The UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) held July 7-15, 2026, reviewed action in key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for business on: Water, Energy, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities, and Partnerships. The Forum included a three-day Ministerial Segment and adopted the 2026 Ministerial Declaration.

The most influential discussions took place during special events and side events on the UN Pact for the Future, the 2030 Agenda, and UN80 reform.

Many member states and UN representatives spoke about the necessary role of the private sector in investment, innovation, and implementation. Some member states delegations included private sector representatives, and there was noticeably greater recognition of business as a driver of innovation, infrastructure development, technology deployment, and economic growth. Investment-friendly policies and stronger public-private partnerships were consistently highlighted as critical to accelerating progress.

USCIB staff on the ground included: Whitney Baird, President and CEO, Norine Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Global Strategy and United Nations Affairs, and Executive Director at The USCIB Foundation, Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Senior Vice President, Global Impact Initiative, Agnes Vinblad, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainable Development, and Emine Shinjatari, Program Associate, UN Affairs and The USCIB Foundation.

USCIB Involvement

US Trade Over Aid Forum

USCIB board members and representatives took part in the US-convened Trade Over Aid (TOA) Forum, which featured US UN Ambassador Mike Waltz and UNDP Secretary General Alexander De Croo. The TOA initiative is a S-led partnership with 40 member states and business to improve enabling frameworks for investment to advance economic development.

Official Business and Industry Side Event

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) hosted the Business and Industry Major Group (BIMG) side event on July 13, Setting a Course for the SDG Summit with Business: Triple Track Impact. USCIB serves as a co-chair of BIMG, one of 23 recognized constituencies at the UN in New York.

Baird introduced the keynote speaker, Ambassador Penda Naanda, Permanent Representative of Namibia to the UN, and Co-Chair of the UN Pact for the Future. Speakers from ICC, the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the UN Office for Peace Building, and the Egyptian Employers Federation assessed progress, identified remaining gaps, and explored mutually reinforcing business engagement to advance sustainability implementation through the Pact for the Future and the UN80 reform processes.

USCIB member Matthias Berninger, SVP, Public Affairs, Science and Sustainability at Bayer emphasized the necessity of private sector innovation for food security, and underscored Bayer's tracking of its progress towards the SDGs.

UN HLPF - ECOSOC High-Level Segment:

Kennedy was the only business speaker during a joint HLPF and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) high-level segment. She welcomed member states' calls for greater business engagement in policy design, implementation, and resource mobilization.

UN Secretary-General's Special Event: We the Peoples - Shaping the Future of the UN

Shinjatari participated in We the Peoples - Shaping the Future of the UN flagship event with civil society, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The event linked the UN80 Initiative, the Pact for the Future, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Guterres's remarks called for stronger engagement with stakeholders, including the private sector.

Consultation on the UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2027:

Kennedy represented business in consultation with the UN Independent Group of Scientists preparing the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), a key input to the UN 2027 SDG Summit. Kennedy emphasized the importance of stronger business engagement, including:

• Leveraging private-sector innovation to strengthen scientific understanding
• Involving business scientists and experts in the GSDR knowledge community

Incoming President of ECOSOC:

USCIB, in its role as co-chair of BIMG, met with the incoming ECOSOC President, Ambassador Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the UN. Ambassador Bendjama expressed his intention to build on the efforts of the previous two ECOSOC presidents to pursue ECOSOC reform. He emphasized the value of meaningful stakeholder engagement, including with the private sector, as a key component of ECOSOC's work.

Shinjatari reiterated USCIB's commitment to support ECOSOC's priorities and to strengthen collaboration in advancing sustainable development.

European Parliament Member Delegation Meeting

Kaufman, Vinblad, and Shinjatari met with a delegation of 10 members of the European Parliament on July 15. They discussed the EU Global Gateway strategy, that leverages public resources to mobilize private-sector investment in partner countries.

USCIB also met with the Czech Republic Permanent Mission to the UN and their private sector delegation members, and with members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) during the second week of HLPF.

Next Steps

• USCIB will prepare for the High-Level Opening of the UN General Assembly and closely follow ongoing UN80 reform deliberations, and the outcome of the UN SG selection process.
• USCIB will advocate a collaborative, prioritized and integrated, and action-oriented approach to global sustainability challenges.