Hygiene and health company Essity continues its commitment to breaking barriers to well-being by convening the United Nations Foundation’s annual Global Dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These were adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The dialogue, held at the UN headquarters in New York, gathers representatives from the UN system, public and private sector, and civil society to discuss actions to make progress on the SDGs.

This year’s Global Dialogue agenda will focus on three areas: Defending Planetary Health and Biodiversity, Health Access for All, and Ensuring the Empowerment of Women and Girls, a session featuring Essity. Essity partners with UNICEF Mexico on a new program aimed at empowering school age girls in Mexico through education on menstrual hygiene management and hand hygiene. The joint program also works with schools on improving the hygiene of school restrooms.

“The UN Foundation Global Dialogue is important to create a common understanding of the global agenda and advance on the sustainable development goals.” says Magnus Groth, president and CEO of Essity. “One outcome from the Dialogue relates to SDG 17, ‘Partnerships’. Essity’s work is an example of how businesses and NGOs can partner to drive change to improve well-being. We all need to act and contribute to change now.”

“We applaud Essity for their commitment to raising health standards in partnership with the UN,” says Kathy Calvin, president and CEO of the UN Foundation. “We have just over a decade left to achieve the most ambitious undertaking of our time – the Sustainable Development Goals depend on everyone coming to the table in partnership.”