Representing AmCham North Macedonia at a discussion on the role of business associations in advancing sustainability at the UN Business Forum, Executive Director Jelena Arsovska framed the conversation around a simple but consequential shift, that the Sustainable Development Goals remain unchanged, but the world in which organizations pursue them does not stand still. Geopolitical developments, climate change, technological transformation, and evolving investor expectations have moved from background trends to forces actively shaping business decisions, investment, and long-term competitiveness. It is precisely this shift that shapes how AmCham approaches ESG, understanding it not as a reporting framework, but as “a governance framework that helps organizations systematically identify risks and opportunities, integrate them into strategic planning, and thereby build greater resilience and competitiveness.”
That same logic extends to how competitiveness itself is being redefined. No longer the product of individual companies alone, it now depends on the strength of the value chains and economic ecosystems they belong to, making it just as important to support suppliers, strengthen partners, and advance regional integration as it is to grow individually. For business associations, this shift carries its own implication: the task ahead is not only advocacy, but recognizing emerging trends early enough to help members prepare before those changes become their business reality.
