UN Global Compact Convenes First-Ever Dilemmas Forum to Tackle Strategic Challenges Facing Global Business

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2025 /CNW/ -- The United Nations Global Compact yesterday convened the inaugural Dilemmas Forum, a roundtable of its Legal Council that brought together 60 top executives from the world's leading companies – including Chief Legal Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Sustainability Officers, Chief Marketing Officers and Public Affairs leaders – for a high-level, invitation-only session on the pressing strategic dilemmas shaping global business.

In a fast-changing environment where sustainability regulation, geopolitical tensions and stakeholder expectations are converging, the Dilemmas Forum provided a unique space for cross-functional collaboration at the highest levels. Through an immersive, scenario-based workshop, participants engaged with high-stakes hypothetical dilemmas, testing how business leaders would navigate complex trade-offs in real time.

The Forum drew on insights from the UN Global Compact's new publication, "Legal Insights for Business Leaders," which highlights how legal teams are moving from risk managers to strategic enablers, guiding companies through fragmented global regulation, sustainability reporting requirements and rising expectations for integrity and accountability.

"Businesses today are facing dilemmas that cannot be solved in silos," said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. "Climate, technology, human rights and governance challenges cut across functions, and the choices companies make will have lasting consequences for their competitiveness and for society. The Dilemmas Forum is designed to foster candid dialogue, spark collaboration and chart practical pathways toward a more sustainable and resilient future."

The Forum is part of the UN Global Compact's broader Transformational Governance agenda, which calls on companies to integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into their core strategies, moving beyond compliance to proactive leadership. By convening leaders across legal, finance, sustainability and public affairs, the Dilemmas Forum breaks down silos and equips executives with actionable insights to guide corporate decision-making in times of uncertainty.

About the UN Global Compact

The ambition of the UN Global Compact is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the SDGs through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 20,000 participating companies, 5 Regional Hubs, 64 Country Networks covering 85 countries and 9 Country Managers establishing Networks in 16 other countries, the UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative — one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.

SOURCE United Nations Global Compact

Alexandra Gee, [email protected]