UN Forum with a mission to sustainably manage the world’s forests

Every year, forest policymakers, experts, and stakeholders gather at the UN Forum on Forests. The Forum is the only intergovernmental body with universal membership that deals with all issues related to forests within the UN system. The annual sessions of the Forum provide an opportunity for the forest community to review progress towards the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 and its six Global Forest Goals. This year, the seventeenth session of the Forum (UNFF17) will be held from 9 to 13 May 2022.

Transforming energy commitments into action

The energy and climate crises are surging. The next big step in mobilizing action and support for the critical transition to clean, affordable energy and net-zero emissions is taking place on 4 May 2022 with the launch of the UN-Energy Plan of Action and the Energy Compact Action Network. The launch aims to realize the commitments made in connection with the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy in September 2021 and its outcome, the Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG 7 Action.

Forum to advance safe and regular migration for sustainable development

In 2020, approximately 281 million people were international migrants. As COVID-19 ravaged across the world, they were among those groups most impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, through increased risk of infection, limited access to health services and social protection, job losses or extended family separation.

The essential roles that many migrants played as front-line service providers, pivotal actors in our supply chains and crucial sources of support for their families and communities have been recognized in many countries.

Age with rights - over 200 civil society organizations call for action

This year, as the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing approaches its 20-year milestone, there is an opportunity to generate renewed momentum for action to ensure that persons everywhere are able to age with security and dignity and to continue to participate in their societies as citizens with full rights.

Recovering from COVID-19, youth step up efforts for the global goals

Youth leaders, activists and youth-led organizations around the world will gather virtually with government ministers and officials at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this month to present bold solutions and initiatives for steering recovery from the pandemic and setting the world back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Strong institutions to help us build back better

Transforming institutions and governance is key in global efforts to achieve peace and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is why public administration experts will gather for their annual meeting on 4-8 April 2022 with this theme in focus.

New population trends: a force for good

As the population of the world approaches 8 billion, the growth rate continues to slow. Once fertility begins to fall, the changing age distribution becomes a positive force for economic growth, if labour markets successfully absorb the rapidly growing number of people in the working age ranges. During this stage of the demographic transition, population dynamics create the conditions for accelerated increase in income and consumption per capita, often referred to as the first demographic dividend.

United Nations to shape a strong recovery and scale up efforts for the global goals

Recovering from the devastating impacts of COVID-19 guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be the focus at the upcoming inaugural ECOSOC Coordination Segment on 3-4 February 2022. Chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Heads of UN entities, including specialized agencies, will join the Council to assess lessons learned from the COVID response and chart the path to scale-up efforts to achieve the SDGs.

Weaving a better future for the textile industry in Asia

Asian countries graduating from the least developed countries (LDCs) category need to bolster their textile and clothing sectors, particularly in the wake of COVID-19, recommends a joint report by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations.

Reversing the setback to global poverty – will a commodity super-cycle help?

The pandemic has caused a massive increase in global poverty, wiping so far almost a decade’s worth of progress in its eradication. The first target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 – is now further out of reach. Yet, SDG 1.1 could still be attained through rapid progress in poverty reduction. This is all the more imperative as high poverty levels have adverse implications for the global fight against the pandemic.