The CEO Summit and the SDG Secretariat, Office of the Prime Minister hosted the 13^th Edition of the Annual CEO Forum on Wednesday 7th December, 2022 at the Méstil Hotel & Residences Kampala under the theme, “Beyond Business Sustainability – Strategic Choices that Matter”. The Annual CEO Forum was first held in 2009, as then the optimal response to the financial meltdown of 2008 and still is, the platform for the captains of industry to debate and rethink the economy, to drive mutually beneficial partnerships to address each other’s woes and to become catalysts for action and for change.

The 13^th Edition of the CEO forum drew together over 200 leaders from all Uganda’s leading private sector firms, civil society and Uganda’s public sector leadership. The 13^th Edition sought to drive a phenomenal shift towards Purpose Beyond Profit to pave way for the Shared Value Journey within the context of business sustainability. The interest of the SDG secretariat in this Forum was to steer the renewal and/ or establish; the commitment and involvement of the Private Sector corporate leadership on driving the SDGs; the engagement and influencing of all key stakeholders towards this goal; communication between and among partners, feedback and reinforcement; and Leveraging a common backbone that leaves no one behind within the private, civil and public sector.

The Minister for General Duties and Focal Point Minister for SDGs Rt. Hon Justine Kasule Lumumba was the Chief Guest. She called upon all CEOs in the to align their organization polices to SDGs and to align their finances, investments and services to deliver for both profit and sustainable development. She reiterated the Government of Uganda’s continued political and technical commitment and accountability, as well as appreciation and support of the role of the various non-state actors, including the private sector.

The Minister for General Duties and Focal Point Minister for SDGs Rt. Hon Justine Kasule Lumumba together with the United Nations Resident Coordinator H.E Susan Namondo Ngongi, and CEOs of different Private Companies such as CEO Summit, Stanbic Bank, Equity Bank, PSFU, NSSF, Jubilee Allianz Uganda and NCBA Bank among others launched “The Sustainability Center.” The Sustainability Center will aim at “Unbundling ESG in Shared Value” (Purpose and Profit). The purpose of the Center will be “Transforming enterprises into sustainable purpose-first entities”

The private sector is one of the key stakeholders that shoulder a fundamental responsibility for accelerating the SDGs implementation process. The SDG Secretariat, through the National Coordination Framework, will enhance the reporting process, ensure that inclusion of the SDGs indicators is done as a benchmark for measuring the progress by the private sector, facilitate data collection and monitoring, and strengthen the cooperation and coordination among the public and private sectors. In addition, recommendations will be made on the updating and reformulating efficient private sector regulations in line with SDGs requirements.