Expert Voices

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?

The state of our global goals

How are today’s global crises affecting efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? On 7 July, the international community will find out as the annual report tracking SDG progress will be launched. To learn more about this year’s edition and why the data it presents is critical, we spoke with UN DESA’s Yongyi Min.

What do you want people to know about the Sustainable Development Goals Report; why is it important for the global community?

“This is the year to stop the decline of the ocean’s health”

“With every breath we take, we are connected to the ocean,” says UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Ambassador Peter Thomson. Ahead of the UN Ocean Conference taking place in Lisbon this month, we catch up with him about the current state of the ocean and why this year will be critical to turn the tide to improving its health.

Why is the ocean’s health in trouble?

Making waves for a blue economy

Our ocean is critical for all life on Earth. It regulates the climate and provides livelihoods for millions. But our ocean’s health is in danger. How can the blue economy help restore and protect this vital planetary resource? Ahead of the 2022 UN Ocean Conference this June, we spoke with UN DESA’s Madhushree Chatterjee who explains.

What do we mean when we talk about the blue economy?

Credit ratings – why they matter for the global goals

Did you know that much like report cards for students, countries too have “grades” associated with them? One type of these “grades”, called credit ratings, affect countries’ cost of borrowing money. The ratings are given by just a handful of private companies, known as credit rating agencies (CRAs). To gain more insights on this topic, we talked to Shari Spiegel in UN DESA’s Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO).

Trees for life – an inspiration to live more sustainably

“Regardless of where we live, the world’s forests sustain us all,” says Yan Lang, Programme Management Officer, in UN DESA’s Forum on Forests Secretariat, as we catch up ahead of the International Day of Forests on 21 March. Ms. Lang describes the current state of our forests and what actions we can take to protect them.

Forests play a critical role for life on Earth. Can you explain why and give some examples?