NEW YORK,18th September, 2026 (WAM) – Close to 1,000 leaders from government, business, international organizations, civil society and academia will gather in New York for the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2026 (SDIM26), from 21 to 24 September.
Taking place alongside the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, the meetings will focus on how to foster resilient growth, build new partnerships that mobilize capital for the greatest impact, and responsibly deploy artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies to create economic and societal value.
With global growth under pressure from geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological advances opening new opportunities, SDIM26 will convene high-level leaders in action-oriented working sessions bringing together the Forum’s long-standing communities. Discussions will focus on identifying where progress is possible and turning dialogue into collective action, with a particular focus on long-term impact and building momentum towards the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2027.
“Economic growth and sustainable development should not be seen as competing objectives. The challenge is how to create growth that is resilient enough to endure future shocks and broad enough to create opportunity,” said Alois Zwinggi, President and CEO, World Economic Forum. “This is precisely when cooperation matters most. As debate becomes increasingly polarized, SDIM26 provides a space where different perspectives can be heard and common ground explored.”