More from UN DESA

7 special events you need to know at the 2022 HLPF

Every year at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), UN DESA, as the secretariat of the Forum, curates a “Special Events Programme”. Stakeholder groups, such as the private sector, local and regional governments, and higher education institutions come together and share their knowledge and experience on SDG progress.

We look forward to your participation, be it in-person or virtual, at the following 2022 HLPF Special Events:

Mixed views on global economic outlook amid rising inflation and volatile markets

The global macroeconomic outlook continues to fluctuate amid growing uncertainties, pronounced monetary policy tightening and roiling financial markets. On 15 June, the Federal Reserve hiked its main policy rate by 0.75 percentage points—its largest increase in 28 years. The rate hike was higher than had been expected which caused turbulence in bond markets in June, with rising yields (declining prices) of long-term government bonds with high volatilities.

Youth and Indigenous Women headline August events

As part of its advocacy work on social inclusion and development of youth and indigenous peoples, UN DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) is organizing two events this coming August: 

Shining a spotlight on Inspiring Indigenous Women

Indigenous women are the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities and play a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge. They are the caretakers of our natural resources and keepers of scientific knowledge.

Climate and SDGs Conference seeks synergies to accelerate action

At a time of growing urgency, with evidence mounting of an ever-worsening climate emergency and the SDG agenda reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine, the UN is gathering leaders and experts for a conference to advance action on climate and the SDGs by tackling them together, synergistically.

Global Policy Dialogues to examine goals under review at upcoming HLPF

With the world facing numerous crises – the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, deepening inequalities and climate change, just to name a few – the need for global solidarity has become ever more urgent.

The good news is that the world already has a framework, adopted by every country, aimed at building the world we want by 2030: the Sustainable Development Goals.

How can the public service leverage partnerships to build back better?

Over two years ago the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic while essential workers risked their lives, some losing them to keep us alive. Governments scrambled, mobilizing public-private partnerships to set up services driven by digital technology to support people’s  daily life.

Videos surfaced from around the world of people united to applaud those on the frontlines, banging pots from their balconies, performing concerts on Zoom, and, as the world began to open up, cities like New York held parades to salute “the people who kept us alive”.

Building disability-inclusive societies in the COVID context and beyond

There are only eight years left for the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With 185 ratifications to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the international commitments to equality and empowerment of persons with disabilities has been further strengthened and there is increasing appreciation of advancing disability-inclusive development as an effective means and way to realize the rights and achieve development for all, including persons with disabilities.

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.