Expert Voices

United to achieve the SDGs for, with, and by persons with disabilities

The five dimensions of sustainable development – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships – are all essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ahead of this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we discussed with UN DESA’s Guozhong Zhang, how including persons with disabilities in all these dimensions can create a more equal world for everyone.

Artificial Intelligence - a blessing or a curse for sustainable development?

In recent years, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown rapidly, affecting many industries and areas of human life. But should we view AI as a blessing or curse? How about its impact on social development and the global goals? We spoke with Professor Daron Acemoglu of the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who shared his take.

A blessing or a curse? How do we ensure that AI is used for the greater good for people and planet?

With concerted, ambitious action, we can reduce poverty drastically by 2030

Around the world, some 670 million people live in extreme poverty. Unless progress picks up pace, the international community is nowhere near ending this plight before 2030. Ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, UN DESA’s Hantamalala Rafalimanana describes the dire situation and what it takes to end poverty once and for all.

Can you provide information on the current state of poverty worldwide?

Time to scale up creative solutions to bridge the SDG funding gap

Financing to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is off track. The annual funding gap has widened and is currently estimated at over $4 trillion. How can we close this gap and what role will the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development on 20 September play to secure financing for the goals? We spoke with UN DESA’s Shari Spiegel who explains.

Seeking synergies: How can action on climate and the SDGs work together?

How can the world effectively address the climate emergency and the challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) simultaneously, in order to maximize their impact? We spoke with Luis Gomez Echeverri, co-lead of the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergies convened by UN DESA and UNFCCC secretariat in May 2023, to shed light on this question.

How does climate action relate to the SDGs? 

We need to do better for 1.3 billion people around the world

“In almost all aspects, persons with disabilities are in a worse situation than those without disabilities,“ said UN DESA’s Masumi Ono. “We need to be doing better,” she stressed as we spoke about the upcoming Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities taking place on 13-15 June 2023. 

1. What can you tell us about the situation for persons with disabilities around the world?

“The situation is unacceptable for the 1.3 billion people in the world. We need to be doing better.

“Middle-income countries face a set of global challenges that require joint action”

Around the world, 107 nations rank as middle-income countries. They generate a per capita income from about $1,000 to more than $12,000 per year and together, they are home to three quarters of the world population. Ahead of the UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on Middle-income Countries on 11 May, UN DESA’s Cornelia Kaldewei explains the issues that middle-income countries face today.

“I am using my voice to speak up for my community and country”

Ahmednoor Haji is a Kenyan youth advocate who runs The KESHO Alliance, an award-winning organization that promotes and advocates for quality education, youth and women empowerment, and peace and security. This month, Ahmednoor will take part in the ECOSOC Youth Forum to be held in New York from 25 to 27 April. At this event, his strong voice is expected to mobilize youth action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

LDC5: From potential to prosperity

Forty-six countries in the world are classified as least developed. Ahead of the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) UN DESA Economists Marcia Tavares and Matthias Bruckner share challenges and opportunities facing Least Developed Countries (LDCs) today.

At UN ECOSOC - how the power of ideas is turned into action

The UN Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) is gearing up for a very busy 2023, culminating in the SDG Summit in September. Marion Barthélemy, Director of the Office for Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development in UN DESA, talks about  ECOSOC’s role in bringing sustainable development directly into people’s lives.