Overview

On 6 September 2026, Singapore hosted the Second Global Business Summit on Belt and Road Infrastructure Investment to Accelerate the SDGs under the theme “Connect for Better World.” The event was organized by the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Infrastructure for the Belt and Road Initiative to Accelerate the SDGs Action Platform and co‑organized by the UN Global Compact Network Singapore.

Participation

More than 300 leaders from international bodies, enterprises and civil society gathered in Singapore for the second BRI Infrastructure Summit to advance SDGs. Attendees included senior representatives of international organisations, global and regional enterprises, civil‑society organisations, academics and think‑tanks.

Declarations and Priorities

The summit adopted a declaration that sets business priorities across sustainable infrastructure, responsible artificial intelligence, a just energy transition, supply‑chain resilience, sustainable finance, and women‑ and youth‑empowerment in the digital era, as well as international cooperation in traditional medicine.

Expert Groups and Outcomes

The summit launched expert groups focused on sustainable energy and sustainable digital infrastructure. In total, twelve SDG‑driven outcomes were announced, covering:

  • Sustainable energy and digital infrastructure,
  • Green mining and electricity carbon‑footprint standards,
  • Biodiversity conservation and ocean protection,
  • Sustainable transport,
  • Women’s micro‑enterprise growth and broader inclusive global development.

All initiatives are led by private‑sector pioneers.

Key Statements

  • Sanda Ojiambo, UN Assistant Secretary‑General and CEO of the UN Global Compact, emphasized that resilient infrastructure is essential for long‑term sustainable development and highlighted the importance of cross‑border collaboration.
  • Selwin Hart, UN Secretary‑General’s Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition, noted that Chinese businesses and financial institutions can link China’s clean‑energy capabilities with growth opportunities in the developing world, stressing the need for large‑scale cooperation.
  • Jean Todt, UN Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, remarked that the Belt and Road Initiative’s massive scale must be matched by a strong commitment to safety as the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport begins in 2026.
  • Li Junhua, Under‑Secretary‑General for Economic and Social Affairs, concluded that no single country can address connectivity challenges alone and called for cooperation among governments, international organisations, financial institutions and the private sector.
  • Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana (Executive Secretary, UNESCAP), Stephen Jackson (UN Resident Coordinator, China) and Nikolas Myint (UN Resident Coordinator, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam) highlighted the summit’s role in fostering cross‑border collaboration and acknowledged the contributions of China, Singapore and the ASEAN region to regional stability and global progress toward the SDGs.

Disclaimer

The press release is distributed under an arrangement with PRNewswire; PTI assumes no editorial responsibility.