Hayleys represents Sri Lanka in UN’s food crisis forum
A Sri Lankan company has been accorded the honour of being chosen as
one of four private sector representatives worldwide to address
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the opening plenary session of the
first United Nations Private Sector Forum on Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) and Food Sustainability.
Representing Hayleys PLC, the Group’s Chairman N. G. Wickremeratne
spoke on ‘Water access and management,’ the theme assigned to the first
of seven roundtable discussions initiated by the UN Global Compact
Office.
Four Heads of State, Chairmen and CEOs from 33 international
companies, the heads of 17 global business associations, 16 civil
society organisations and foundations, and 17 UN agencies and senior
bureaucrats from four governments attended the September 24 event in New
York.
Among the many eminent personalities who participated in this
milestone effort to tackle the impending global food crisis were former
US President Bill Clinton, Sir Bob Geldof, World Bank President Robert
Zoellick, Howard G. Buffett, WFP Ambassador and son of Warren Buffett;
Neville Isdell, Chairman of the Coca Cola Company; Lord Michael Hastings
of KPMG, Craig Barrett, Chairman of Intel Corporation; Carl-Henric
Svanberg, CEO of Ericsson; and Guy Sebban, President of the
International Chamber of Commerce.
The presentation by Hayleys followed the opening address by UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and focused on the outcome expected from
that afternoon’s roundtable discussion on Water Access and Management
with respect to food sustainability, pledges from businesses to greater
water resources stewardship, and commitments to a concise UN framework
to more effectively mobilise private sector engagement in contributing
to Millennium Development Goals. |