West Africa’s economic prospects at pivotal moment as regional integration faces major challenge

On 29 January 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger notified the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS. Established in 1975 to promote economic integration, ECOWAS has been instrumental in developing institutional mechanisms for regional cooperation.

Join us in celebrating forests and innovation!

Forests sustain us in countless ways – from clean air and water to food and medicine, income and livelihoods, and even sustainable fashion. Being near trees and forests can inspire creativity, reduce stress, and improve your mood.

The world’s forests cover nearly one-third of all land, providing carbon storage and biodiversity habitat while building our resilience to withstand storms and other natural disasters. Yet despite all that they provide us, forests are often undervalued, and every year we continue to lose ten million hectares of forests.

ECOSOC convenes the 2024 Coordination Segment

The international community will come together at the 2024 ECOSOC Coordination Segment in early 2024, to examine some of the major trends shaping our world.

Leveraging partnerships to achieve the global goals

At the 2023 SDG Summit, global leaders called for action, stressing the urgent need to engage and partner with a diverse range of actors to achieve sustainable development.

The 2024 UN Partnership Forum of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which will be held on 30 January at UN Headquarters in New York, will heed this call by bringing together Member States, the UN system and diverse stakeholders to showcase and discuss how partnerships can help drive the implementation of the SDGs.

International Human Solidarity Day: A call for unity and action

Every year on 20 December, the international community comes together to observe International Human Solidarity Day. emphasizing the importance of working together to address global challenges and promote the well-being of all people.

Turning commodities into catalysts for sustainable development

Halfway towards the target date for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, many commodity-dependent countries are struggling with a lack of resources and high indebtedness. This moment requires a policy shift. Against this backdrop, the Second Committee of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) convened a dialogue on leveraging commodities for sustainable development on 10 October.

World Toilet Day 2023: Accelerating Change

There is a global sanitation crisis and the world is working too slowly to solve it. There is an urgent need to accelerate change.

The world is seriously off track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6: to ensure “availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” by 2030. We are on a countdown, with less than seven years left to correct the course. We have to accomplish this goal with a sense of urgency, building on the global momentum garnered by the ambitious UN 2023 Water Conference.

Eradication of poverty and other social development issues in focus as the General Assembly’s Third Committee convenes for its 78th session

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly kicked off its 78th session on 28 September 2023 to debate a range of issues to advance social development. Although there has been significant progress since the World Summit for Social Development in 1995, the Committee observed that advancements have slowed down or even reversed since 2015. This serves as a reminder that progress is still fragile and inconsistent.

Amplifying small island voices: calling for stakeholders’ participation at the upcoming UN Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Conference

In May 2024, world leaders will be meeting in Antigua and Barbuda for the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). The theme of this event "Charting the course toward resilient prosperity" embodies the shared vision of achieving sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.

Why a Conference on Small Island Developing States?

Top business leaders to explore private sector’s solutions for the SDG Stimulus

The Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance will meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 31 October for their 5th Annual Meeting. They will present transformative solutions to bridge the SDG financing gap in developing countries.