United Nations Special Initiative on Africa

As Brazil hosts COP30 in the heart of the Amazon, the Resident Coordinator's Office has been leading the UN in supporting local and national partners to implement inclusive, ambitious climate projects that will endure long after the conference.

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 Guatemala, a UN-backed programme has trained public officials and civil society leaders in conflict resolution and empowered Indigenous women to take on leadership roles, strengthening the foundations for peace and inclusive development.

With the Amazon at the crossroads of climate action, biodiversity, and inclusive development, UN Resident Coordinator in Brazil Silvia Rucks reflects on how community-driven solutions, backed by the Brazil–UN Fund with support from Canada, are fostering resilience, equity, and hope across the region. 

As the world marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August, the 2025, it is a powerful reminder to seize indigenous knowledge and wisdom to forge a path to a sustainable digital future.

Following the recent UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4), DCO Regional Director for Africa Yacoub El-Hillo, reflects on Africa’s readiness

Local action is powering global progress on decent work, as UN Resident Coordinators lead Country Teams in driving transformative initiatives worldwide.

Youth around the world gathered to discuss the clean energy transition, responding to the UN Secretary-General's call for accelerating action against fossil fuels. Led by Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, these youth-driven events emphasized energy justice, economic dignity, and a liveable planet.

Unprecedented civic engagement, grassroots leadership, and private sector collaboration are driving progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, setting a new standard for national development.

Sustainable practices, value chains, and inclusive growth are shaping the country’s ocean-based development.

For the 18th year, the vibrant MTN Bushfire Festival lit up the scenic Malkerns Valley of the Kingdom of Eswatini on the last weekend of May 2025.

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 GOLA-REAP project, funded by the UN, aims to protect the Gola Rainforest while fostering peace, sustainable development and cross-border cooperation.

With UNESCO's support, over 60 women artisans from Peru and Mexico came together for the first time to exchanged knowledge on living heritage, creativity and innovation, and community organization.

Stretching 5,000 kilometers from Africa’s Atlantic coast to the Red Sea, the Sahel is a vibrant region below the Sahara Desert that includes nations