Telenor at UN General Assembly 2018

The UN General Assembly is the primary meeting arena for global decision makers. As an international telecoms company with presence in Scandinavia and Asia, this arena is important for Telenor Group to engage and collaborate with businesses and authorities from markets in which we operate as well outside our footprint.

“Telenor Group shares an ambition to foster sustainable development through responsible business practices. Connectivity can be a tool to make the world smaller, closer and more peaceful, and we attend UNGA73 to support and advance the efforts for responsible digitalisation of the societies we serve,” says Sigve Brekke, President & CEO of Telenor Group.

Telenor’s key themes during UNGA73:

• Connectivity to reduce inequalities: We will share practical experiences from serving 172 million customers every day with connectivity services that helps empower people, business and societies. Financial inclusion in Asia is one example, digital birth registration in Pakistan and Myanmar another. None of us are big enough alone; businesses need to work with governments and organizations to maximize our impact.


• Public-private partnerships: We want to show support from global businesses in advancing the SDGs, meet with stakeholders from the societies we serve, and explore partnership and collaboration opportunities with the multitude of stakeholders that are present here during the week.


• Big data for social good: The opportunities brought on by using mobility data to predict spread of epidemics and direct action from governments/NGOs for prevention and emergency relief


• Advancing the UN SDGs: Telenor has committed to reducing inequalities, SDG#10. This is ingrained in our global business strategy, the way we provide access to services that foster inclusion and empowerment, and strive to influence and raise working and operating standards wherever we operate.

Arenas where Telenor Group is present

Telenor Group will attend several major events as well as host own meetings and events during UNGA73:

• UN Global Compact Leaders Summit, annual flagship event to strengthen the public-private dialogue organized by the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative.


• SDG Leaders Reception, hosted by the Prime Ministers of Norway and Ghana.


• World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit


• Digitalizing People’s Life: 2030 Agenda in Action – a joint event with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF and Telenor Group


• UN CEO Partnership for Financial Inclusion


• Bloomberg Global Business Forum, second annual venue where presidents, prime ministers and CEOs to share their visions for sustainable economic development.


• One Planet Summit, hosted by President of France, Emmanuel Macron; Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres; President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim; and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, Michael R. Bloomberg.


• Joint event with Plan International and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs


• United Nations Youth Strategy and Generation Unlimited – launch event


• Big Data for Better Lives: Mobiles, Statistics & Insights – event co-hosted by the GSMA, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Norway.


• Events & announcements at GSMA SDG Media Zone

For press interviews during UNGA73, contact:

Hanne Knudsen, Media Relations | Telenor Group
+47 90804015 | hanne.knudsen@telenor.com