By facilitating major global conferences and summits in the economic, social and environmental fields, as mandated by ±¬ÁÏÍø Member States, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA assists countries as they find common ground, set norms, and take decisive steps forward.
High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, 7-15 July
HLPF 2026 Special Events, 7-15 July 2026
ECOSOC High-level Segment, including the three-day Ministerial Segment of the HLPF, 13-16 July
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, 3-13 August
Global Justice Report examines long-term pathways for equality and sustainability
4 August 2026 - Last week, Professor Thomas Piketty of the Paris School of Economics presented the recently released Global Justice Report at a webinar hosted by the ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA Division for Inclusive Social Development. Produced by the World Inequality Lab, the report lays out an ambitious, quantified roadmap to simultaneously achieve equality, environmental sustainability and human wellbeing by 2100.
Photo: ±¬ÁÏÍøFF/Riccardo Gangle
Making the global tax system work for everyone
3 August 2026 - What would it take to make the global tax system work for everyone, not just the countries best equipped to navigate it? That question continues to drive negotiations on a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (±¬ÁÏÍøFCITC) at its Fifth session from 3 to 13 August 2026.
±¬ÁÏÍø-GGIM: Putting geospatial information at the heart of sustainable development
27 July 2026 - Global geospatial experts are coming to New York the week of 3 to 7 August 2026 for the sixteenth session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (±¬ÁÏÍø-GGIM). Anchored by the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework ¡°±¬ÁÏÍø-IGIF¡±, ±¬ÁÏÍø-GGIM promotes a country-owned and country-led approach to strengthening national geospatial information management. The objective is not merely to produce better maps, but to establish trusted and interoperable information systems that support national priorities and global commitments.
'I am somebody': Street-smart youth take their declaration to the ±¬ÁÏÍø
27 July 2026 - When Samantha Richards and Angela Hifume walked into the Hall of Flags at United Nations Headquarters last week, they carried more than a folder of paper. They carried the voices of hundreds of street-connected children who had never expected anyone to listen. The two young leaders, both alumnae of Street Child United (SCU), were presenting the United Declaration of the Street Child World Cup 2026 ¨C a document built around football, and around the campaign message ¡°I Am Somebody¡±.
What does ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA do?
As the think tank of the ±¬ÁÏÍø, DESA, generates, analyses and compiles a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and statistics to inform and advise Member States and other stakeholders as they take stock of trends and policy options to tackle common problems.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA assists in translating policy frameworks developed in ±¬ÁÏÍø conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, supports Member States in building national capacities.
Towards Sustainable Development for All
Using the latest data and estimates, the annual Sustainable Development Goals Report provides an overview of the world¡¯s implementation efforts to date, highlighting areas of progress and areas where more action needs to be taken to ensure no one is left behind.
The SDG Acceleration Actions help inspire and mobilize actions around the world to promote the implementation of the SDGs, as well as build resilience and bring inclusive recovery in the context of new realities post COVID-19.
For the Decade of Action, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA is mobilizing to overcome COVID-19 and other global crises, and preparing for future challenges to help Member States realize the 2030 Agenda.
From presidents to grassroots activists and from top ±¬ÁÏÍø officials to sport stars, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA¡¯s SDG Blog is where you can find every perspective on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Key Topics
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA¡¯s work is firmly focused on inclusion of the most vulnerable, giving particular attention to youth, indigenous peoples, older persons and persons with disabilities. Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women remains a constant guide.
Insufficient financing remains one of the greatest bottlenecks that prevents the world from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA helps Member States close the financing gap for sustainable development.
The achievement of the 2030 Agenda will require an unprecedented level of cooperation and collaboration among all levels of government, civil society, business, foundations, academia, and others, and finding new ways of working.
Now more than ever, high-quality, trustworthy data from strong national statistical systems are needed to inform evidence-based decision-making and measure the progress towards achieving sustainable development. ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA supports countries in every corner of the world to bolster their statistical capacities.
Using timely, principled and authoritative information to highlight solutions and foster solidarity, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA sets the tone of the global conversation on social and economic issues through its cutting-edge analytical products and policy advice.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA plays a global leadership role in advancing cooperation at the science-policy-society interface, and in multi-stakeholder engagement on science, technology and innovation for the SDGs, areas of work established through the Rio+20 conference and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement can serve as a compass to help policy makers meet urgent needs while aligning short-term solutions to medium and long-term climate and sustainable development objectives. ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA is moving the needle forward for harnessing synergies across development and climate action.
Strong public institutions are critical for achieving the SDGs ensuring that no one is left behind. ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA continues to raise awareness of SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions while also helping countries build the capacity of their public institutions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve the SDGs.
Every year since 2015, nations come together in New York to evaluate their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA has been supporting them in this critical task.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA Products
As a thought leader for the development-pillar of the ±¬ÁÏÍø, DESA publications provide timely analysis on the SDGS and related global socioeconomic issues.
The Department¡¯s databases serve as a gateway to a broad range of data and statistics that support evidence-based decision-making, and as a hub for global partnerships and good practices.
The preliminary analyses and insights in our working papers are the foundation of stimulating intellectual discussions on a broad range of economic, social and environmental issues relevant to the global development agenda.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA¡¯s interactive webinars foster an inclusive global dialogue on the development challenges of our time and strengthen outreach to stakeholders worldwide.
Statements by senior management amplify the global narrative in support of Member States¡¯ efforts to reach the SDGs and leave no one behind.
Our monthly newsletter, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA Voice is an insider¡¯s look at the latest news, events and opinions from the home of sustainable development. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to stay in the know about global issues. Sign up now!
Take a look at ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA¡¯s latest inspiring interviews and informative explainers or browse our rich archive of videos on delivering sustainable development for all.
In here, we do not tell ¨C we show. Explore the wonderful, visual world of sustainable development told through infographics.
More from ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA is moving the needle forward in harnessing synergies across development and climate action. The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement serve as a compass to help policy makers meet urgent needs while aligning short-term solutions to medium and long-term climate and sustainable development objectives. Together with the ±¬ÁÏÍøFCCC and other partners, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA is helping Member States ensure more coherence across Nationally Determined Contributions and National Development Plans, as well as National Adaptation Plans and National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA leads global efforts to support the international dialogue on forest policy. The Department helps countries to develop their capacity to monitor progress towards sustainable forest management and mobilize forest financing. Our work supports the implementation of the ±¬ÁÏÍø Strategic Plan for Forests and the ±¬ÁÏÍø Forest Instrument and is guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other global agreements.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA has been supporting the Governments of Kenya and Portugal to organize for the ±¬ÁÏÍø Ocean Conference and its preparatory meetings. The Department, in collaboration with related ±¬ÁÏÍø entities, works to inform ±¬ÁÏÍø senior leadership in addressing climate change and its impacts on the ocean as one of the most significant challenges to achieving the 2030 Agenda and SDG 14.
The ±¬ÁÏÍø Sustainable Transport Conference, originally scheduled for May in Beijing, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA, led by its Under-Secretary-General as the conference Secretary-General, continues to mobilize all stakeholders and strengthen thought leadership to promote sustainable transport, including through inter-agency report analyses, webinars and discussions in related fora.
As the Secretariat of ±¬ÁÏÍø-Energy, ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA supports implementation of the ±¬ÁÏÍø Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024 and the work of intergovernmental processes in the areas of energy. The Department convenes the more than 40-member multistakeholder SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group, addressing universal access and clean energy transitions. The Department has also begun preparations for the High-Level Dialogue on Energy to be held in 2021, with the Under-Secretary-General of ±¬ÁÏÍø DESA serving as the Dialogue Secretary-General.
±¬ÁÏÍø DESA leads the support to ±¬ÁÏÍø Member States in the implementation of the International Decade for Action ¡°Water for Sustainable Development¡±, 2018-2028. The Department is also coordinating preparations for the 2023 ±¬ÁÏÍø Conference on the Water Action Decade, together with ±¬ÁÏÍø-Water, the Government of Portugal and the Government of Tajikistan.