The UN Global Compact officially launched the Sustainable Infrastructure for the Belt and Road Initiative to Accelerate the SDGs Action Platform during the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in June 2020.

The Action Platform aims to help companies involved in Belt and Road infrastructure development integrate the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into their strategies and operations, accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. The platform is committed to: 1) strengthening capacity building for companies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and supporting responsible, sustainable operations in Belt and Road countries and regions based on the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact; 2) improving stakeholder consultation and policy dialogue mechanisms, strengthening communication between companies and stakeholders in host countries, addressing sustainable development concerns, and enhancing the transparency, inclusiveness, and sustainability of Belt and Road infrastructure projects for the benefit of society as a whole; and 3) integrating global expert resources to help companies develop model sustainable infrastructure projects, focusing on how businesses can help make the Belt and Road Initiative an accelerator of the UN Sustainable Development Goals from commercial and market perspectives.

The Action Platform is guided and advised by a High-Level Steering Committee composed of more than twenty senior representatives from different countries and sectors. To carry out targeted work, the platform has established expert working groups in different fields to support sector-specific discussions and cooperation. The global expert working groups will bring together senior experts from international organizations, business, academia, non-profit organizations, think tanks, and other stakeholder groups.

The global expert working groups support decision-making and content development across the Action Platform's workstreams. Work is currently underway in areas including healthcare, compliance, and traditional Chinese medicine, with more expert groups under development.

Companies are the main participants and sponsors of the Action Platform. The platform operates on an invitation-only membership basis. Participating companies have opportunities to join strategic seminars, policy dialogues, project research, field visits, best-practice and industry insight exchanges, and SDG capacity-building activities.

To date, five international organizations have collaborated with the UN Global Compact to establish institutional partnerships with the Action Platform: the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the African Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Action Platform is committed to becoming a fair and open international mechanism under the Belt and Road framework, encouraging the private sector to fully accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, the Belt and Road Action Platform will launch work in digital infrastructure, focusing on the use of digital tools to advance sustainable development and on how corporate digital innovation and solutions can support high-quality Belt and Road development across the business value chain.