Engagement of the Private Sector and Enterprise in Development
Summary
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development places particular emphasis on the necessity for a revitalized global partnership for development, bringing together a variety of actors working together towards achieving positive development outcomes. The United Nations Secretary-General, in his 2017 report on the state of South-South cooperation, acknowledged the expansion of actors engaging in South-South cooperation as part of their core activities to include non-State actors such as civil society, volunteer groups, academic and research institutions, and the private sector. This multi-stakeholder approach to development highlights the indispensable role of partnerships between governments, the private sector, and others towards the achievement of sustainable development. The rise of the Southern business champions, who are collectively estimated to generate 8 trillion dollars by 2020 [1], will further contribute to greater South-South integration, stimulate South-South exchanges and seal the role of the leading Southern businesses as indispensable partners in the global SDG agenda.
Objectives and Thematic Focus
The Forum will identify areas where South-South cooperation can catalyze partnerships with the private sector for development. This forum will seek to identify, areas where business interests align with South-South development cooperation objectives, priorities for private sector engagement, different approaches to private sector engagement, and the sharing of communication and management tools to further promote partnerships between the public sector and private sectors.
The Forum will bring together development practitioners, private sector professionals and other participants toward discussions and presentations of innovative practices that will engage the private sector in promoting South-South cooperation for sustainable development.
The Forum will specifically address effective and successful partnership arrangements with the private sector, platforms and systems for knowledge sharing, as well as innovative financing opportunities.
Guiding Questions
The following questions are offered to stimulate thinking in relation to the Forum’s key objectives and to help your preparations.
- What are the policies that both a host government and a country of original government can give to companies from the south to facilitate internationalization?
- What are the different approaches to private sector engagement and what institutional arrangements are needed to ensure success?
- What are the priority sectors? Within the identified high priority sectors, what are the key areas of focus or objectives around which it may be particularly strategic to engage the private sector?
- What innovative financing opportunities exist in the South?
- What are the challenges to these types of partnerships and how can developing countries mitigate the risks associated with engagement with the private sector and other non-state actors?
Concrete Outcome
Individual presentations (max. 5 min) or statements followed by a moderated discussion that facilitates interactive dialogue.
Moderator

Mr. Marcos Athias Neto
Director, UNDP IICPSD
Marcos Athias is the director of the IICPSD, UNDP’s global policy center tasked with leading the organization’s strategic work with the private sector and foundations globally.
Previously, Marcos was the Global Technical Advisor for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction at ChildFund International. From 2006 to 2008, Marcos worked as CARE International Program Director in Central America, overseeing a portfolio of $25 million and 250 staff. His last post at CARE was as Director for Climate Change and Special Initiatives. Marcos is a lawyer by training, with a LLM in Law and Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.
Panelists

Mr. Mustafa Osman Turan
Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mustafa Osman Turan joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992 following his studies in international relations at the Middle East Technical University. He worked as a career diplomat in Italy, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Austria, Afghanistan and Belgium. He was a member of the Turkey’s G20 Sherpa Office and took part in the organization of the G20 Leaders Summit in Antalya in 2015. Now he serves as Deputy Director General for Multilateral Economic Affairs at the Ministry. He has a Masters degree in European politics from College of Europe.

Ms. Linda Yang
Executive Chairperson of Yingke Global Board of Directors, Global Partner
Linda Yang is responsible for overseas expansion, international cooperation and international legal affairs of Yingke law firm. Linda has been involved cross-border transactions reputable Chinese and international companies and organizations on their legal issues, like Rockefeller, Adama, Mallanox, HSBC, CRRC, Zoomlion, CMEC. Yang was awarded the “Chinese Top International Business Lawyer” in 2011. She also serves as the Executive Director of the China International Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Anuj Mehra
Managing Director of Mahindra Rural Housing Finance Limited
Mr. Anuj Mehra graduated from Delhi University (Economics) and did his post-graduation from IIM (Ahmedabad). Since graduating in 1982, he has had a rich and varied experience of around 25 years in the functional areas of Sales, Marketing, Finance and general Management across different industries (FMCG, Financial Services, Banking, Pharmaceutical and Real Estate). He is currently the Managing Director of Mahindra Rural Housing Finance Limited (A Mahindra Group Company providing rural customers Home Loans) before which, he was working with Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited.

Mr. Nihat Bayız
Innovation Manager, Arçelik Group
Mr. Nihat Bayız studied mechanical engineering at Middle East Technical University in Ankara and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
He has 22 years of experience within Arçelik, holding various positions related to R&D as well as product and factory management. Part of his more recent experience within the group was as Global Product Management Director from 2012 to 2016.
In 2016, following his work with Arçelik, Bayız assumed the position of General Manager for Arctic S.A., the largest Romanian household appliances producer.
He has now assumed the role of Innovation Manager back at Arçelik.

Mr. Xavier Michon
UNCDF Deputy Executive Secretary
Xavier is the UNCDF Deputy Executive Secretary. With over two decades of experience in the United Nations, he brings in-depth knowledge of UN programme and operations both at headquarters and in the field.
Before his present appointment, he served as UNDP Country Director in Burundi (2012-2014) and Guatemala (2007-2011), Deputy UNDP Resident Representative in Peru (2004-2006), Programme Advisor in the UNDP Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (2000-2003), Regional Programme Officer in the UNDP Regional Bureau for Eastern Europe and the CIS (1997-1999), and Project Management Officer for the Africa Section of UNOPS (1994-1995). He also previously served in the investment-banking sector in Spain and the French Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic.
He holds a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a Maîtrise in Business Management from the Institut Supérieur de Gestion (ISG). He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Focal Point Contact Details
Overall Coordinator: Marcos Athias Neto
Communications Focal Point: Olcay Tetik IICPSD
Title: Research Assistant
Email: olcay.tetik@undp.org
Phone: +908502882533
[1] 2016 Southern Multinational Corporations Summit in Marrakesh, http://www.amadeusonline.org/ftp2012/sommet_fr.pdf