From health, education, food security to infrastructure, innovation, peace and partnerships, tackling poverty lies at the heart of these efforts. As the world looks ahead to the upcoming World Social Summit, it will be essential to keep ending poverty as the golden thread connecting the investments we make to accelerate the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
In Nigeria, youth are in the driver’s seat when it comes to sustainable development and peace. In the past year, the UN in Nigeria has made significant strides by shaping large-scale policy shifts, enabling grassroots actions, and empowering a new generation of leaders.
As a key institution of governance, the PNTL has been instrumental to Timor-Leste’s pride in being a model of democracy, good governance and human rights in Southeast Asia. Over the years, PNTL has been collaborating and adopting coordinated approaches with UN agencies in Timor-Leste, to strengthen its ability in crime prevention, investigations, and digital forensics to ensure that officers are prepared to handle the needs of modern policing.
When I arrived in Libreville in mid-2021 to lead the work of the United Nations in Gabon as the Resident Coordinator, I could not have imagined the intensity, complexity and richness the assignment would bring. Leading the UN Country Team as the most senior UN official in the country and representative of the UN Secretary-General on development, during such a pivotal moment in the nation’s history, I have strived to ensure that we, as the UN, effectively support Gabon’s aspirations to deliver durable peace and sustainable prosperity for its people.
The UN has launched a Debris Taskforce in Lebanon to manage the aftermath of the 2024 conflict through a sustainable, rights-based approach. Coordinating with the government and local partners, the initiative prioritizes safe debris removal, recycling, and environmental protection. It also promotes job creation, public health, and cultural preservation. This effort aims to turn devastation into an opportunity for long-term, resilient recovery.
"In these perilous times for women’s rights we must rally around the Beijing Declaration.", urged the UN Secretary-General in his remarks at the Opening of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
People forced to flee war, violence and persecution are increasingly finding themselves on the front line of the global climate crisis, a new report warns, exposing them to a lethal combination of threats but without the funding and support to adapt. Of the more than 120 million forcibly displaced worldwide, three-quarters live in countries heavily impacted by climate change. Half are in places affected by both conflict and serious climate hazards, such as Ethiopia, Haiti, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Syria.
Las Sabinas, a community-run collective in Mexico, contend with a judicial system that too often re-victimizes survivors of sexual violence. From lawyers who are ill-equipped to understand gender-based violence to the shortage of female medical personnel available to perform gynecological exams for rape kits, women survivors are often forced to relive traumatic experiences in the process of obtaining a sentence. For Las Sabinas, it is important to rethink justice in a way that prioritizes the healing of survivors.
World leaders on Sunday adopted the Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration pledging concrete actions towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive world for tomorrow’s generations.
