Global Compact Summit to highlight gender equality

The 4th UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, taking place 19-20 September in New York City is fast approaching! The summit will bring together Chief Executives of the private sector with leaders from civil society, Government and the United Nations to unveil a new global architecture for corporate sustainability. Gender equality and women's empowerment, which growing evidence shows is a key component of corporate sustainability, will be featured prominently throughout the Summit.

Simultaneously, the annual  UN Private Sector Forum convened by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be held during the opening session of the General Assembly to bring the voice of the private sector to inter-governmental negotiations. This year, the Private Sector Forum is being organized as the high-level luncheon of the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit. The Forum will focus on the role of the private sector in the post-2015 development agenda, with an emphasis on Africa. UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will attend the event.

At the Global Compact Summit, in addition to the plenary and executive sessions on 20 September, two women's empowerment-focused side events are being organized on 19th September (details below). UN Women works in partnership with the private sector to advance women’s rights and gender equality, and senior officials Lakshmi Puri and John Hendra, will participate in the events. While the Leaders Summit is an invitation-only event, the side events are open to the public.

Please visit the website (http://www.leaderssummit2013.org/home) for featured attendees, programme and participation information.  

Registration closes on 30 August 2013!

Empowering Women to Lead the Way to a Low-Emission and High-Resilient Future
19 September 2013
9am – 10:30am EST

This 1.5-hour event, hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Global Compact, UN Women, and The Rockefeller Foundation, organized in conjunction with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013: Architects of a Better World, will bring together influential women CEOs with the goal of promoting the role of the private sector in addressing climate change. It will facilitate a discussion on enhancing women's leadership in the green economy and unlocking the potential of women in accelerating climate action.
Register (http://women-environment.eventbrite.com/)

Women's Empowerment and the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Achieving Equality in the Workplace, Marketplace and Community
19 September 2013
1pm – 2:30pm EST

This 1.5-hour event, hosted by the UN Global Compact, UN Women, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the International Trade Centre (ITC), organized in conjunction with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013: Architects of a Better World, will highlight why women’s empowerment is a key component and driver of sustainable development and how the private sector can contribute by advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community. The Women’s Empowerment Principles, a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact offering practical guidance to business on how to empower women, will provide a starting point for discussion.
Register (http://womens-empowerment.eventbrite.com/) 

Registration is open to the public until Friday, 30 August.