Expert Voices

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.

Behind the scenes of two major UN DESA reports

UN DESA will kick-off 2023 with a bang, launching its two flagship reports, the World Social Report (WSR) and the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) in January. Hear from our experts in the fields of ageing, population and macroeconomics and learn more about UN DESA’s analytical work and how it informs Member States’ action plans on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“International migrants are important agents of change”

Every year on 18 December, we pay tribute to the 281 million people around the world who are international migrants. What do we know about their current situation as the world is facing multiple crises? What role does migration play for the global goals? We spoke with UN DESA’s Clare Menozzi to find out.

1. Our world is facing multiple crises: conflicts, war, hunger and an escalating climate emergency. How is this all affecting international migration?

Staying connected in a rapidly changing world

Browsing for work, school or to access government or health care services; for many, Internet access may be easily available in our daily lives. Yet, more than 2.7 billion people around the world still lack this connection. Ahead of the Internet Governance Forum later this month, we speak with UN DESA’s Wai Min Kwok about this Forum and how it plays a critical role in efforts to leave no one offline.

“The SDGs must become the DNA of business strategy and management”

How can governments and businesses step up efforts to finance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? What are the hopes for the new SDG Stimulus and what role does the Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance play? The questions on how to secure funding for the SDGs are many and we turn to Navid Hanif, UN DESA’s Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development, for answers.

What are the biggest challenges in securing funding for the SDGs, and what are the actions governments, and the private sector can take to overcome them?

“Knowledge-sharing is a superpower”

Capacity development plays a key role in UN DESA’s efforts to support countries as they strive to achieve the global goals. As part of this work, e-learning is an important enabler for accessible and agile learning. We spoke with Nina Brandt in UN DESA’s Capacity Development Programme Management Office to learn more about the benefits of digital learning and how technology can help us all to be more connected.

Why did UN DESA develop an e-learning platform?