Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), met with Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations (UN), at the UN headquarters in New York.

It was the first meeting between Sunil Mittal and Antonio Guterres since the decision to grant ICC Observer Status at the UN General Assembly last December.

During the meeting, Sunil Mittal emphasized ICC’s commitment to use its newly granted status in the UN system to deploy the resources and expertise of world business in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The implementation of SDGs will depend on widespread business action.

UN Secretary General has welcomed ICC’s commitment to the SDGs and noted that partnerships with the private sector would be vital to address major global challenges from as climate change to mass-migration.

Sunil Mittal highlighted the importance of rules-based policy making to enable trade, innovation and job-creation in the context of the SDGs. Sunil Mittal and Antonio Guterres discussed the challenges posed by growing populism and anti-globalisation sentiment.

“Given the complexity of global challenges, it’s vital that business has a clear voice in UN decision making. We look forward to using the unique platform that Observer Status provides to shape important debates on issues such as trade, financing, technology and corporate responsibility,” Sunil Mittal said.

In June 2016, Sunil Mittal, who is also the promoter of Bharti Airtel, a leading telecom operator in Africa and India, became the chairman of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Sunil Mittal is the third Indian business leader to hold this position in ICC’s near 100-year history.