The Asia-Pacific Solutions Forum (APSF) 2023, a collaborative effort between the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) Asia headquarters, Sunway Group, and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, has been inaugurated. The event, graced by Sunway Group Founder and Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sir Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO, Deputy Minister of Finance II Steven Sim, and UN-SDSN President Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, highlighted six finalists from the Asia-Pacific region presenting solutions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-related challenges in their respective countries.
These initiatives, addressing issues from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, demonstrated the potential for replication across the region. While submissions were received from various countries, the forum’s focus was on fostering international collaborations that transcend political boundaries for the betterment of humanity.
At the ceremony, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Sir Jeffrey Cheah emphasized the importance of collaboration for building a progressive, inclusive, and sustainable future. The APSF served as a platform for solution providers to share challenges and insights, facilitating discussions among stakeholders from academia, civil society, and government.
The selected solutions showcased at the event included advancing client-centered care for TB, developing net zero emissions roadmap for sustainable postal and logistics services, introducing portable mini-hydro power plants, implementing community-led central kitchen models, utilizing waste conversion processes, and promoting mangrove reforestation.
The APSF underscored the challenges and opportunities for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in light of the UN’s findings indicating that the region is off track in achieving its 17 SDGs by 2030 due to setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of its commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Sunway Group has pledged US$20 million to the United Nations through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. This funding has supported the development of the Jeffrey Sachs Center for Sustainable Development at Sunway University and the establishment of the Asia headquarters of UN-SDSN in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.
