On the same page: 5 benefits of synchronizing the UNSDG and UN country team websites
Communications is key in our line of work at the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). In addition to uniting 34 agencies, funds and programmes that play a role in development, the UNSDG also supports 131 UN country teams serving 162 countries and territories to work together to enhance the impact of the UN system, bringing together diverse perspectives and capabilities from around the world, while communicating with one unified voice.
In this spirit of leading by example, with one distinct voice, we –the UN country teams’ web team and the UNSDG web team– worked tirelessly to align our very own websites while implementing golden standards for web design.
We aim to make sure that anyone who visits the UNSDG website and finds themselves searching for a country or territory will seamlessly be able to dig deeper and learn more about the innovative work of the UN country teams by visiting their own websites.
Here are 5 benefits that add value to our digital alignment project:
1. All sites have a uniform look and feel. An intentional choice that helps us boost and unify the digital presence of the UN at the country level, while adhering to the highest standards of web accessibility and inclusion.
2. All sites provide a platform to promote the UN’s vision, while highlighting transparency and accountability through data-driven content. We integrate user-friendly visualizations from UN INFO to paint a clear picture and tell the UN story even better.
3. All sites have multilingual capacity. To date, we have launched 112 sites covering 21 languages. By communicating in local languages, we can engage directly with target audiences on the issues that matter. More languages also mean more dialogue and problem-solving from people and communities on the ground.
4. All sites consider gender parity. As we continue to enhance the sites, we are making sure to use inclusive language across the board. This is particularly noticeable in languages such as Spanish and French, where specific articles shape a sentence drastically.
5. All sites consider the user-experience of each visitor. Through user research, we learned exactly what users want to see when visiting these sites. We took these findings and incorporated them in every section of the site.
With the alignment of our digital presence, we are one step closer to ensuring that our global, regional and country teams build on each other's strengths and knowledge, to make a stronger case for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, for the people and the planet everywhere.
Because speaking together – with one distinct voice – amplifies the power of our teams to accomplish our commitment of fulfilling the 2030 Agenda.
Written by Pilar Lagos, Public Information Officer, and Michal Shmulovich, Web Editor & UN Info Web Portal Analyst for the Development Coordination Office. To learn more about the results of our work in this area and beyond, please visit the UNSDG Chair Report on DCO.