Welcome to the United Nations
UN DESA Voice is an insider's look at the United Nations in the area of economic, social and sustainable development policy. It is produced by the Strategic Planning and Communications Services of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs with articles written by UN DESA staff. This is an electronic publication - no printed edition is generated.
The current edition
December 2024
There is now little distinction between our offline and online lives. The Internet and digital technologies are so woven into the everyday fabric of societies that losing access—or trust—can feel like the ground shifting beneath us. Yet, 2.6 billion remain offline, left out of opportunities for education, healthcare, and economic growth.
2021
Transforming the way our world produces energy will be critical to tackling both the climate crisis and the energy access crisis. Now, 80 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions stems from our energy production, making it one of the main drivers of climate change. And 760 million people live without electricity, while 2.6 billion cook with dirty, unhealthy fuels.
COVID-19 is threatening decades of progress to improve people’s lives across the globe. Unless we take immediate action - now. We already have the best plan for a sustainable, people-centered and planet friendly recovery – the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. What is needed now is to turn these goals into reality, for people and planet.
The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development taking place from 6 to 15 July, is just the right venue to make this happen.
The energy level is rising. Some 30 Global Champion ministers, major businesses, cities, youth networks and experts are all gearing up to ignite bold energy actions. The ultimate goal is to achieve clean and affordable energy for all and to improve the lives of millions of people around the globe still without access to electricity.
Preparations are intensifying for the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy taking place in September. June will be an important mobilization milestone with the Ministerial Thematic Forums to be held virtually in the week of 21-25 June.
Around the world, four out of every five people facing extreme poverty live in rural areas. In cities, 5.3 per cent of people suffer extreme poverty, while this share climbs to 18 per cent for rural residents. The upcoming World Social Report 2021 examines the urban-rural divide and offers solutions to ensure that no village is left behind.
What have we learned from the ravages of COVID-19, with a global economic standstill and millions of people left reeling in its wake? How do we repair broken systems that failed to prevent this crisis? The upcoming Financing for Development Forum will explore how to invest to recover better.
Since the beginning of time, we have treated nature as a free and endless provider of services. We hike in forests, swim in oceans and use its resources without a second thought. But even if we don’t pay for these goods and services, their value is far from zero.
In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to realize that we have taken nature for granted for far too long.
2020