The SDG Philanthropy Platform will today host the workshop session ‘Convergence: Philanthropy as a Partner in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ at the Ford Foundation in New York. This is being held as a side event to the annual United Nations General Assembly, as heads of state descend on New York to consider global challenges and coordinate action for the year to come.

Leaders in government, philanthropy, the UN system, civil society, and business will attend the session, including H.E. Princess Lamia Al Saud, Secretary-General, Alwaleed Philanthropies, Vikki Spruill, President and CEO, Council on Foundations, and Peter Laugharn, President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

There will be numerous thematic roundtable discussions throughout the event, covering a range of issues. These include the empowerment of women and girls, and achieving equity and quality in education. More effective approaches to the SDGs will also be explored; one roundtable looks at the critical role of data in achieving the SDGs, and another at how social finance, impact investing and social enterprise can be utilised.

There will be a panel discussion on the lessons learnt from engaging philanthropy at the country level, with examples from Kenya, Colombia, and Indonesia. Concluding remarks will then be made by Heather Grady, Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

For more discussion on the SDG debate, listen to our Alliance Audio podcast.

For more information on the event, see here.
For more information on the SDG Philanthropy Platform, read our interview with Peter Laugharn, CEO of the Conrad Hilton Foundation.