Global marketing bodies sign Dhaka Declaration

Detailed summary

The World Marketing Council (WMC), along with three regional marketing organisations representing Asia, Africa and Europe, signed the Dhaka Declaration on October 31, 2026,…

The World Marketing Council (WMC), along with three regional marketing organisations representing Asia, Africa and Europe, signed the Dhaka Declaration on October 31, 2026, committing to eight principles aimed at making marketing more responsible and beneficial to society.

The declaration, titled “Marketing for Global Good, Y2030 & Beyond”, was signed at the 6th World Marketing Forum (WMF 6.0), held at BRAC University in Dhaka. The signatories represent more than 50 countries across three continents, according to a press release.

Listyowati, ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh, attended the signing ceremony as the chief guest.

Her presence reflected the close friendship between Indonesia and Bangladesh, as well as Indonesia's role in shaping marketing thought in Asia as the home country of Pak Hermawan Kartajaya, founder of the World Marketing Forum and the World Marketing Council.

The declaration was signed by Jack Yao, president of the Asia Marketing Federation (AMF); Matongo Matamwandi, president of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC); and Ralf Strauss, chairman of the European Marketing Confederation (EMC).

The signing was witnessed by Prof Syed Ferhat Anwar, president of the World Marketing Council; Pak Hermawan Kartajaya, founder of the World Marketing Council; Helen McIntee-Carlisle, co-founder and immediate past president of the African Marketing Confederation; Dr Dan Visitchaichan, second vice-president of the Asia Marketing Federation; Sajid Mahbub, secretary general of the World Marketing Council; and Enoch Perera, president of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing.

The eight commitments were first introduced at the African Marketing Confederation meeting in Livingstone, Zambia, in September 2026. They were adopted in Dhaka as the official declaration of the World Marketing Council, turning a shared aspiration into a global commitment.

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