Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

On 19 February 2019, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Turkey jointly hosted the 7^th meeting of the Group of Friends of SDG10 (Reducing inequalities). The Group of Friends of SDG10 was launched in May 2016 under the leadership and initiative of the Republic of Korea.

The 7^th meeting of the Group was held under the theme “The Role of the Private Sector to Reduce Inequality within and among Countries.” Representatives from the private sector, academia, the UN Global Compact, as well as around 60 Ambassadors and delegates from various UN Permanent Missions based in New York were present to discuss the topic. 

Experts from private companies, namely, Citi Group, Samsung Electronics America, and Nielson, introduced each company’s programs for reducing inequality such as providing training opportunities to local youth and strengthening investment in women in developing countries. Participants also emphasized the importance of scaled-up partnerships between governments and private sector (PPP). 

At this meeting, Ambassador Cho drew attention to the fact that SDG10 will be reviewed at the HLPF this year, underscoring the need for renewed efforts to raise the profile of SDG10 and to increase the participation of all stakeholders in its implementation. Following the proposal by the Republic of Korea, the Group of Friends of SDG10 decided to submit an input, a summary report of the Group’s seven past meetings, which is expected to make substantive contributions to the HLPF to be held this July.