Global Marketing Bodies Representing 50+ Countries Sign the “Dhaka Declaration” to Make Marketing a Force for Global Good
Asia, Africa and Europe commit to eight principles for human-centred, responsible marketing in the age of AI at the 6th World Marketing Forum
DHAKA, Bangladesh, 2nd November 2026 – The World Marketing Council (WMC), together with the Asia Marketing Federation (AMF), the African Marketing Confederation (AMC) and the European Marketing Confederation (EMC), on 31st October, 2026 signed the Dhaka Declaration of the World Marketing Council: Marketing for Global Good, Y2030 & Beyond at the 6th World Marketing Forum (WMF 6.0), held at BRAC University, Dhaka. Representing 50+ countries across three continents, the Declaration sets out eight commitments to ensure that marketing, increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, creates measurable value for people, society and the planet, not only for business. Her Excellency Listyowati, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh, graced the signing ceremony as Chief Guest.
A historic signing in Dhaka
The Declaration was signed by Jack Yao, President, Asia Marketing Federation; Matongo Matamwandi, President, African Marketing Confederation; and Ralf Strauss, Chairman, European Marketing Confederation. Each confederation brings together 50+ member countries.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the Chief Guest, Her Excellency Listyowati, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh. Her presence reflected the close friendship between Indonesia and Bangladesh, and Indonesia’s leading role in shaping marketing thought in Asia, as the home of Pak Hermawan Kartajaya, Founder of the World Marketing Forum and the World Marketing Council.
The signing was witnessed by Prof. Syed Ferhat Anwar, President, World Marketing Council; Pak Hermawan Kartajaya, Founder, World Marketing Council; Helen McIntee-Carlisle, Co-Founder & Immediate Past President, Africa Marketing Confederation; Dr. Dan Visitchaichan, 2nd Vice President, Asia Marketing Federation; Sajid Mahbub, Secretary General, World Marketing Council; and Enoch Perera, President, Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing.
The eight commitments were first introduced at the African Marketing Confederation meeting in Livingstone, Zambia, in September 2026, and were adopted in Dhaka as the official Declaration of the World Marketing Council, moving them from a shared aspiration to a shared global commitment.
Marketing shapes how billions of people choose, consume and believe, and artificial intelligence is now transforming how brands reach and influence them. The Declaration warns that when AI is not human-centred, it poses five risks to the “5 Ps” of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: displacement and exclusion of People, concentrated wealth instead of shared Prosperity, rising energy and resource demand on the Planet, manipulation and misinformation that threaten Peace, and unequal bargaining power that weakens Partnership.
In response, the Declaration calls on marketers to shift from Generative Advantage (new value, new experiences, new markets) to Global Good, built on four pillars: dignity, inclusion, regeneration and trust. Its guiding formula is Values + Value = Impact. It also introduces Marketing for Global Good (MGG) as a global movement, and invites every marketer to become an “MGG Marketer”.
The eight commitments
The signatories committed to:
- Serve PEOPLE dignity: protect consumer rights, privacy and personal data, and reject deception and manipulation, whether by people or machines.
- Create inclusive PROSPERITY: share economic value fairly and open markets to small and women-led enterprises.
- Regenerate the PLANET: promote circular, low-carbon models and verifiable environmental claims.
- Build trust and PEACE: stand against misinformation and disclose AI-generated content where it matters.
- PARTNER across boundaries: collaborate across business, government, academia, civil society and the UN system.
- Use TECHNOLOGY responsibly: keep humans in oversight of AI, guard against bias and protect data.
- INNOVATE entrepreneurially: nurture young marketers, start-ups and SMEs, and build skills for an AI-driven economy.
- Measure real IMPACT: measure and report the social, environmental and human outcomes of marketing.
With four years to go to 2030, the signatories committed to preparing their member associations across 50+ countries, and the next generation of marketers, to become Marketers for Global Good. To keep the Declaration a living commitment, a Marketing for Global Good (MGG) Forum is proposed each year from 2027 to 2030, in partnership with United Nations offices or partner confederations, with candidate host cities including Nairobi, Cape Town, Vienna, London, Geneva and Bangkok. Progress on all eight commitments will be reviewed by 2030 and reported at the World Marketing Forum.
The Declaration also calls on corporations, brands, agencies, media, academia, NGOs, regulators and public institutions worldwide to join the movement, adopt responsible marketing and AI standards, and collaborate on campaigns that advance the Global Good and the Sustainable Development Goals.
H.E. Listyowati, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh, Chief Guest of the ceremony commented “It is an honour to witness this historic Declaration in Dhaka. Indonesia and Bangladesh share a long friendship and a common ambition as young, dynamic economies. I am proud that an idea championed by an Indonesian, Pak Hermawan Kartajaya, now unites marketing communities across 50+ countries in a commitment to the Global Good.”
Pak Hermawan Kartajaya, Founder, World Marketing Council commented on this historic moment “From Kamakura to Dhaka, the World Marketing Forum has grown into a true world community. Today we take the next step. Technological progress is not automatically human progress, so marketing must move from generating advantage to creating Global Good. Values plus Value equals Impact. With four years to go to 2030, every marketer can become an MGG Marketer.”
Prof. Syed Ferhat Anwar, President, World Marketing Council said “Today, Asia, Africa and Europe have spoken with one voice from Dhaka. Artificial intelligence gives marketing extraordinary power, and with it comes extraordinary responsibility. The Dhaka Declaration is our promise that this power will serve people, society and the planet.”
About the World Marketing Forum (WMF)
The World Marketing Forum is an annual international gathering of marketing leaders, academics and policymakers, founded by Pak Hermawan Kartajaya and Sadayoshi Fujishige. Since its first edition at Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura, Japan, in 2021, it has been held in Bali (2022), Bangkok (2023), the Philippines (2024) and Colombo (2025). The 6th edition, held at BRAC University, Dhaka, on 30–31 October 2026 under the theme “Intelligence, Identity, Impact: AI, Marketing, and the Making of a New World” (Human + Tech), was convened by the World Marketing Council, co-hosted by Bangladesh Brand Forum in partnership with BRAC University, and organised in collaboration with the Marketing Society of Bangladesh. It brought together speakers from 13 nations, with an opening keynote by Professor Philip Kotler.
About the World Marketing Council (WMC)
The World Marketing Council is the global umbrella body of the marketing profession, founded by the Asia Marketing Federation, the African Marketing Confederation and the European Marketing Confederation, which together represent 54 countries. Its formation was announced in Accra, Ghana, in August 2025 and formally established at the 5th World Marketing Forum in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in November 2025. The Council is led by its President, Prof. Syed Ferhat Anwar of Bangladesh.
Media contact
Sajid Mahbub General Secretary, World Marketing Council; Group CEO & Executive Editor, Bangladesh Brand Forum [sajid@bangladeshbrandforum.com]
