DRC’s Private Sector Mobilized for Action at Economic Forum on Sustainable Sanitation in Kinshasa
DRC’s Private Sector Mobilized for Action at Economic Forum on Sustainable Sanitation in Kinshasa
The Kinshasa Sanitation Forum, held from 28 to 30 October 2025, marked a pivotal moment in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s journey toward sustainable urban development. Under the theme “Transforming waste into wealth for the benefit of people and the planet”, the three-day event convened government officials, private sector leaders, civil society representatives, and development partners to address urban sanitation and environmental sustainability.
Co-organized by the UN Global Compact Network DRC, the City of Kinshasa, and the Embassy of the Netherlands, the Forum received high-level support from Governor of Kinshasa Daniel Bumba and Minister of Environment and Climate Economy Marie Nyange Ndambo. Through eight thematic sessions, participants explored links between sanitation, the green economy, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—from waste management and circular economy models to citizen education and governance.
Amid waste collection gaps common across African cities, the Forum issued a strong call for business action in the DRC, serving as a dedicated platform for a cleaner, healthier, and more environmentally friendly urban environment.
Daniel Bumba Lubaki, Governor of the City of Kinshasa, commended the collective commitment: “Cleaning up Kinshasa is not an isolated action. It is part of the 2024–2028 Action Program of the provincial government, 'Kin Ezo Bonga', which aligns with the President’s six commitments and three priority initiatives—among which urban sanitation is explicitly featured.”
Angèle Samura, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the DRC, described the 'Clean Kinshasa' initiative as both ambitious and achievable: “It offers a genuine opportunity for everyone to take part in a large-scale endeavour and serves as a powerful lever to boost economic growth and enhance the city's appeal.”
Jessica Webe, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network DRC, reaffirmed the importance of private sector mobilization: “Sanitation is a key pillar of sustainable development. It requires a collective commitment from public authorities, businesses, and citizens to build more resilient cities, protect our environment, and ensure a better quality of life for all.”
The forum advanced environmental principles of the UN Global Compact (7, 8, and 9), which promote a precautionary approach, greater environmental responsibility, and the diffusion of eco-friendly technologies through inclusive models and public-private collaboration.
Key outcomes included concrete recommendations for an inclusive and economically viable sanitation model, emphasizing the role of waste producers, the potential of the sanitation value chain to drive green growth, and the importance of active eco-citizenship. These were swiftly translated into action through the launch of the Presidential Initiative “Clean Cities,” the endorsement of provincial and municipal action plans, and the adoption of targeted solution pathways to promote innovation.
The forum’s momentum was further cemented by the signing of contracts, MoUs, and binding intentional commitments, alongside the formalization and certification of sanitation operators. This was complemented by the signing of commitment charters for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the official launch of a nationwide eco-citizenship education campaign on sanitation.
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Unstoppable Africa 2025: Summary of Outcomes, Announcements & Forward Looking
Lusaka, Zambia –9 October 2025 – The 4th African Business and Human Rights Forum (ABRH) concluded today in Lusaka, Zambia, bringing together more than 600 participants, including business leaders, governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, national human rights institutions and international partners, to advance the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) across Africa. The Forum, held from 7 to 9 October under the theme “From Commitment to Action: Advancing Remedy, Reparations and Responsible Business Conduct in Africa,” was co-organized by several partners, including the African Union, the UN Global Compact, UNDP, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, UN Human Rights (OHCHR), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and UNICEF. This year’s Forum aligned with the African Union theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” Participants focused on concrete steps to strengthen remedy and reparations frameworks and to promote responsible business conduct in the context of Africa’s evolving economic and regulatory landscape. The Forum has become a critical platform for moving from policy to practice, accelerating implementation, and highlighting regional solutions to ensure that businesses in Africa uphold human rights while contributing to inclusive and sustainable development. Over three days, the Forum featured high-level panels, roundtables and clinics, alongside a dedicated UN Global Compact Networking Event. These sessions provided space for governments, businesses and rights holders to exchange experiences, showcase innovations and build partnerships to translate high-level commitments into tangible action. Discussions centred on four priority areas: Strengthening access to remedy for victims of business-related human rights and environmental harms through improved policy frameworks, stronger judicial capacity and more effective grievance mechanisms; Advancing reparations by emphasizing the shared responsibility of states and businesses to address historical and ongoing injustices; Promoting responsible business conduct by embedding human rights due diligence across operations and aligning with regional frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the draft AU Business and Human Rights Policy; and Enhancing transparency and accountability through digital tools, improved reporting and collective monitoring of commitments. Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Hervé Lado, Africa Head of the UN Global Compact, underscored the urgent need for businesses to embed human rights into their operations and lead by example. “The theme of this year is a call to action for effective remedy, an invitation to go beyond protect and respect. As we develop our new global strategy 2026-2030, we want to equip more businesses in Africa by 2030 with knowledge, expertise and more ambition in upholding the Ten Principles and implementing adequate and effective remedies where their activities have caused adverse impacts. How companies respect human rights and implement remedies is central to building resilient and inclusive economies,” Lado said.
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The UN Global Compact Africa Regional Hub in Chad, recently joined the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator to convene a capacity-building and exchange workshop with leaders of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), government representatives and business associations. The session which was held on the 29 and 30 September 2025, revealed a significant opportunity: many SMEs are already contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), often unknowingly, through their daily operations. For example, a local dairy producer discovered that his business directly advances SDGs 1 and 2, and committed to formalising corporate social responsibility practices to deepen his company’s contribution. This experience reflects a broader challenge on SDG awareness among the private sector. While national development plans give the private sector a central role—Chad’s national development plan “Chad Connection 2030” allocates 46 percent of anticipated investments to private actors—, awareness of the SDGs remains limited. Yet evidence shows that private sector engagement is indispensable. Unlocking private sector investment in these sectors, alongside infrastructure and renewable energy, could accelerate growth and resilience. According to the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC), agriculture and pastoralism account for more than half of Chad’s GDP, with 73 percent of households depending on them for income . Yet, awareness of the SDGs among businesses remains low. At the same time, Chad’s new national development plan, Chad Connection 2030, targets over US$30 billion in investment by 2030 , with the private sector expected to play a decisive role. While in N’Djamena for the capacity-building and exchange workshop, Dr. Hervé Lado, Head of the UN Global Compact Africa Regional Hub, urged participants to embrace SDG-centered efforts in their business operations. “Leveraging the momentum from the 80th Anniversary of the UN, the 25th Anniversary of the UN Global Compact and the recent UN General Assembly, the private sector, the government and the UN system in Chad are called to enhance collaboration and catalyze partnerships to accelerate the achievement of the national development plan and the SDGs for the benefit of the populations,” Dr. Lado, expressed. Encouragingly, international partners are stepping up. Afreximbank has pledged up to US$1.5 billion to boost Chad’s private sector , particularly in agriculture and agro-industry. Combined with improved awareness, such commitments demonstrate how local enterprises can transition from being passive beneficiaries of development to active drivers of sustainable change. Strengthening dialogue and capacity building will be essential to ensure that businesses across the Sahel can fully align with the 2030 Agenda and mobilise the investments needed for inclusive and sustainable development.
GABI: Advancing African Competitiveness in a Climate-Regulated World at Unstoppable Africa 22 September 2025 | 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM EDT (3:00–4:30 PM CAT) The UN Global Compact Africa Hub and UNGC's Country Networks in Africa will host a high-level session titled “Navigating CBAM: Advancing African Competitiveness in a Climate-Regulated World” at the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI): Unstoppable Africa 2025. Scheduled for 22 September 2025 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM EDT (3:00–4:30 PM CAT) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Europe represents almost one-third of Africa’s trade and it is projected that if the European Union’s CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) is fully applied to all imports, Africa’s exports to the EU will plunge by 5.72% and Africa’s GDP cut by 1.12%, posing urgent economic and strategic challenges for the continent. This dialogue will unpack the implications of the CBAM, showcase corporate climate action by African businesses, explore pathways to green industrialization, enhanced competitiveness, equitable inclusion in global sustainability governance, and boosted intra-Africa trade. To attend, select the event in the GABI app and join leaders from business, finance, and policy in shaping a resilient, unstoppable Africa.
Efforts to drive private sector investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Rwanda received a significant boost as seven new companies pledged to join the United Nations Global Compact during a recent high-level Partners’ Forum in Kigali. This was further underscored during the Partners’ Forum, held under the theme “Can Do with Integrity” and organized in collaboration with MTN Rwanda and Mobile Money Rwanda on 7 August 2025. The forum, which brought together stakeholders in the Rwandan business ecosystem such as suppliers, vendors, franchises and other partners, was attended by over a hundred participants from various companies and received strategic support and guidance from the UN Global Compact. The commitments followed a presentation by the UN Global Compact on its value proposition and the benefits of joining the largest global sustainability initiative. Specifically, the forum served as an opportunity for the UN Global Compact to recruit new businesses to join its future Country Network and support them to address critical areas of regulatory compliance, fraud prevention and anti-bribery measures, procurement processes and standards, and ethics and integrity in business operations. During the engagement, the UN Global Compact reported on its progress in Rwanda, where the membership has grown from 1 to 27 companies since 2023, across sectors including banking, energy, mining, telecommunications, and construction. While Rwanda shows strong growth and retention; the relatively small size of the national economy and local businesses means that achieving viability for the network will require welcoming a hundred businesses.
Roundtable 25 September 2025, 2-4pm, New York City The current rising tariffs also call on the capacity of African countries to produce locally and trade goods and services among themselves. As the AfCFTA gains traction, new opportunities are emerging for Africa. This session will bring together African business leaders, government officials and representatives of African regional institutions attending UNGA to explore how trade, value chains, and investment can build sustainable economies, and how the UN Global Compact’s Africa Strategy can help harness this transformation. Explore the immense potential within regional value chains and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Discover how sustainable business models are creating unprecedented private sector opportunities, even amid global uncertainty. During this informative session, you will be equipped with key insights on: Shared understanding of Africa’s evolving development narrative post-aid Insights and case examples of successful public-private responses to aid reduction Identification of opportunities for investment, innovation, and collaboration under AfCFTA. Africa's transforming from aid-dependent to investment-led, trade-driven growth. This is your invitation to join the continent's dynamic future. SPEAKERS:
In rethinking financing for fragile economies, particularly in Africa and other emerging markets, the United Nations Global Compact hosted a roundtable titled ‘Reframing Risks and Rewards in Fragile Contexts”, at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, Spain. The roundtable was held on 2 July, 2025 and brought together stakeholders to seek bold innovative pathways that help address the pressing realities faced by these fragile economies which are often failed by traditional financing models. Chaired by Naomi Nwokolo, Executive Director at UN Global Compact Network Nigeria, the roundtable featured voices for whom fragility is not a theory but a lived reality and professional challenge. Opening remarks were delivered by Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO/Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. The High-level Executive Roundtable featured a line-up of visionary panellists, including Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, Executive Governor of Imo State; Patrick Akhidenor, Chief Risk Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., representing Olusegun Alebiosu MD/CEO FirstBank Group; Teresa Guardans, Co-Founder, Oryx Impact; Krisztina Tora, Managing Director, GSG Impact; and Hassatou Diop N'Sele N’Sele, Vice President/CFO of the African Development Bank, and other impactful speakers joined from the Green Climate Fund, Small Foundation, and Sida. The platform opened opportunities for collaborative action for capital mobilization to support the goal of rethinking finance to serve the most fragile and vulnerable communities. This collaboration from the various stakeholders is critical; governments, the private sector, finance institutions, nonprofits and the local communities must work together if a new model is to be successful and sustainable. Key takeaways from the discussion include: The current financial system isn’t made for the world we’re in – Most existing financing instruments are engineered to minimize risk, rather than to engage with the nuanced and layered complexities of today’s world. Yet fragility, marked by economic shocks, climate disruptions, and geopolitical volatility, is no longer an exception; it is fast becoming the prevailing context across many emerging economies. If the global financial architecture fails to evolve in response to this new reality, it risks reinforcing exclusion. Resilience is a return, not an expense - A recurring theme throughout the dialogue was a bold and necessary challenge to the prevailing perception that resilience-focused investments—whether in climate adaptation, local governance, or peacebuilding—are "too risky," "too slow," or unlikely to yield measurable returns. This outdated view continues to limit the flow of capital to the very places where it is most urgently needed. Africa is not the problem—it’s the solution - There was a collective rejection of the outdated narrative that paints Africa as a charity case. The truth is, Africa is a goldmine of innovation, talent, and leadership. But ideas alone aren’t enough. What is needed is trust, access, and catalytic capital. Youth must move from beneficiaries to financiers of the future - Africa is home to the youngest population in the world, yet youth continue to be overlooked in formal financial systems. Funding models must evolve to reduce barriers for youth-led solutions—not just through grants, but through ownership, equity, and co-creation. Ecosystems are everything - Resilience is not built by capital alone. It takes local infrastructure, technical expertise, smart policy, and a culture of trust. This means that systems change is essential. We must stop looking for silver-bullet interventions and start investing in the enabling environments that allow communities to build, adapt, and thrive. In fragile economies across Africa and the Global South, the stakes are incredibly high, and the system is not built for them. The traditional models of finance that have long governed how and where money moves are proving inadequate in the face of today’s most pressing realities: climate breakdown, political volatility, growing youth unemployment, and widening inequality. Fragility is no longer a footnote in development—it’s a defining context for the next era of global resilience. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) held from 30 June to 3 July, 2025, in Seville, Spain. It follows the 2002 Monterrey Consensus, the 2008 Doha Declaration and the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
The United Nations estimates that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will require between $3 trillion and $5 trillion annually. In Africa alone, the financing gap is an additional $194 billion each year – about 7% of the continent’s GDP. Against this backdrop, the Global Compact Network Kenya (GCNK), in partnership with the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), FSD Africa Investments (FSDAI) and the East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA), convened relevant stakeholders for a roundtable to foster high-level, impactful conversations around pressing themes, such as accelerating sustainable finance for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) through local capital mobilisation and integrated sustainability-related factors. During the high-level roundtable, which took place on July 22nd, 2025, at the Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi, Kenya, attendees resolved that the urgency to accelerate sustainable finance has never been greater, especially against the background of global and regional challenges such as the escalating impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss as well as growing inequality and shrinking international aid. Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Global Compact Network Kenya (GCNK), Judy Njino, emphasized the role that the private sector and investment community have to play and underscored the importance of unlocking local capital to drive impact at scale. "Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or show moderate progress. Nearly half are moving too slowly or making only marginal progress, while 18 per cent have regressed. The gap between our sustainable development aspirations and financing to meet them has continued to widen. With official development assistance declining and fiscal space constrained, the private sector & investor community have an opportunity to step up as an engine for inclusive & sustainable economic growth. We must ensure that businesses, especially local ones, are ready, aligned, and equipped to absorb this capital," she said. Meanwhile, David Atkin, Chief Executive Officer of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), emphasized that the PRI believes an economically efficient and sustainable global financial system is essential for long-term value creation. As such, a system rewards responsible, long-term investment while delivering lasting benefits to society and the environment. Critical takeaways from the roundtable include; a broad agreement on the need to foster collaboration between businesses, investors, and development actors; the need to shift toward practical, real-world financial solutions that address issues on the ground; and acknowledgement of the growing demand for financial instruments such as green bonds and impact investments that offer competitive returns while directly supporting SDG-related projects.
