Within the second of our three-part sequence masking the 2025 United Nations Normal Meeting, host Landry Signé speaks with the general public, personal, and worldwide actors shaping the United Nations’ engagement with the worldwide personal sector. On the eightieth anniversary of the group, these company talk about the U.N. not simply as a company of member states however as a number one voice rallying CEOs, entrepreneurs, business and policymakers.
Contributors:
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Victor Djemba, Chief of Africa Regional Division, U.N. Industrial Improvement Group
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Rui Miguens de Oliveira, Minister of Business and Commerce, Republic of Angola
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James Mwangi, Chief Government Officer, Fairness Group Holdings
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Kibonen Nfi, Inventive Director, Kibonen
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Tolulope Lewis Tamoka, Chief of Authorities Relations and Africa, U.N. World Compact
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SIGNÉ: Whats up, I’m Landry Signé, senior fellow within the World Economic system and Improvement Program and the Africa Progress Initiative on the Brookings Establishment, and host of the Foresight Africa podcast. Welcome to half two of our three-part sequence reporting from the 2025 U.N. Normal Meeting, as we mark 80 years of the United Nations.
Right here on the Brookings Foresight Africa podcast, I have interaction with distinguished leaders in coverage, enterprise, academia, and civil society to share their distinctive insights and progressive options to Africa’s challenges whereas highlighting alternatives to advance engagement between Africa and the worldwide neighborhood. You may study extra about this present and our work at Brookings dot edu slash Foresight Africa podcast.
The U.N. Normal Meeting, referred to as UNGA, is the world’s high political summit, that includes everybody from high diplomats and heads of state, to rising and established stars in enterprise and civil society. This 12 months’s Meeting was organized with the theme “Higher Collectively,” reflecting the current sentiment that we’re in a time the place the case for multilateral world governance wants renewed protection.
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On this second a part of our UNGA sequence, you’ll hear from a wide range of distinguished company: entrepreneurs, authorities officers, CEOs, and U.N. leaders concerning the United Nations’ relationship with world enterprise and the personal sector.
My first visitor is Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Fairness Group Holdings, who defined why the function of the personal sector within the U.N.’s work is changing into more and more necessary.
[3:02]
MWANGI: I’m Dr. James Mwangi, the group Chief Government of Fairness Group Holdings, an East and Central African regional monetary group.
As Fairness Group, our precedence in attending this eightieth UNGA annual normal assembly was to advance the reason for personal sector-led growth finance. We have now seen the challenges which might be there in financing growth, however we additionally imagine there may be vital capital with the personal sector, which, if it receives the best alerts, proper proper incentives, and proper coverage framework, may be capable of alleviate the shortfall in growth financing that the world is scuffling with, and notably the Sustainable Improvement Targets.
SIGNÉ: Whereas present drawbacks in growth financing from nationwide governments have made the necessity for personal funding extra obvious, company social duty has lengthy been a part of the United Nations’ technique for growth. The U.N. leads the world’s largest company social duty initiative, U.N. World Compact, with over 25,000 company members throughout 167 nations.
[4:46]
TOLULOPE LEWIS TAMOKA: Thanks for having me. My identify is Tolulope Lewis Tamoka. I’m chief of presidency relations and Africa on the United Nations World Compact.
The lasting effort of the United Nations over the past eight many years has been its capacity to unite. To unite round key priorities for the continent and the folks of the world. And so to be a part of that initiative is absolutely an necessary one. And for us as U.N. World Compact, to deliver the voice of the personal sector, enterprise, and to unite enterprise with the remainder of society to advance the SDGs has turn into extra necessary than ever in right this moment’s world.
SIGNÉ: Because the U.N. celebrates its eightieth anniversary, the U.N. World Compact is commemorating its twenty fifth anniversary.
TAMOKA: And behind this twenty fifth celebration of U.N. World Compact is the work we have now finished to elaborate our technique from 2026 to 2030, trying on the key units of priorities that can take us to the tip of the course of the present SDGs.
And in there we’re eager to make sure that the voice of enterprise nonetheless stays related to assist the United Nations and the general public sector to deal with the challenges and the gaps that also stay to be met in advancing the SDGs.
Bringing key stakeholders collectively and utilizing the U.N.’s convening energy has remained one of many platforms that the U.N. is fairly good at showcasing. And for us at U.N. World Compact, we use that house to have interaction enterprise leaders and heads of states in conversations round key themes from local weather motion to advancing gender equality, taking a look at labor rights, but in addition taking a look at the way forward for enterprise and guaranteeing that we plan for sustainable enterprise and the long run nonetheless turns into one of many key priorities that we have interaction with.
SIGNÉ: One of many U.N. World Compact’s flagship occasions is GABI, the World Africa Enterprise Initiative, a platform for selling funding and enterprise alternatives in Africa that’s co-organized with the African Union throughout every year’s UNGA.
TAMOKA: And specifically trying on the African continent, in my portfolio I work on advancing the priorities for Africa and we use our convening areas by two key initiatives.
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One, you’ve participated in our flagship occasion, GABI, which is taking a look at bringing world leaders and African enterprise leaders in the direction of a optimistic narrative, as we mentioned earlier than we opened this session. It’s about bringing Africa to the subsequent frontier and bringing initiatives to scale. And that’s what we convened round this 12 months, bringing eight heads of states, together with from the continent and from outdoors the continent, to actually champion this trigger.
SIGNÉ: GABI’s success highlights the rising curiosity in Africa’s financial benefits and the super alternative for Africa to take heart stage on the planet economic system. Dr. Mwangi noticed potential for Africa to reorient the world economic system not simply as a supply of human and pure sources to different nations, however as a magnet for world capital in its personal proper.
[8:51]
MWANGI: Africa has at its disposal, by 2050, 42% of the world labor drive. It’s not labor that needs to be shifting. It’s business that needs to be shifting the place the labor is as a result of the labor additionally turns into the market. So you probably have the uncooked materials, you’ve the vitality, and you’ve got the patron, it’s the capital that should come to Africa. That basically must be articulated, and Africa wants to not miss that chance.
Lastly is Africa has been contributing to world commerce by manufacturing and supply to {the marketplace} of uncooked supplies. Time has come for Africa to rise in partnership with the remainder of the world so as to add worth to its agricultural produce, its mineral produce, in order that alternatives for jobs and worth creation could be on the African continent.
SIGNÉ: Rui Miguens, minister of business and commerce for the Republic of Angola, additionally highlighted Africa’s super potential.
[10:10]
MIGUENS: What’s necessary for us is to emphasize that Africa is a continent of alternatives. Africa is engaged and needs to deepen its engagement with the remainder of the world to be able to obtain our growth targets. That’s our priorities. We have to get the eye for the remainder of worldwide neighborhood to ensure that it to grasp that Africa has the potential, Africa has the prepared, and Africa has a transparent plan and technique for its personal growth. After all, we depend on our efforts and our strengths. But additionally we’d like to draw different stakeholders on the worldwide neighborhood.
This additionally on the political facet, the curiosity from the continent and my nation as properly to deliver consideration for the necessity for extra voice and illustration for African continent. We account for 1.2 billion folks proper now. So it’s an enormous a part of humanity, and our illustration will not be correctly by way of the illustration on the Safety Council, by way of illustration of the varied organizations within the U.N. household.
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SIGNÉ: Capitalizing on this potential requires vital industrialization in African nations, one other precedence space through which the United Nations is difficult at work, particularly by the United Nations Industrial Improvement Group — UNIDO.
[12:15]
DJEMBA: My identify is Victor Djemba. I’m the chief of UNIDO’s Bureau for Africa based mostly in Vienna, Austria. We have now the U.N. as an entire, however every company has a selected function. On this respect, for UNIDO, the U.N. function is making a consensus. One of many enduring achievement is also the consensus across the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs which were foundational notably in bringing industrial and sustainable growth on the coronary heart of the worldwide growth discourse.
I feel I couldn’t reply to your query with out bringing this, as a result of we see a fantastic distinction between the Millenium Improvement Targets to start with of … that ended … began at first of the century to 2015. After which one of many nice change, enchancment is the consideration, the hyperlink between growth and industrialization.
SIGNÉ: I requested Victor Djemba what was on UNIDO’s agenda throughout this historic Normal Meeting, and the way the group was positioning itself in a altering world.
DJEMBA: Notably, we have now the local weather resilient industrialization. That could be very key as a result of industrialization in reality is at on the coronary heart of a authorities, however has to consider points just like the local weather. So local weather resilient industrialization is vital. Which we’re coming into … we’re within the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I feel digital transformation can also be an necessary facet and to think about. We’re speaking loads concerning the the competitors will not be inside the nations, is inside the worth chains. So speaking concerning the sustainable worth chain, worth chain, the availability chain, we see one of many consequence of the COVID-19, the disruption of the availability chain. That created a whole lot of points.
So I feel on this space, I feel constructing on this legacy and bettering the agility, the action-oriented we see the willingness to offer concrete motion, transformative options in these areas I discussed are key for the U.N. system.
Let me additionally contact a bit from the Africa Bureau perspective. In in itself I’d say is to undertake … In Africa, one of many key points is structural transformation. We’re, we have now economies which might be kind of commodity based mostly, inherited from the colonization. So we have now to remodel these economic system are very key. So this we we must always enter into an period making the most of all this involvement inside this uncertainty to actually transfer from the useful resource wealth to worth addition, I feel is the important thing. Worth addition industries, that may be a technique to create wealth, to create jobs, and in addition to make sure that folks have well-being inside the space of the place they’re born or the place they’ve, they’re planning to have their future.
SIGNÉ: One consequence of those digital transformations is a rising place for Africa’s cultural industries. Kibonen Nfi, an entrepreneur within the rising business of African trend, described how this underappreciated sector of the economic system has room for development.
[16:14]
KIBONEN NFI: My identify is Kibonen Nfi. I’m a clothier, inventive director for Kibonen. You already know, in Africa we simply assume a whole lot of issues are, just like the creatives, it’s casual commerce. You already know, we all the time get, we aren’t actually labeled like we contribute to the GDP of a rustic. You already know, we’re all the time checked out, “oh, it’s casual.” And really we aren’t actually within the system.
So, the highest precedence for us is to place trend as a driver for financial development, youth empowerment, youth training, and in addition for driving sustainability, you recognize, just like the the environmental agenda for for for the U.N.
So being right here and having conversations with policymakers, business leaders is unquestionably key as a result of that is the place concepts are shared, initiatives are taken, exchanges are finished, and we’re in a position to take a look at issues holistically in how trend could be positioned not only for the aesthetics of it, however for what it contributes to the event of a folks, and of a nation, and of the continent as an entire.
SIGNÉ: I requested Kibonen how her enterprise and her business are responding to a number of the world challenges and key subjects being mentioned at this 12 months’s Normal Meeting.
[17:49]
KIBONEN: So what I’ll say is the worldwide challenges have pushed us to innovate not simply with design, however past design. You already know, at Kibonen, local weather change has reshaped our dedication to sustainability. For example, now we use extra of sustainable materials, that are biodegradable, you recognize, not simply materials, which might add to the air pollution of the surroundings, however our materials are all biodegradable.
We additionally use our manufacturing processes, like we work with a sustainable moral manufacturing agency within the Dominican Republic, which is 100% moral. They recycle water, particularly the water which they use for dyeing. They use 100% photo voltaic vitality. So these issues are the issues which right this moment once I’m searching for factories, I attempt to make it possible for they’re in that manner.
And likewise for what I do again residence the place I’m capable of put girls collectively, practice them, younger folks, practice them, and create jobs for them. We try to unravel the issue of unemployment and in addition of training.
So for me, it’s important that we tackle challenges as options suppliers, not simply as individuals who complain concerning the issues and complain concerning the challenges, however we’re capable of present options.
And the one factor I all the time say is not any resolution is a small resolution. Each resolution comes collectively to unravel the larger downside. And at Kibonen, we’re actually, actually dedicated to that.
SIGNÉ: I really like this. No resolution is a small resolution. Marvelous.
[19:15]
KIBONEN: Wanting forward we see alternatives for stronger public-private partnerships the place creating industries like trend are built-in into the U.N. frameworks. You already know, for job creation, local weather motion, and cultural diplomacy.
So what we’re suggesting, what we suggest is investing in inventive industries as as engines of youth employment and financial transformation. As a result of by the inventive industries, a great deal of jobs could be created. Once I take a look at simply trend, the manufacturing unit for trend could be very human useful resource intensive.
SIGNÉ: For leaders from each sector, the United Nations is a revered and very important actor for coordinating the efforts of personal and authorities stakeholders. The group’s neutrality and legitimacy are necessary issues when deciding to have interaction with the U.N. and its insurance policies.
KIBONEN: The collaboration between the U.N. and, you recognize, what we do is absolutely, it’s key. It’s key as a result of the U.N. is a platform that brings collectively a whole lot of personal, public policymakers. All people comes there. And all people seems onto the U.N. for some strategic path. When the U.N. outlines their Sustainable Improvement Targets, as an illustration, it impacts each firm. Each firm is taking a look at how can we be a part of this? As a result of we take a look at them just like the authority in these areas.
SIGNÉ: Rui Miguens, Angola’s minister of business, recommended the U.N. as a impartial arbiter that makes communication between stakeholders extra equal.
[21:09]
RUI MIGUENS: Effectively, you recognize, this can be a crucial place. I imply, we are literally inside our borders as nations, particular person nations, however right here we have now the chance to be equals amongst equals or imagined to be being amongst equals. So the communication is extra fluid, is extra responsiveness, and in addition it’s a communication that’s set within the parameters the place everybody wants to grasp, wants to listen to the counterparties.
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So this, from my facet, it’s an important place the place truly all of the worldwide gamers, all of the worldwide neighborhood can overtly talk about their issues and the way can we clear up collectively as humanity all these challenges that we’re going through.
SIGNÉ: This concludes half two of our particular sequence on UNGA 2025. Keep tuned subsequent week for the third and closing episode on one of many U.N.’s most basic mandates: guaranteeing world peace and safety.
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I’m Landry Signé, and this has been Foresight Africa. Thanks, listeners, for becoming a member of me right this moment.
The Foresight Africa podcast is delivered to you by the Brookings Podcast Community. Ship your suggestions and inquiries to podcasts at Brookings dot edu. My particular because of the manufacturing group together with Fred Dews, producer; Dafe Oputu and Nicole Ntungire, affiliate producers; Gastón Reboredo, audio engineer; and Izzy Taylor, senior communications coordinator in Brookings World.
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