgency amid a pandemic that has challenged the Global Fund’s mission, drained public resources and made collaboration with the private sector all the more important.

A former chief executive officer of Standard Chartered PLC, one of the world’s leading international banks, Peter Sands has been a research fellow at Harvard University since 2015, working on a range of research projects in financial markets and regulation, fintech and global health.

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How has the UN tackled racism internally? What’s being done and where do we still need to go? In this episode, leader Winnie Byanyima discusses the anniversary of the George Floyd murder and racism and sexism in global development and the UN. She outlines what has been done, what needs to be done next, and her message to leaders here at Davos.
Winnie Byanyima is the Executive Director of UNAIDS and an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. A passionate and longstanding champion of social justice and gender equality, Ms Byanyima leads the United Nations’ efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Ms Byanyima believes that health care is a human right and was an early champion of a People’s Vaccine against the coronavirus that is available and free of charge to everyone, everywhere.
Before joining UNAIDS, Ms Byanyima served as the Executive Director of Oxfam International, a confederation of 20 civil society organizations working in more than 90 countries worldwide, empowering people to create a future that is secure, just and free from poverty.

Not only does 2022 mark the third year of a global pandemic, it also marks seven and a half years into the SDGs — the halfway point. This year, the World Economic Forum annual meeting convened in person for the first time in two years. The week-long event drew hundreds of leaders from a multitude of fields and countries to reflect on SDG targets and develop solutions to achieve them in a post-pandemic era. Devex was on the ground in Davos covering the conversations — both at the sessions and behind the scenes — to get the inside scoop on the biggest issues of the day.