The 2026 UN Global Business Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has concluded, with participants calling for a greater role for the private sector in achieving the goals.

Business leaders, government representatives, and international organisations discussed the contribution of the private sector to accelerating progress toward the SDGs.

Participants focused on Goal 9, dedicated to industry, innovation and infrastructure, as well as the implementation of action 55(c) of the Pact for the Future.

The document was adopted by UN Member States at the Summit of the Future in 2024 and outlined directions for modernising global governance and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Action 55(c), in particular, provides for strengthening cooperation with the private sector and increasing business accountability.

The business forum programme included two thematic discussions. The first focused on key trends shaping modern industrial policy, including digitalisation, the development of artificial intelligence, the green transition and the transformation of global supply chains, TV BRICS reports.

During the second session, participants examined practical aspects of implementing action 55(c) at the national level, presenting examples of cooperation between government bodies and businesses, including in the preparation of voluntary national reviews (VNRs).

Opening the forum, Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and executive director of the UN Global Compact, noted that timely investments in sustainable development can drive global economic growth and energy transformation.

In turn, chair of the board of the UN Global Compact Network in Central Asia, Umut Shayakhmetova, highlighted the importance of regional cooperation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

“We welcome the establishment of the UN Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals in Almaty, an initiative first proposed by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Fatou Haidara, deputy director-general and managing director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (UNIDO), said that private business has already become a major driving force behind modern industrial transformations.

“Another example is our Centres of Excellence in China, Belarus and other countries. These platforms serve as a link between global technology providers and local SMEs, helping to develop skills and accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence,” Ms Haidara noted.

President and CEO of the African Finance Corporation (AFC), Samaila Zubairu, said that the continent has reached a point where it needs to move from discussing financing needs to creating competitive economies.

The speeches by forum participants were complemented by assessments from technology sector representatives, who highlighted the importance of digital solutions in advancing the sustainable development agenda.

Valery Sherman, technical director of MEFERI, said the agenda of the SDG Global Business Forum reflects an important trend being increasingly assessed not through declarations but through real changes in the economy.

The outcomes of the forum are expected to inform the preparation of subsequent intergovernmental events in 2026, including the Private Sector Forum and the United Nations Water Conference.

The SDG Global Business Forum was held as a special event within the framework of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

(TV BRICS/NAN)