The second edition of the UN Global Supply Chain Forum will take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in November 2026, in partnership with the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI).
The event will bring together governments, business leaders and experts worldwide to strengthen global trade resilience and promote sustainable logistics systems.
Held every two years by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the forum serves as a platform to address disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions, climate impacts and shifting trade patterns, aiming to identify actionable solutions that make international supply chains more sustainable, inclusive and resilient.
Confronting pressing supply chain challenges
The 2026 forum will confront the most pressing challenges facing international supply chains at a time of rising geopolitical instability, shifting tariffs and mounting economic uncertainty. It will:
Build on deliberations from the inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum, held in Bridgetown, Barbados, and the outcome of an UNCTAD16 ministerial roundtable dedicated to supply chain issues.
Promote concerted efforts to mitigate, respond and adapt to supply chain disruptions, while accelerating targeted collaboration on policy and regulatory issues, sustainable and resilient infrastructure investment, as well as coordinated crisis-response mechanisms to ensure that essential goods continue to flow even in emergencies.
Shore up support for economies disproportionally hit by supply chain disruptions, particularly least developed countries and small island developing states, as well as landlocked developing countries that are grappling with freight costs up to three times higher than the global average.
