Rangita de Silva de Alwis, S.J.D., WCW senior scholar and associate dean of International Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, was appointed an Advisor to the United Nations (U.N.) Strategic Development Goals (SDG) Fund. In November 2017, she highlighted the potential impact of a new report for the SDG Fund, Business and SDG 16: Contributing to Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, via Inter Press Service news agency.
In her article, de Silva de Alwis stated that this new report, “is a charge for the private sector to be involved on a higher moral ground, for the advancement of the human civilization and calls upon the private sector to privilege the sustainability over transient profitability.”
The focus of SDG 16 is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
The road map outlined in the document guides companies on how to proactively best serve all stakeholders—economically, socially, and environmentally. In detail, de Silva de Alwis organized the report findings in five areas:
- Combating Violent Extremism
- Gender Equality in the Private Sector
- Building a New Vernacular
- The Costs of Corruption
- Building Bridges and Partnerships
The article, with a link to the full report, which is written and produced in collaboration with Penn Law with support of McDermott, Will & Emery, is available online: www.ipsnews.net/2017/11/sdg-fund-report-reaches-higher-moral-ground/.
