G20 Interfaith Forum to Host 2026 Summit in the United States of America in October – With Participation by the Muslim Council of Elders
The G20 Interfaith Forum Association (IF20) will hold its annual Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah, from October 15–17, 2026. With participation by the Muslim Council of Elders, the event will also bring together an international gathering of religious leaders, interfaith scholars, civil society representatives, and policymakers under the theme Interfaith Engagement for Policy Impact.
The Forum coincides with the United States of America’s presidency of the G20, with the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled for December 14–15 in Miami. As a parallel engagement process, IF20 provides faith-informed perspectives on the priorities shaping the global agenda — because faith communities are embedded to the world’s great challenges, with 84% of the world’s population identifying as part of religious or faith institutions.
The Forum’s plenary and working sessions will address the three priority themes of the 2026 U.S. G20 presidency, plus a fourth theme of particular urgency. The themes are: Economic Growth for the Common Good, Energy Security for a Sustainable Future, AI and the Human Future and Interfaith Engagement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Additional themes — including the global food crisis, mental health, children’s issues, and refugees and displacement — will be addressed through the Forum’s working group sessions.
The Muslim Council of Elders had co-organized the 2025 G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) which was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from August 10 to 14, 2025, under the theme “Ubuntu in Action: Focusing on Marginalized Communities.” During the 2025 forum, the Council reaffirmed its willingness to strengthen its presence and impact across Africa through innovative initiatives focused on peacebuilding, empowering local religious actors, and expanding partnerships with regional institutions through dialogue, tolerance and coexistence.


