More from UN DESA - July 2023

Why geographic location matters for the global goals

We all recognise the need to rescue the SDGs. Our hard-fought development progress is reversing under the combined impacts of climate-related disasters, conflict, economic uncertainties, and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must take urgent action and use every potential opportunity to translate the vision of “leaving no-one behind” into reality. In this regard, we must better leverage geographic location. Geospatial information, data about a geographic location, provide insights that help us map our current course for the better.

Green skills for youth: Towards a sustainable world

On 12 August, the world will observe International Youth Day. This day celebrates the contributions, ideas, energy and creativity of young people to foster positive change, not only for themselves, but also for their communities and the rest of the world. This year, on International Youth Day, UN DESA is highlighting the importance of green skills in building back better towards a more sustainable future.

Indigenous youth as agents of change

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) affirms that Indigenous Peoples, including children and youth, have the right to self-determination, and have an equal right to govern themselves, equal to all other peoples. Indigenous youth are playing an increasingly active role in exercising their right to self-determination, working as agents of change at the forefront of some of the most pressing crises facing humanity, as their future depends on the decisions that are made today.

12 special events you can’t miss at the 2023 HLPF

Every year at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), UN DESA, as the secretariat of the Forum, in collaboration with key partners, curates a number of high-profile special events featuring high-level report launches and discussions to galvanize broad ownership and engagement on the SDGs from key sectors, such as higher education institutions, private sector, local and regional governments, parliamentarians, among others.

We look forward to your participation – in person or virtually – at the following 2023 HLPF Special Events:

Crisis in global learning: a call for action to improve education access, quality, equity and inclusion

Education is one of the best investments societies can make to build a more sustainable and prosperous future. Improvements in learning opportunities contribute directly to the achievement of sustainable development and the promotion of human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Realizing the right to education helps to eradicate poverty and makes individuals and communities more resilient in the face of natural disasters and climate change.