Welcome to the United Nations
UN DESA Voice is an insider's look at the United Nations in the area of economic, social and sustainable development policy. It is produced by the Strategic Planning and Communications Services of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs with articles written by UN DESA staff. This is an electronic publication - no printed edition is generated.
The current edition
July 2026
Our world is grappling with multiple persistent crises. Climate shocks, geopolitical tension, poverty, and growing economic uncertainty are all imposing burdens and impacting people’s everyday lives. With only four years until the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the need for action is more urgent than ever.
2026
Our world is grappling with multiple persistent crises. Climate shocks, geopolitical tension, poverty, and growing economic uncertainty are all imposing burdens and impacting people’s everyday lives. With only four years until the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the need for action is more urgent than ever.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the landmark treaty that transformed the global understanding of disability, from a charity and medical model to a human rights-based approach grounded in dignity, equality, autonomy and full participation. From 9 to 11 June 2026, the nineteenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP19) will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
In a world tormented by war, crises and an already fragile economy, financing challenges, including in response to shocks, continue to obstruct progress towards sustainable development. Many of the poorest and most vulnerable countries are experiencing a “financing squeeze”, suffering from historically high debt service burdens, unprecedented declines in aid, and structurally low tax revenue. A more fragmented world economy is undermining trade, investment and capital flows.
From 14 to 16 April 2026, young people will take center stage at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during the ECOSOC Youth Forum, considered the UN’s largest annual gathering of young people.
Last month, UN DESA launched the World Youth Report on Youth Mental Health and Well-being, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive, youth-informed mental health policies. Another report, World Population Highlights 2026: Youth, is now being released, homing in on the latest youth population trends, helping policymakers use population foresight to address the needs of young people everywhere and to ensure that demographic change supports equitable and sustainable development.
Every morning around the world, billions of people step onto a bus, bike to work, wait for a train, or drive long distances to reach their jobs, schools, markets, and health care. Meanwhile, freight systems operate around the clock to deliver food, medicines, and essential goods to communities everywhere. As it connects lives and livelihoods, access to sustainable transport is a question of life and death, poverty and prosperity, and overall well-being.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will commemorate its 80th anniversary by holding a special event on 23 January 2026. The event will be an opportunity to celebrate the Council’s many milestone achievements in improving people’s lives around the world. “We need to reflect on the legacy of ECOSOC and reaffirm its central role in shaping a more inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking multilateral system,” says H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal), President of ECOSOC.
2025
Our world is becoming increasingly urban. Cities are now home to 45 per cent of the global population of 8.2 billion, according to UN DESA’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025: Summary of Results, released on 18 November 2025.
“Thirty years ago, the world gathered in Copenhagen and made a promise: to put people at the centre of development. This November, we meet again—this time in Doha—for the Second World Summit for Social Development. This Summit comes at a critical moment,” said UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General, and Summit Secretary-General Li Junhua, pointing to widening inequalities, eroding trust and communities struggling with conflict and climate shocks.
The newly released Gender Snapshot 2025 paints a nuanced picture of progress towards gender equality. On one hand, there have been historic gains: girls are more likely to complete school than ever before, and maternal mortality fell by nearly 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023. Women’s participation in climate negotiations has doubled. In the past five years alone, 99 positive legal reforms have been enacted to dismantle discrimination.
Amid the shimmering heat and sleek skyline of Manama, Bahrain, Eman Fareed methodically pinches off bits of dough and spaces the soon-to-be cookies evenly on a baking tray in her kitchen. Eman Fareed is just one among the millions of people whose lives have improved in the 10 years since the world embarked on one of its most ambitious journeys yet - achieving the SDGs.
“The multilateral system is the best we've got. There is no other system that can help us to deal with our global problems,” says Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. As the international community is getting ready to convene for the 2025 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development this month, Ambassador Rae stresses the opportunities for multilateral action.