MORE than 1,000 global leaders, from government, business, international organizations, civil society and academia will gather from 22 to 26 September in New York for the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025 (SDIM25).

Borge Brende, president and CEO at the World Economic Forum (WEF), said in a press statement yesterday that the meetings taking place on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly and the Global Goals Week, will serve to accelerate renewed progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

He described the meeting as taking place at a pivotal moment for the global economy, one marked by profound transformations – from slow growth to complex trade dynamics to unprecedented speed on technological advancements.

The forum will convene its long-standing communities of purpose to help make progress on shared priorities, as the multilateral system is in flux, with the future of multilateralism uncertain and the latest data suggesting that only 17 percent of the SDGs are on track to be achieved by 2030, the statement asserted.

Nearly half of the SDGs are showing minimal or moderate progress and over one third have stalled or even regressed, he said, affirming that the world faces increasing crises from geopolitics to economic growth within planetary boundaries.

 SDIM25 is thus intended to facilitate action by convening leaders from across sectors and regions to drive inclusive and sustainable growth at speed and scale, it said, noting that in the context of geoeconomic uncertainty, the meetings will also serve as a critical platform for leaders to engage in dialogues on improving outcomes for people, planet and economies,.

 “With geopolitical tensions intensifying and sustainability at a crossroads, this moment is about turning shared challenges into shared solutions by strengthening public-private cooperation and shaping an inclusive global economy,” it declared.

“In a year where the need for cooperation is matched only by the difficulty of achieving it, SDIM25 provides a unique space for cross-pollination in addressing the most pressing developmental challenges of our time,” it further noted.

Upwards of 70 top government officials, including 22 heads of multilateral organizations and over 500 decision-makers from multinational corporations will participate in person and engage in carefully curated discussions on new ways to accelerate sustainable development, it similarly affirmed.

Top political leaders partaking in the meetings include Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser with the Interim Government of Bangladesh; Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, European Commission preparedness and crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib, Indian Education minister  Jayant Chaudhary, and Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Mexican minister for Environment and Natural Resources.

Others are Faisal Alibrahim, Saudi minister for Economy and Planning, Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty, Jasem Al Budaiwi - Gulf Cooperation Council secretary general, Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg Foreign minister and Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigerian Foreign minister.

Leaders from the international organization community include Kristalina Georgieva, the International Monetary Fund managing director, Cindy McCain, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) executive director, Catherine Russell, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) executive director, Inger Andersen, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, Tom Fletcher, the humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator with the United Nations and Anna Bjerde, World Bank Group managing director for operations.