Since 2008, the UN Secretary-General has convened the Private Sector Forum during the opening session of the General Assembly in order to bring the voice of the private sector to inter-governmental debates on key topics. This year, convened in the greater context of the Secretary-General’s Summit of the Future and the United Nations General Assembly Week, the Forum, which is the official luncheon of the summit, will bring together 300-plus Chief Executives, Heads of State and Government and leaders of UN Agencies to discuss ambitious actions and investments to drive progress and investment towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We encourage you to regularly visit the Private Sector Forum website for updates on programme, speakers, partners and attendees.
Participation in the Private Sector Forum is strictly by invitation only. Select Chief Executive Officers (or the equivalent of, based on company structure) from highly engaged UN Global Compact Participant companies will have exclusivity in attending the event. Participants will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis. However, adequate representation by participant sector, size and region will be ensured.
The deadline to register is 23:59 ET on 6 September 2024 or until all seats are confirmed at an earlier time. Participants will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis and are kindly asked to register at their earliest convenience. Please refer to the invitation letter for the registration link. We encourage early registration.
Cancellation Policy: The UN Global Compact will provide a full refund, less a $75 processing fee, for any cancellations made on or before 1 July. The UN Global Compact will refund 50 per cent of registration fees for cancellations between 1 July and 24 August. Refunds cannot be processed after 24 August. Please note, if you requested a visa support letter, full refunds are available until 24 August but are subject to a $75 processing fee. After this date refunds are no longer available. All cancellation requests must be submitted to events@unglobacompact.org.
The policy on the level of participants at the Private Sector Forum is quite exceptional due to the high-level nature of the event and the participation of a large number of Heads of State and Government. Unfortunately, due to limited capacity and the above considerations, we are unable to accommodate replacement nomination requests as registration priority will be given to Chief Executive Officers and the like from organizations that are highly engaged UN Global Compact Participants with a proven track-record of advancing the SDGs. Thank you for your understanding.
Due to the high-level nature of the event, as well as space and security constraints at the UN during General Assembly Week, only the CEO (or the highest-level representative per organization) will be granted access to the Private Sector Forum. No additional representatives will be granted access. However, your CEO can bring a plus one who will be seated for lunch in a separate space of the event. They will not be permitted to enter the Private Sector Forum luncheon. There is an additional fee for plus one guests.
Invitations are issued solely to Chief Executive Officers (or the equivalent highest-level representative based on company structure). However, we encourage you to explore the many other UN Global Compact events happening during UNGA. For more information about all the UN Global Compact events scheduled please visit: UNGA Schedule of Events 2024 (unglobalcompact.org) .
The Private Sector Forum convenes approximately 300+ Chief Executives, Heads of State and Government, and leaders of UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes.
The Private Sector Forum will be a three-hour luncheon, taking place from 12:00-15:00 in the Delegates Dining Room at UN Headquarters in New York. The Forum will be an interactive luncheon featuring a mixture of plenary and roundtable discussions, as well as high-level dialogue and networking opportunities. It will provide a platform for stakeholders to demonstrate solutions, as well as inspire new policy and partnerships for accelerated action on the SDGs. .
The Heads of State or Government of all UN Member States have been invited to attend the Private Sector Forum. A full list of the 2019 Private Sector Forum participants, including Governments, as well as the programme, may be found here.
Each table will seat approximately 10 participants and have representatives from the private sector, Government, civil society and the UN. Table allocation will take into consideration geographical diversity and gender balance, as well as aligned SDG commitments to foster collaboration. Participants will be notified of the table seating assignments closer to the event date.
At this early stage, we are unable to release a full list of registrants for this year’s Private Sector Forum. We encourage you to check the Forum website regularly as programme updates and featured attendees will be available shortly.
Given the large number of Government delegations present in New York during the week of the UN General Assembly, organizers are unable to guarantee hotel accommodations or make reservations for participants of the Private Sector Forum. Please click here for a list of hotels in the area.
Participants are responsible for the cost of travel and accommodations, and we kindly ask participants to make their own arrangements. As the Private Sector Forum relies on partnerships and contributions to cover the cost of convening the event, unfortunately, no additional funding is available.
For attendees who require a visa to attend the Private Sector Forum, the UN Global Compact will provide a letter of support after your registration and payment are processed. Please note that the responsibility for securing the appropriate visa lies with the attendee. Please indicate that you require a visa to travel to the United States during the registration process. Attendees who complete registration and pay in full will then receive a letter of support from the UN Global Compact via email, which can then be submitted along with other documentation when applying for a visa. Attendees should refer to their local consulate for detailed information. The UN Global Compact is not responsible for the successful or unsuccessful procurement of visas by international attendees.
The working language of the Private Sector Forum luncheon is English. If you require an interpreter they will be subject to the base fee of $400 USD. Please confirm the specific details of any interpretation needs as soon as possible by emailing events@unglobalcompact.org.
