Good afternoon everyone,

I’m sure the week has been intense, challenging, inspiring, rewarding and maybe even a little frustrating. The week has been focused on building the world’s leading platform for innovative, scalable SDG solutions – that is the Vision of UNLEASH.

And it is ONE BIG vision.  But, we have to think and act on such a scale if we are to have any chance of overcoming the challenges facing the people of the world, our planet and our prosperity.

Today’s world is full of challenges, but as we know with challenges come opportunities.

A record 141 million people across 37 countries in the world are in need humanitarian assistance today. These are people affected by conflicts, like the ones in Syria or Yemen. They are people suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition as we are witnessing in countries like South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia. They are people struggling to put their lives back together in the aftermath of natural disasters.

There are more than 65 million people that have fled from their homes and can expect to live as a refugee for an average today of 17 years. 

Numbers like these have never been seen before. Over the past decade, humanitarian need has grown at a disturbing rate. It is expected that this growth will continue, driven in part by conflicts as well as by factors such as climate change, inequality, population growth and displacement, unplanned urbanization and unequal and inadequate access to food, water, health and energy.

We need to find the opportunities in the challenges, take a longer view, and use more of the resources available to us. Our answer to these challenges cannot simply be more of the same.  We are at the beginning of a new era of development - and a window of opportunity exists to rethink traditional approaches to persistent global challenges.

That is precisely what makes Unleash so important and timely – the brainpower collected here taps six continents, countless languages and cultures, and a global, youthful insight and spirit of collaboration. It echoes the recognition of the growing need to create innovative and new partnerships, where each partner contributes with their specific competencies in order to create sustainable solutions to our common goals.

And we are fortunate that today, we have 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets that provide the blueprint for the world’s development through to 2030. 

One could say, this Agenda is the most ambitious global vision in history. But it is not only a vision, it is also a huge responsibility for all countries.

By adopting the SDGs the world has made a promise to make the strongest possible effort to end poverty, protect the environment, fight inequality, promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels – and that is to name just a few of the goals.

The challenge of measuring progress in our implementation efforts is extremely complex and important, as the success of the Agenda is dependent on our ability to make it happen – to turn the promise of the Agenda into a reality in lives of women, men, boys and girls from all corners of the globe.      

Sustainable Development for people, planet and prosperity provides new opportunities for growth, but to truly capitalize on those opportunities it will require partnerships across continents, regions and countries and between the public and private sectors. It will require new business models and news ways of thinking – it will require designing new solutions. 

For developing countries to become independent of development aid, it will require increased international trade and investment. It will require the private sector to drive job development and sustainable growth.

This was emphasized by former Secretary General Ban ki Moon. At the time of the adoption of the SDGs, he said:

“Governments must take the lead in living up to their pledges.  At the same time I am counting on the private sector to drive success.”

And the Global Goals will be a driving force for opening new markets and creating a better enabling environment for business. And as such, they present a wide spectrum of opportunities for visionary companies. Increased societal responsibility can also result in growth and increased profit for businesses.  And there is a growing acceptance that it is ‘OK, to do well, by doing good’.

The many companies, institutions and organizations attending UNLEASH, I believe, share in this sentiment and are keen to design in collaboration new innovative solutions to achieve sustainable growth and development for all.

However, sustainable growth cannot be achieved if half of the country’s population is denied equal access to quality education, health services and information, economic and political participation, as well as equal opportunities for employment, leadership and decision-making at all levels.

I strongly believe gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will create some of the greatest opportunities of our time. It is one of the most important driving forces behind economic growth and the fight against poverty.

Greater gender equality in a country is linked to a higher level of education and better health, higher per capita income, stronger international competitiveness and more inclusive and rapid economic growth.   

SDG 5 provides a framework and focuses on efforts to achieve gender equality. Women and girls as critical drivers of development have been strongly recognized throughout the Global Goals and as crucial to progress across all 17 goals. So even though it is not one of the specific goals in focus this past week you cannot develop a sustainable solution without it. Girls and women are key to building healthy, prosperous and sustainable societies and communities – when we invest in girls and women, society as a whole benefits.

A growing body of evidence points to the many ways that women contribute value to each link of the business value chain; as suppliers, leaders, employees, customers, entrepreneurs and community members.

So, when companies improve conditions for girls and women, it also makes good business sense – as I said before: “Doing well, by doing good.”

I have witnessed during my travels, that given the opportunity, women in developing countries show an astonishing talent for entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, many women are deprived of the opportunity to start their own business, or they are hindered along the way by, for example, rigid and counterproductive legislation.

In some countries, women are not allowed to start a business or to own land without their husband’s consent. Often, they do not have access to credit to the same degree as their male counterparts, and they are often subjected to unjustified harassment by the authorities.

I hope I have the opportunity to hear about some of the ideas and solutions that have been discussed and developed during this week that can help shape this agenda, and ensure gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls once and for all.  

Another factor that is fundamental to having any chance of achieving the global goals is the involvement and leadership of young people in the implementation, monitoring and accountability of them.

I’m sure you have heard it before, and you will no doubt hear it again: tomorrow’s leaders are the youth of today. And that is true for some of you and some of you may already be leaders but, in each and every one of us, and maybe it is just for a moment, there is a leader.

Youth has a central role to play. You have a duty to challenge the status quo and the strategies of today’s leaders. And there is no doubt that what you have to offer is needed.

Your youthful restless energy, innovative and creative thinking and problem-solving and your commitment and courage to creating a collaborative vision for the future and the strategy for getting there are invaluable.  And we need to ensure that current leaders and decision-makers, open the door to you and work on closing the generation gap.

Today, roughly one quarter of the world’s population is between 10-24 years old – that’s an unprecedented 1.8 billion young people.  That presents both an enormous potential and an enormous challenge.

Harnessing the potential of this large group will have a crucial impact on the sustainable development of our world.  If we don’t harness that potential, the result for the individual, the country and the world can be devastating. Disillusion, frustration and lack of hope for one’s future can lead to further social instability and migration.

All of you represent an enormous potential, a potential that can contribute to meeting the challenges of today and making the most of new opportunities to the benefit of us all.

UNLEASH is part of a global ecosystem of organizations and individuals systematically working to address and accelerate sustainable development. Through UNLEASH, all of you are challenging us to work together in radical new ways and to collaborate on our common goals across all sectors, societies, countries and regions – based on the recognition that only together can we achieve meaningful change, for good.

Earlier this afternoon, I had the opportunity to meet a few of the UNLEASH talents and hear about their thoughts and ideas for possible solutions. It has given me an incredible sense of optimism and excitement about our collective ability to ensure a better future.  And also an enormous respect for the way you have taken on the responsibility that comes with the talent you have been blessed with.

We need to pay closer attention to the stories of the many millions of people struggling every day just to survive.

I encourage you to maintain your motivation, uphold your current momentum and pursue your joint vision of meaningful and sustainable impact, for all – no matter who they are, where they live or what they have.

Thank you.