Financing for Development and the Spirit of Monterrey: A Beacon of Multilateralism for Improving Global Economic Governance

Secretary-General António Guterres (at right) and Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of Spain (at left), brief reporters at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), 30 June 2025. UN Photo/J.J Guillén
Ambassador Mauricio Escanero at the podium during the FfD4 special event "From Monterrey to Sevilla and Beyond", on 1 July 2025.
Protestors were also on hand during FfD4, held from 30 June to 3 July 2025 in Sevilla, Spain. UN Photo/Mariscal
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre right) greets Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, at the opening of the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3) on 13 July 2015 in Addis Ababa. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

With the Monterrey process, we opened a path for the United Nations to fulfil its potential as the spearhead for improved global economic governance that fully supports equitable and sustainable development.

Collaboration Is Key to Combating Sand and Dust Storms

Giza Pyramids. ELG21/Enrique@Pixabay
Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization.
Dust storm clouds rolling into Phoenix, Arizona, United States, on 5 July 2011, reducing visibility to zero. A mile-high wall of dust and sand was created by desert thunderstorms. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Dust and sand storms can have far-reaching impacts on our health and quality of life, on air and ground transport, on agriculture and the environment, and on solar energy production.

Reflections on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Entry into Force of the World Wildlife Treaty

A black-bellied pangolin (Manis tetradactyla), listed in CITES Appendix I. Angiolo/Adobe Stock
CITES Secretary-General Higuero (second from right) addresses the CITES Plants Committee at its twenty-sixth meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 2023. Photo: CITES Secretariat
Cape aloe (Aloe ferox), a plant listed in CITES Appendix II. Photo: Lynette/Adobe Stock
CITES Secretary-General Higuero (centre-left, holding sign) attends the launch of the CITES Global Youth Network in Singapore, 2024. Photo: Shenn Tan

Over the past decades, CITES has developed and harnessed a suite of tools that help us navigate an increasingly complex landscape, not just to keep pace but to lead. 

The Power of Voice to Inspire Change

A view of pamphlets during the event “International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2023: Scoring for People and the Planet”. Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten
Maher Nasser (centre) with participants in the South Asian Media and Cultural Studies Conference, held at Florida State University (FSU), Tallahassee, Florida, 30-31 January 2025. Credit: Sophia Ferraro/FSU

Stories and narratives matter, which is why they have been an important part of the communications strategy at the United Nations.

Forests and Foods: Nourishing People, Sustaining the Planet

Indigenous Mbuti communities in the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo sustainably harvest wild meat and forest products, maintaining their traditional way of life. FAO/Thomas Nicolon

The future of forests and food security affects the well-being of every individual on this planet; integrated and concerted efforts to protect forests are, therefore, crucial.

Sustainable Stories: Empowering Children to Shape Their Own Future

Two children learning with one of the mindset education books of Sustainable Stories on the SDGs. ©Sustainable Stories
©Sustainable Stories
©Sustainable Stories

It's crucial to show young children the possibilities available to them in a positive way, but it’s equally important to ensure that their environment can fully support them.

Moving Away from Illicit Crop Production Contributes to Socioeconomic Development, Peace and Stability

In October 2024, a group of women farmers from Myanmar visited hilltribe women farmers at Doi Inthanon, Thailand, to learn about sustainable agriculture. UNODC/Laura Gil
Coffee beans grown in Colombia, where alternative development has been a fundamental tool in peace-building efforts. UNODC/@unodcrocol
Off-farm vegetable production in Nimroz province, western Afghanistan. UNODC Implementing Partner/DACAAR

Over the past two decades, UNODC has supported hundreds of thousands of families in finding dignified incomes away from illicit crops.

Rethinking Universal Basic Income: Economic Productivity, Quality of Life and the Sustainable Development Goals

pexels-riyakumari08
Sustainable Development Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
pexels-pixabay

Even if humanity possesses sufficient specialized knowledge to liberate itself, a gravely and persistently unequal social structure continues to hamper all the world’s countries.

The LDC Future Forum: Accelerating the Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Least Developed Countries

Young Girls Pumping Water At A Public Borehole in West Africa. By Riccardo Niels Mayer/Adobe Stock
Ambassador Elina Kalkku, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, addresses the LDC Future Forum in Helsinki, Finland, 6 March 2024. United Nations OHRLLS
Water trucks at a camp where about 200 muhamasheen families, displaced from Sa’ada, Yemen, live. OCHA /Philippe Kropf

The desired outcome of the LDC Future Forums is the dissemination of practical and evidence-based case studies, solutions and policy recommendations for achieving sustainable development.

Addressing the Teacher Shortage—a Global Imperative

A teacher and student in a classroom in Senegal. Samuel Grumaiu, Education International
A teacher with students in Klaten, Kabupatén Klatén, Jawa Tengah, 10 May 2020 Indonesia Husniati Salma on Unsplash
Shaui Bian, a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield in the United States, student-teaching at a local elementary school, April 2015. Photo: University of Illinois Springfield

The mission of the United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession is clear: ensure that every student benefits from a professionally trained, qualified and well-supported teacher.