The 2026 HLPF side event, “Fashioning Transformative, Equitable and Innovative Actions for a Sustainable Future for All,” will consider the role of fashion as a catalyst for sustainable development when grounded in environmental responsibility and cultural preservation. The discussion will focus on how fashion can support climate action, protect heritage, minimize ecological impacts, and contribute to more inclusive, adaptive, and resilient economies.
The event is jointly organized by Fashioning for Social Environmental Justice (USA), the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC), and the United Nations Global Seaweed Initiative (UNGSI). Ms. Sogol Jafarzadeh, UNU-INWEH's UN and Government Relations Coordinator & Gender and Capacity Building Focal Point for Africa, will deliver the session's opening remarks.
The side event will explore how artisanal and heritage-rooted fashion practices can provide meaningful alternatives to the extractive and resource-heavy systems associated with contemporary and fast fashion, while also supporting cooperation and peacebuilding. It will underscore the relevance of heritage-based fashion, culture, and the creative industries to SDGs 6, 9, 11, and 17, and encourage policy dialogue on embedding creative industries within sustainability, heritage, industrial development, and SDG implementation frameworks. The event will also contribute to the development of a joint call to action for Member States and stakeholders centred on water stewardship, sustainable industry, community resilience, and peace.
A central feature of the event will be the Global Peace Flag, which transforms discarded fashion materials into symbolic expressions of peace and sustainability. Through flags and garments bearing commitments from individuals around the world, the initiative weaves together global aspirations for the SDGs and represents solidarity across communities and borders.
An interactive session featuring youth representatives led by Berkeley College will showcase practical approaches to advancing environmentally sustainable livelihoods rooted in heritage, culture, and innovation.
