Jakarta, Indonesia, May 25 – The “Inaugural Global Business Summit on Belt and Road Infrastructure Investment for Better Business Better World and Sustainable Development Goals” (the Summit) officially opened on May 25 in Jakarta.
The Summit is co-hosted by the Government of Indonesia, the United Nations Global Compact “Sustainable Infrastructure for the Belt and Road Initiative to Accelerate the SDGs” Action Platform (UN Global Compact BRI for SDG Action Platform), THK Forum, United in Diversity Foundation (UID), the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), UN Global Compact Network Indonesia (IGCN), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
In keynote addresses, UN Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua emphasized the imperative for “low-carbon, resilient, and universally accessible infrastructure” while the UN Assistant Secretary General, and Executive Director of UN Global Compact Sanda Ojiambo outlined four strategic priorities for businesses: adopting science-based decarbonization targets, prioritizing circular economy principles, engaging local communities, and leveraging blended finance. Xiamen Airlines Chairman Zhao Dong highlighted the pivotal role of aviation connectivity in advancing the “Air Silk Road”.
The summit yielded substantive outcomes, including the launch of the report Transition Finance for Sustainable Development of Traditional Industries and nine cross-sector initiatives spanning green energy transition, SME empowerment, and global health cooperation.
A landmark Joint Statement by the UNGC BRI for SDG Action Platform High-Level Steering Committee reaffirmed BRI’s role as a global public good for infrastructure investments and business participation, committing to sustainable development through responsible business and multi-stakeholder partnerships across sectors including healthcare, energy, telecommunications, construction, manufacture, transportation, food, agriculture and digital infrastructure.
Four expert roundtables addressed critical themes: sustainable supply chains in green minerals, healthcare innovation, ESG compliance, and green industrial park development.
Marking the 75th anniversary of China-Indonesia diplomatic ties, UN resident coordinator’s office in Indonesia and China joined hands with UN Global Compact company participants to co-launch Sino-Indonesia Corporate Communities Action Network for sustainable development to enhance sustainable communities and SDGs.
Business leaders endorsed establishing an annual business summit mechanism to ensure BRI projects align with SDGs and promote international standard and private sector best practices.
The summit concluded with a unified call to action, underscoring shared responsibility in building an inclusive, climate-resilient future through strengthened BRI collaboration. This inaugural event has established a new paradigm for public-private partnerships in sustainable infrastructure development, setting the stage for long-term, principled cooperation.
