The year that has just begun brings with it new challenges, in the wake of the complexities that have characterized 2025: major twin crises such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity and natural resources, together with the growing inequalities caused by polarizations at a geopolitical level, are redefining the global panorama.
In this ever-changing environment, companies will have to learn to navigate the complexities, while strengthening their competitiveness and long-term performance. Faced with these challenges, the United Nations Global Compact continues to remain faithful to its mission: to guide and accompany the private sector towards the 2030 Agenda Goals, providing practical and concrete tools to address uncertainties, manage risks and integrate sustainability at the center of its business strategies.
UN events on sustainability issues, globally
2026 will be particularly rich in events - at an international, European regional and national level - which will touch on various aspects related to sustainability issues, and which will support the UN Global Compact strategy and the programs offered to member companies around the world.
It starts with the World Economic Forum in Davosv (19-23 January), where world leaders from governments, academia, businesses and civil society will gather to define global economic priorities and discuss 5 key themes: multi-stakeholder cooperation, new sources of growth, better investments in human capital, responsible innovation and nature-positive business models.
Between February and March, New York will host the Commission for Social Development (2-11 February) and the 70th edition of the Commission on the Status of Women - CSW70 (9-20 March), while in April and June there will be three meetings in the presence of the European Peer Learning Groups, i.e. the working tables promoted by the UN Global Compact on specific topics, and facilitated by experts from the various sectors. The meeting of the EU Climate Action Platform (14-15 April) - the training platform on climate action issues - and that of the EU Social Sustainability Platform (23-25 June), the training platform on the issues of the social dimension of sustainability, will be held in Copenhagen.
Also in June (11 June), but in Brussels, the event will be held in the presence of the EU CSO Platform, the platform designed to create a space for learning and exchange between the CSOs of UNGC member companies at a European level, with the aim of encouraging discussion on current sustainability challenges and sharing innovative solutions and examples of leadership (*all platforms are coordinated by UNGC and aimed at the most advanced European companies on the issues; the paths are accessible to the companies of the Italian Network by invitation).
As usual, the High-Level Political Forum - HLPF in New York will take place in July (6-10 July), which brings together key institutional players, representatives of the UN world and business leaders committed to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda, in a debate on the transformative and coordinated actions to be undertaken to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This year, particular attention will be paid to an in-depth review of SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17 and the discussion of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) which will be presented by 36 countries, including Italy. The Italian Network will participate in the High-Level Political Forum with a side event, focused on how to promote the sustainable energy transition for an efficient use of resources and on the importance of the alliance between Governments and businesses.
August will be the month of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), which will be held in Mongolia (17-18 August) while in September in New York (19-26 September) the United Nations General Assembly - UNGA81 will take place, which will be attended - as usual - by representatives of the Italian Network.
In October (19-30 October), Armenia will host the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17), while in November we will enter the heart of the next United Nations Climate Conference – COP31, which will take place in Antalya, Turkey (9-20 November), with a unique agreement with Australia leading the negotiations and we will observe the discussions of the 15th Business & Human Rights Forum in Geneva (23-25 November).
Closing the year will be the United Nations Water Conference convened in the United Arab Emirates (2-4 December) to urge the achievement of SDG 6, to help guarantee a future of water security and access to clean water and basic sanitation for all.
