Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2027
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Background
The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) originated in “The Future We Want,” the outcome of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, when Member States were laying the groundwork for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The negotiators knew that the 2030 Agenda would be complex, and unprecedented in ambition, and that a siloed approach to development would not be adequate. They recognized the power of science to understand and navigate relationships among social, environmental and economic development objectives, and so they called for a report to strengthen the science-policy interface.
In 2016, Member States decided that the report should be produced once every four years, to inform the quadrennial SDG review deliberations (SDG Summit) at the General Assembly, and that it should be written by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General. They mandated that the Group would consist of 15 experts representing a variety of backgrounds, scientific disciplines and institutions, ensuring geographical and gender balance.
The 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report, The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development, was the first report prepared by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report, "Times of Crisis, Times of Change: Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development", is the second.
The 2023 GSDR Times of Crisis, Times of Change: Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development was a key input for the 2023 SDG Summit. At the 2023 SDG Summit and the 2024 Summit of the Future, UN Member States reaffirmed their commitment to the 2030 Agenda and acceleration of the SDGs. Informed by the GSDR’s systemic approach to the SDGs, the UN system identified six transitions where interventions could unlock across the board gains. These are: (1) food systems; (2) energy access and affordability; (3) digital connectivity; (4) education; (5) jobs and social protection; and (6) climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. In the follow up, government actors at all levels are being supported to work collaboratively across ministries and engage civil society and other non-government partners in rolling out these transitions.
The next report is scheduled for release in September 2027 ahead of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development to be held under the auspices of the General Assembly (SDG Summit).
Global Sustainable Development Report 2027
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed a new group of independent scientists to draft the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR). The report will aim to strengthen the science-policy-society interface and serve as a robust, evidence-based tool to support policymakers in accelerating progress toward poverty eradication and sustainable development in the final push to 2030.
This group is expected to launch the 2027 GSDR in September of 2027 in advance of the High-Level Political Forum under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (SDG Summit), providing scientific guidance on the state of global sustainable development, addressing emerging challenges, and offering actionable recommendations for governments and other stakeholders.
Building on the legacy of previous reports, the 2027 GSDR will be accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, business leaders, civil society organizations, and the general public.
Independent Group of Scientists
Ms. Phoebe Koundouri (Co-Chair)
Ms. Koundouri is an economist renowned for pioneering human-centric, interdisciplinary, mathematical systems that enable the sustainable interaction between nature, society, and the economy. She is currently Professor at the School of Economics, Athens University of Economics and Business; Visiting Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge and Senior Research Fellow at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge — her alma mater. She is the founder of the Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aeiphoria-AE4RIA (involving 200 researchers), and she is included (in various prestigious rankings) as top 1-2% of world scientists (19 books, 650 published papers, 100 projects, impact in 120 countries). Since 2019 she is the President of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), Chair of the World Council of Environmental Resource Economists Association, Chair of the United Nations SDSN Global Climate Hub (2000 universities), and Co-chair of SDSN Europe (900 universities). She is a member of the Nominating Committee for the Nobel Prize in Economics and elected Fellow of several prestigious academies, including Academia Europaea, the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS, where she also serves as a trustee), the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Developing World, the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). Prof. Koundouri's interdisciplinary approach and commitment to addressing complex global sustainability challenges through integrated research, policy engagement, and practical impact, has influenced policies and driven socio-economic change across all continents. She holds an MPhil and PhD from the University of Cambridge.
Mr. Adedoyin Adeleke (Co-Chair)
Mr. Adeleke, PhD is the Executive Director of the Green Growth Africa Sustainability Network (Green Growth Africa) in Nigeria and a Research Fellow within the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development at the Politecnico di Milano in Italy. He is an Ambassador of the ECOWAS Youth Council. Dr. Adeleke is a green growth and sustainability expert whose work bridges science, policy, and practice. He researches the interlinkages among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to support effective policy design. He was a Lead Country Contributor (for Nigeria) to four consecutive editions of REN21’s Global Status Reports on renewable energy and a Country Contributor to the 3rd edition of UNEP’s 1 Gigaton Coalition Report, among others. Dr. Adeleke has initiated and leads diverse sustainability initiatives. These includes three environmental education and research initiatives that has impacted 173 graduate students in 57 Universities and 10,000 high school students across 26 African countries, and campaign initiatives that has reached over 10 million people. He also pioneered two technology (web & mobile) applications – Green Growth DigiHub, and Green Growth Watch – and the Green Growth TV & Studios in Nigeria. His leadership has been recognized globally, including the 40 Under 40 Changemakers in the Global Solar Energy Industry, 30 Under 30 Changemakers in Environmental Education, and Top 100 Shakers & Movers in E-learning in Africa, among other honours and awards.
Ms. Marianne Beisheim
Ms. Marianne Beisheim is Senior Associate at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin, Germany. Her focus is on the global governance of sustainable development, with an academic background in political science and international relations. She is an expert on the follow-up and review processes of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and closely follows UN consultations and negotiations on the SDGs. Marianne served on many boards and committees; she is currently a member of the Leadership Council of SDSN Germany, the Research Council of the United Nations Association Germany and the German Federal Foreign Office’s UN-Political Advisory Board. She was Assistant Professor at Freie Universität Berlin, where she was the principal investigator of a 12-year academic research project on multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development.
Ms. Vanesa Castan Broto
Ms. Vanesa Castán Broto has dedicated her academic career to understanding the effectiveness and fairness of place-based responses to climate change in rapidly changing environmental and political contexts. She is currently a Professor of Climate Urbanism at the Urban Institute, University of Sheffield, where she directs the multi-partner project JustGESI (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion for a Just Energy Transition), funded by the UKRI Ayrton Fund. Her last book is entitled Community Energy and Sustainable Energy Transitions (2024, Palgrave).
Ms. Yensi Flores-Bueso
Ms. Yensi Flores Bueso is an early career researcher working at the intersection of computational protein design, synthetic biology, and microbiome research. She is currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow jointly at the University College Cork and the Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, where her research focuses on designing de novo proteins for biotechnological and health applications. Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Flores Bueso plays an active role in science for society. She serves as Co-Chair of the Global Young Academy (2024–2026), where she represents early-career researchers on the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board (2024–2026), and has contributed to international efforts on research assessment reform, open science, and equity in science systems, including as a founding Steering Board member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). Originally from Honduras, she is also a social entrepreneur, having co-founded three biotech start-ups, and has been recognised in international media for advancing inclusive approaches to science and innovation. She brings to the GSDR her commitment to science as a global public good, combining scientific expertise from a global perspective, building bridges between research and society.
Ms. Sarah Cook
Ms. Cook is currently Professor, University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), a Visiting Researcher at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, Associate of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and a Visiting Lecturer, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University. In a career spanning academia and international organisations, she has held leadership positions in the United Nations, including as Director of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) during the key years of formulating the SDGs, and Director of UNICEF’s Office of Research-Innocenti. She has extensive experience working in China both as an academic and a grant maker with the Ford Foundation. Her research has focused on issues of economic and social inequality in development contexts, with publications covering areas of gender, the care economy, work, employment and informality, health, social policy and just climate transitions. She is currently an editor of the Journal of Global Social Policy, a member of a CCICED (China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development) Working Group, and part of networks on the care-climate nexus and feminist approaches to a well-being economy. She has a BA from Oxford, MSc from LSE and a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Mr. Hassam Hussein
Mr. Hussein is an academic, policy, and international development expert specialising in water and energy diplomacy, environmental governance, and sustainable development, with a focus on the Middle East and Central Asia. As a research associate in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, he explores the role of power dynamics in water governance. His interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from political science, environmental studies, and international relations, addressing critical issues such as water scarcity, climate change impacts, and the equitable distribution of water and energy resources. Dr. Hussein’s academic journey includes a BA and MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Trieste – Gorizia (Italy), studies in Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS, University of London, and an MA in Interdisciplinary European Studies from the College of Europe. He earned his PhD at the School of International Development, University of East Anglia, with a dissertation on the discourse of water scarcity in Jordan and its implications for transboundary water governance. Beyond academia, he currently works at the European Delegation in Tajikistan on energy, while has working experience on sustainable development and environmental governance with institutions such as the Italian Embassy in Jordan, the European Parliament, the IFC – World Bank, and UNICEF WASH Jordan. He also served as Executive Director at the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan, furthering his contributions to regional development and sustainability.
Ms. Mmaki Jantjies
Ms. Jantjies is one of the foremost thought leaders in digital transformation and innovation in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Warwick (UK) and she is currently serving as the Group Executive for Innovation and Transformation at Telkom South Africa, where she established the group innovation office. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of the Western Cape and serves as a member of the South African National Advisory Council on Innovation. In her executive role, she drives digital transformation by enabling the establishment of an open innovation ecosystem to support new products and service development, scaling corporate venturing initiatives that invest in and partner with startups and SMMEs. Her academic work is deeply focused on digital inclusion, and she is passionate about building inclusive ecosystems for economic advancement. She has served in various senior academic leadership roles, at the North West University, the University of Cape Town and the University of Western Cape, having supervised Masters and PhD students. Furthermore, she founded a non-profit organization Peo Ya Phetogo to promote digital literacy, impacting children nationwide by educating teachers in digital skills, and has launched partnerships with UN Women, Google, and the Mozilla Foundation. Her work has garnered significant recognition, emphasizing her contributions to South Africa and the African continent technology landscape.
Mr. Sherif Kamel
Mr. Kamel is a professor of management and the Dean of the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo. Previously, he served as the university’s vice president for information management. Before joining the university, he was the director of the Regional Information Technology Institute and managed the training department at the Cabinet of Egypt’s Information and Decision Support Center. He serves as vice chair of the Global Alliance in Management Education. He sits on the boards of the Central Bank of Egypt, the Global Business Schools Network, and Education for Employment Egypt. He is a member of the Egypt-U.S. Business Council, the National Council for Education, Research, and Innovation, the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, the International Advisory Board of the Graduate School at LUISS University, and the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. He is a founding member of the Internet Society of Egypt. He previously served as president of the board of governors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt. He is the immediate past chair of the board of directors of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and co-chaired the board of stewards for the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative. His teaching and research interests include digital transformation, IT transfer to emerging economies, decision support systems, and entrepreneurship.
Ms. Milica V. Matijević
Ms. Matijević is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Project Department at the Institute of Comparative Law in Belgrade, Serbia, where she has specialised in international human rights law since 2007. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Florence, an MA from the European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Venice, and a Law degree from the University of Belgrade. Her research and professional work focuses on international human rights law and the legal protection of vulnerable groups, with particular emphasis on non-discrimination and access to socio-economic rights in post-conflict settings. She has published extensively in academic journals, edited volumes, and policy papers on these themes. Beyond academia, Dr. Matijević has served as a legal expert and consultant on numerous EU- and UN-funded projects promoting the rule of law, access to justice, and the protection of human rights in Serbia and across the Western Balkans. She is fluent in English and Italian and has working knowledge of French.
Mr. Steven Ratuva
A Fijian by birth, Distinguished Professor Steven Ratuva is Pro-Vice Chancellor Pacific and Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. With a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex), he is an interdisciplinary scholar with expertise across development studies, political sociology, social anthropology and social history. He is Foundation Chair of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) Research Committee on Climate Security and Planetary Politics. He also Chairs the annual International Conference on Social Science and Fellow of the Royal Society of NZ and a Foundation Fellow of the Pacific Science Academy. He has won various awards including the University of Canterbury Research Medal (the highest academic award for the university) and the University Sustainability Research Award. He was also awarded the Royal Society Metge Medal for excellence in social science research—one of the most prestigious academic awards in NZ.
Mr. Fabio Veras Soares
Mr. Fabio Veras Soares is a senior researcher at the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Development (IPCid) of the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), a Brazilian government think tank. He served as Director of International Studies at IPEA during 2023-2024, where he coordinated IPEA’s work in organizing the T20 (Think 20) engagement group of the G20 under Brazil’s presidency. He is currently one of the interim coordinators of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which was launched last November during the G20 summit and one of the lead co-chairs of T20 South Africa Task force 4 on Solidarity for the Achievement of the SDGs. At IPEA, he also served as the focal point for the former International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), overseeing research, process and impact evaluations as well as advisory service projects primarily focused on social protection policies and programs, food security, poverty, and inequality. His work has spanned multiple countries, including Brazil, Paraguay, Kenya, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, India, Mozambique, and Yemen.
Ms. Eliane Ubalijoro
Ms. Ubalijoro is a Rwandan Canadian scientist and executive, renowned for her leadership in sustainable development and global health. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), she spearheads groundbreaking research and innovation to tackle environmental challenges, climate resilience, and food security worldwide. With a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from McGill University, Dr. Ubalijoro has a rich academic background, having served as a Professor of Practice at McGill’s Institute for the Study of International Development, where she bridged science, policy, and sustainability. Beyond her role at CIFOR-ICRAF, Dr. Ubalijoro is a highly sought-after advisor, serving on multiple boards and global policy committees dedicated to sustainability, equity, and international development. Her expertise in integrating scientific research with policymaking has positioned her as a key figure in shaping sustainable solutions for pressing global challenges.
Mr. Taidong Zhou
Mr. Zhou Taidong currently serves as Vice President of the Center for International Knowledge on Development (CIKD), China. He is primarily engaged in research related to sustainable development, global development and governance, and China's development experience. Over the years, Dr. Zhou has led or actively participated in the compilation of a series of reports including China’s Progress Report on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025 upcoming), Global Development Report (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 upcoming), and Global Development Initiative Progress Report (2023, 2025). He has co-authored books such as Comparative Study on Regulatory Systems of Foreign Aid, Laos and the Belt and Road Initiative, and Nepal and the Belt and Road Initiative, among others. He holds a Ph.D. in Management from China Agricultural University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Australian National University.
Regional Consultation
SDG implementation is achieved primarily at the local, national, and regional levels. To inform the GSDR as an assessment of assessments, the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) is conducting a series of regional consultations with policy makers, experts, and practitioners in different geographic regions to gather insights from a diverse range of local perspectives and experiences. Consultations are conducted both virtually and in-person
The IGS is collecting perspectives from different regions and stakeholders, including context-specific priorities, challenges, and opportunities, as well as scalable, practical tools to accelerate progress. In these consultations, the IGS are seeking perspectives from scientists, government officials in their technical capacities, private sector experts, members of civil society, youth, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and stakeholders at all levels.
Please see below for further information on each consultation.
Asia and the Pacific November 05 - 06, 2025