United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)

Q1. How have the COVID-19 pandemic and the current food, energy and financing crises changed the priorities of your organization?

UN DESA’s work in 2021-2022 was heavily shaped by the combined impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the cascading socioeconomic effects of the war in Ukraine, including the food, energy and financing crisis. Guided both by the call of the SDG Summit, and by the forward-looking vision outlined by the Secretary-General in his report on Our Common Agenda, the Department continued its focus on championing synergistic, future-focused approaches to pandemic response and recovery that accelerate integrated and cross-sectoral progress towards sustainable development for all.

For example, the Department sought to address multiple dimensions of poverty and inequality and shape solid recommendations that drive transformative action for inclusive social and economic policy, and people-centred development in response to the current crises. In this regard, the Department:

Promoted integrated long-term social policy frameworks for addressing poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, and inequalities.
Supported the protection of small-scale producers and family farmers through access to modern technologies.
Completed training for sixteen countries in the Least Developed Country (LDC) category and worked with the OECD Development Centre, International Trade Centre, and UNCTAD to promote LDC advancement.
Drew critical attention to the importance of effective disability inclusion for effective pandemic recovery and long-term development progress.
Promoted digital inclusion through multistakeholder partnerships that facilitate access for all to information and communication technologies, in line with human rights frameworks.

Furthermore, UN DESA helped Member States better understand the complex challenges created by recurrent crises by monitoring, analyzing, and forecasting social, economic, and demographic trends. UN DESA also helped Member States build greater resilience and preparedness through targeted capacity-development activities and by building tools to help improve governance. In this regard, the Department:

Studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises on the 2030 Agenda and examined the options available for the global community to achieve the SDGs.
Supported the deliberations by the Secretary-General on Our Common Agenda.
Provided evidence-based analysis of the linkages between population growth and the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
Provided a view of the challenges faced by LDCs and developing countries in recovering and emerging from the multiple crises affecting the world.
Explored the opportunities, challenges, key policies and investments needed to build productive capacities in LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS as well as MICs.
Highlighted the importance of public institutions and public servants in building back better as they work to meet the 2030 deadline for implementing the SDGs.
Provided training on useful tools and new techniques for digital governance that can help improve the efficiency and reach of services.

Q2. How has your organization supported Member States to accelerate their recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda? How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations in these efforts to achieve coherence and synergies?

As part of its work in supporting UN conferences and intergovernmental processes related to sustainable development, including the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and its subsidiary machinery and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), DESA has continue to assist the shift in the focus of the global community towards ensuring an SDG-guided recovery from the pandemic, by supporting evidence- and science-based policy debates and peer learning at the various intergovernmental meetings and events it supported, building on its work to identify and share best practices of SDG implementation at the national, regional and local levels. For example, the Department:

Provided data, analysis, policy recommendations and expert guidance to support a successful 2022 HLPF.
Supported Member States in preparing for and conducting Voluntary National Reviews of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (VNRs) at the HLPF through global preparatory workshops and webinars.
Supported the substantive preparations of the HLPF reviews of implementation of SDGs 4 on quality education, 5 on gender equality, 14 on life below water, 15 on life on land, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals, and on the HLPF theme on recovering from COVID-19 while realizing the SDGs.
Supported governments in negotiating the 2022 HLPF Ministerial Declaration.
Promoted innovative thinking at 18 VNR Labs.
Raised awareness of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs through special events, side events and exhibitions in the margins of the HLPF, ensuring the inclusion of a wide range of voices and perspectives.

Furthermore, the Department supported related high-level events and special thematic meetings held in 2021-2022, including the 2022 UN Ocean Conference and the 2022 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development.

Please highlight up to three high-impact initiatives, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs and involves interagency collaboration. Concrete initiatives might be selected to be spotlighted during relevant intergovernmental meetings.

Initiative	2022 high-level political forum on sustainable development (2022 HLPF)
Partners	Member States, Funds, programmes and other UN system organizations, intergovernmental organizations, ECOSOC subsidiary bodies, major groups and other stakeholders
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs, with special focus on Goals 4, 5, 14, 15 and 17.
Member States benefiting from the initiative	Global
Description	HLPF in 2022 examined the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SDGs and the pathway for a recovery, under the theme “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The 2022 HLPF also conducted in-depth review of SDGs 4, 5, 14, 15, and 17. DESA supported intergovernmental negotiations on the Ministerial Declaration, which stresses that the 2030 Agenda is our roadmap for recovering from the crises. It also asserts that the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the SDGs can still be reversed and provides detailed guidance to make further progress. DESA also organized substantive preparations for HLPF by working together with the Regional Commissions to integrate the assessments and outcomes of the Regional Forums on Sustainable Development, and by inviting UN system partners to provide inputs for thematic reviews, through a series of Expert Group Meetings.
Website	https://hlpf.un.org/2022

Initiative	2022 UN Ocean Conference
Partners	Member States, Funds, programmes and other UN system organizations, intergovernmental organizations, civil societies, youth, businesses and the scientific community
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs, through the lens of SDG14
Member States benefiting from the initiative	Global
Description	The UN Ocean Conference was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 27 June to 1 July to galvanise global action to save our ocean under the theme “Scaling Up Ocean Action Based on Science and Innovation for the Implementation of Goal 14: Stocktaking, Partnerships and Solutions”. More than 6,000 participants from 150 countries, including 24 Heads of State and Government and over 2,000 representatives of civil society participated in the conference. In addition to the plenary sessions, the UN Ocean Conference featured eight interactive dialogues, four special events and more than 250 side events. The Lisbon Declaration, “Our ocean, our future, our responsibility,” was adopted at the closing plenary, which set out specific science-based and innovative actions, taking into account the capacity challenges of developing countries.
Website	https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022

Initiative	The 2022 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development
Partners	UN system, Member States, IFIs, relevant stakeholders
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs, with special focus on Goal 17
Member States benefiting from the initiative	Global
Description	The 2022 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development took place amid interconnected crises caused by COVID-19, conflict and climate. The forum succeeded in adopting an outcome document calling for urgent solutions to scale up financing for development. The agreement proved the unique strength of the United Nations in finding solutions at times of growing polarization. It featured high-level political engagement including eight Heads of State. The discussion focused on key challenges, including the need to reform the international financial architecture. Within the outcome there is an agreement to consider multidimensional vulnerability as a criterion for both concessional finance and debt relief eligibility, using a UN-developed index geared to capture the unique challenges faced by small island developing States. Member States also called for expanded debt relief and enhancements to the G20 Common Framework. They also committed to expand investment in social protection floors as a percentage of national budgets.
Website	https://www.un.org/development/desa/financing/events/2022-ecosoc-forum-…

Q3. Has your organization published or is it planning to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support recovery efforts from COVID-19 while advancing full implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels? Please select up to three high-impact resources to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs. Selected resources will be highlighted to inform relevant intergovernmental meetings.

Resource	Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Report of the Secretary-General 2022 ("SDG Progress Report")
Publishing entity/entities	United Nations (Report of the Secretary-General)
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs
Target audience	Policy makers at the national, regional and global levels
Description	In accordance with General Assembly resolution 70/1, the report provides a global overview of the current situation of the SDGs using inputs from more than 50 international and regional organizations. The data contained in the report are derived from indicators in the global indicator framework developed by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators, which was adopted by the Assembly on 6 July 2017 (see Assembly resolution 71/313). The report analyses the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 crisis on people’s lives and livelihoods and addresses the need of global efforts to rescue and realize the SDGs by stepping up the work to transform the international financial architecture, driving major economic transitions and renewing the social contract, and investing in data systems.
Website	https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=E%2F2022%2F55&Language=E&Dev…
Language	Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish

Resource	DESA Policy Brief series
Publishing entity/entities	UNDESA
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs
Target audience	Policy makers at the national, regional and global levels
Description	UN DESA policy briefs provide latest research, analysis and policy advice to help policy makers around the world navigate tough choices and to find ways to recover better from the COVID-19 crisis and prepare for complex and compounded risks in today's interconnected world. The series supports and complement the United Nations Secretary-General’s initiatives in response to the COVID-19 crisis, Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals and call by the Member States to advance Our Common Agenda. The latest series “Future of the World” (Fall 2021 – Present) focuses on providing DESA’s foresight analysis to advance our preparedness for future challenges and crises, and to reduce risks and make our systems more resilient. More than 30 policy briefs were release under this latest series, including analysis that focused on the influence of crises on the SDGs and the policy implications needed to advance the 2030 Agenda.
Website	https://www.un.org/en/desa/products/policy-briefs
Language	English

Resource	World Economic Situation and Prospects 2022
Publishing entity/entities	DESA, with inputs from UNCTAD and five UN Regional Commissions, as well as contribution from the World Tourism Organization
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs, with focus on Goals 8, 10, 12 and 13
Target audience	Policy makers at the national, regional and global levels
Description	In collaboration with the UNCTAD, five UN Regional Commissions and the World Tourism Organization, the report provides latest analysis on the global and regional macroeconomic situation, and presents forecasts based on DESA’s World Economic Forecasting Model (WEFM). It highlights that the global economic recovery is facing significant headwinds amid new waves of COVID-19 infections, persistent labour market challenges, lingering supply-chain challenges and rising inflationary pressures. The mid-year update of the report (World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2022) further presents the significantly weakened global growth prospects amid the war in Ukraine, rising energy, food and commodity prices, soaring inflation and tightening monetary policy stances by major central banks.
Website	https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-sit… https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-sit…
Language	English

Q4. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups to support SDG implementation and COVID-19 recovery at national, regional and global levels? Please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned. For example, what has worked particularly well as a model for effective stakeholder engagement?

At the global level, DESA supported the engagement of an increasing number of NGOs in the work of the ECOSOC and major groups and other stakeholders in the HLPF in an effort to maximize the impact of their contributions. To provide additional space for key stakeholder sectors to share about their efforts to implement the SDGs, DESA also continued to organize a series of special events with partners in connection with the HLPF and the General Assembly high-level week, including SDGs Learning, HESI+10 Global Forum, Local and Regional Governments Forum, Chief Sustainability Officer for SDGS, and the SDG Business Forum.

DESA has also undertaken several initiatives to ensure that youth voices are brought to the global decision-making space, to drive youth inclusion and equality in the process of SDG implementation, including through the 2022 ECOSOC Youth Forum and the Youth Forum on SDG implementation.

Furthermore, the Department also supported the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders in other sustainable development-related processes, including the ECOSOC Partnership Forum in February 2022, ECOSOC Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs in May 2022 and the UN Ocean Conference in June 2022.

DESA has also facilitated stakeholder active engagement in the preparatory processes for the 2022 UN Ocean Conference (June 2022) and the UN 2023 Water Conference. For the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, stakeholders participated in a series of briefings, webinars and consultations prior to the Conference, collaborated in Special Events, side-events, delivered oral remarks during Official sessions as well as submitted written inputs. DESA has also been supporting the engagement of stakeholders in the lead up to the UN 2023 Water Conference by supporting the process for special accreditation of non-governmental organizations, organizing briefings, consultations, facilitating space for organization of side-events and by conducting regular outreach in preparation for the Conference.

Global Online Stakeholder Consultations conducted by UNDESA, 2021-2022

Intergovernmental conferences and processes	Links to online stakeholder consultation results (All inputs and summary reports are publicly available.)
2023 ECOSOC Partnership Forum	Global Online Stakeholder Consultation
2022 ECOSOC Partnership Forum	Global Online Stakeholder Consultation
United Nations 2023 Water Conference	Global Online Stakeholder Consultation: Themes for the Interactive Dialogues
United Nations 2023 Water Conference	Second Global Online Stakeholder Consultation: Proposed Themes for Interactive Dialogue
2022 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF)	Global Online Consultation: SDGs under review at the 2022 HLPF
United Nations High Level Dialogue on Energy	Thematic E-Consultation for the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Energy
2022 United Nations Ocean Conference	Global Online Stakeholder Consultation: Inputs to concept papers of interactive dialogues

At the country level, through its 2030 Agenda Partnership Accelerator programme, the Department has supported several UN Resident Coordinator Offices in fostering stronger collaboration between stakeholders and sectors and enhance national capacities in forging new multi-stakeholder partnerships and partnership platforms. This includes:

Strengthened partnerships between stakeholders in Maldives on waste management and mental health through organization of partnership labs and consultations.
Supported the organization of the Mexico Partnership Forum to strengthen and scale multi-stakeholder and multi-sector engagement for SDGs, leading to the establishment of the Mexico Partnership Platform and UN Mexico’s Partnership Strategy as a first in the region.
Conducted training to national stakeholders from various sectors on building effective and impactful partnerships in the Bahamas.

At the regional level, through collaboration with Government of Italy, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, a network of partnerships champions have been established in the Caribbean with the purpose to advance partnerships in the region.

The Partnership Accelerator has also developed an online comprehensive Partnership Learning Centre, offering learning modules on various aspects of partnering for the SDGs, including on special issue such as partnerships in response to COVID-19, national partnership platforms and partnerships for Small Island Developing States. The Centre also offers guided tours of modules and resources based on the level of experience the user has with partnerships.

If your organization has established multi-stakeholder partnership(s) in this regard, please describe them (name, partners involved, relevant SDGs, Member States benefiting from the partnership) and provide links to relevant websites for more information.

Partnership	Higher Education for Sustainability Initiative (HESI)
Partners	UNDESA, Sulitest Association, UNESCO, UNEP, UN Global Compact Principles for Responsible Management Education Initiative, UNU, UN-Habitat, UNCTAD, UNITAR, and UN Office for Partnerships
Relevant SDGs	All SDGs
Member States benefiting from the initiative	All Member States
Description	The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is an open partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community launched in the leadup to the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. It is currently chaired by UNDESA and the Sulitest Association - a non-profit organiztion and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. HESI provides higher education with an interface between higher education , science, and policy making by raising the profile of higher education's sector in supporting sustainable development, convening multi-stakeholder discussions and action, and sharing best practices.
Website	https://sdgs.un.org/HESI

Q5. In the 2019 SDG Summit declaration (GA Resolution 74/4), Member States outlined ten priority areas for accelerated action in SDG implementation. Please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted in these ten priority areas:

5.1 leaving no one behind;

Promoting orderly migration and sustainable urbanization to reduce inequality and family poverty

In preparation for the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, UN DESA is supporting research and awareness-raising activities on the impact of current megatrends on families. In 2022, the Department has focused on the impacts of migration and urbanization. As migration-related issues are visible throughout the 2030 Agenda and across all pillars of United Nations work, more attention should be given to migrants and their families and ensuring effective policy support and responses in this area. A side event at the Commission for Social Development, “Families and Migration,” highlighted the contribution of family remittances to poverty reduction. In observance of the International Day of Families, in May 2022, the Department launched a research paper on “Migration, Urbanization and the Family Dimension”, and prepared a policy brief on “Migration Trends and Families.” A UN Chronicle article on families and urbanization was also published, as part of the commemoration.

Eradicating poverty and hunger for an inclusive and resilient recovery

UN DESA’s evidence-based analysis of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular on the poorest and most vulnerable, supported the 59th session of the Commission for Social Development to adopt a policy outcome focused on enabling an inclusive and resilient recovery to eradicate poverty and hunger to achieve the 2030 Agenda. In addition to compiling effective national policies and measures implemented to combat hunger and poverty during the pandemic, UN DESA facilitated mutual learning among Member States and various stakeholders during the Commission session to promote integrated long-term social policy frameworks that simultaneously address multiple causes of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, combat inequalities, and enhance the capabilities, resilience, and well-being of all people over their life cycle. The Department further guided numerous multistakeholder discussions aimed at reducing food insecurity through support for and protection of small-scale producers and family farmers, and the elimination of digital barriers.

Advancing disability-inclusive development

As secretariat to the Conference of State Parties to the Convention, DESA facilitated global-level dialogue to address existing gaps in translating the international commitments to persons with disabilities into development policies, programming and practices at national and international levels, and realize the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind. Bringing together 1,000 delegates from 185 States Parties and Signatories, UN entities, national human rights institutions and over 500 accredited NGOs, the 15th session of the conference, held in June 2022, addressed three thematic issues: innovation and technology advancing disability rights; economic empowerment and entrepreneurship of persons with disabilities; and participation of persons with disabilities in climate action, disaster risk reduction and resilience against natural disasters. The conference also took steps to strengthen its intersectional and intergenerational approach with a youth representative speaking at the opening for the first time, along with the representative of civil society.

Integrating population and development considerations in building back from the pandemic

UN DESA supported the Commission on Population and Development in its negotiation of a consensual resolution on population and sustainable development, in particular, sustained and inclusive economic growth. The resolution highlights the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in poverty eradication, access to education, and gender equality and women’s empowerment. Member States agreed on action- oriented paths to integrate population and development considerations in building back from the pandemic and accelerating implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the 2030 Agenda. Focus areas highlighted in the resolution include: the disproportionate amount of time spent by women in unpaid work, limiting their economic empowerment and independence; the role of inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels and lifelong learning for achieving sustainable development; the impact of population ageing on labour and financial markets, fiscal systems, education, housing, health, long-term care and social protection; the need to address digital divides within and among countries and regions; the need to invest in measures to empower women, girls and youth in order to realize and capitalize on the demographic dividend; the recognition that sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are central to the realization of social justice and achievement of sustainable development; and the contribution of sustainable consumption and production practices to achieving economic development, reducing environmental impacts and advancing human well-being.

Highlighting the intersecting discriminations experienced by older women

UN DESA worked with partners, in the past year, to increase the attention given to the compounded and intersectional discrimination faced by older women, particularly in situations of crisis. An advocacy brief by UN DESA, UN Women and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, with support from AARP1, highlighted how the intersecting discriminations that women experience in their lifetimes have a cumulative impact in old age that makes their situation more vulnerable in a crisis, including in the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief is accompanied by infographics and features new data on older women. The brief was launched at a side event during 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. At the 2022 HLPF, a related side-event, co-hosted by the Stakeholder Group on Ageing, UN DESA, UN Women and the Special Procedures Office of the Independent Expert on the rights of older persons, addressed the theme “Older Women in Crises: Invisible Among the Most Vulnerable.” The event sought to explore the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by older women in emergencies and put forward ideas on how to address such challenges and ensure that their needs are met, adding the often overlooked perspective and consideration of older women’s well-being to the HLPF discussions.

Encouraging youth participation and intergenerational solidarity to realize the SDGs

Throughout the year, UN DESA has undertaken several initiatives to ensure that youth voices are brought to the global decision-making space, to drive youth inclusion and equality in the process of SDG implementation. UN DESA’s United Nations Project Office on Governance hosted its 5th Youth Forum on SDG implementation in September 2021. The virtual forum engaged youth and offered a platform for the participants to brainstorm and share their ideas on the topic of Leveraging Public Governance and Enhancing Youth Engagement to Promote Green, Resilient and Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19. Participating youth expressed appreciation for the Forum as a platform for young people to engage on issues critical to advancing the development agenda.

Based on the key findings of the WHO and UN DESA 2021 Global Report on Ageism, UN DESA hosted the event, "Thriving Youth - From Ageism to Intergenerational Solidarity", within the margins of the Commission for Social Development in February 2022, to address the impacts on youth inclusion and participation and identify pathways for forging the international dialogue and solidarity necessary to move development forward. A related event, "Ageism in Politics: Exploring Intergenerational Solutions," held alongside the 2022 ECOSOC Youth Forum, addressed the impact of ageism against youth in politics. A key message stemming from these initiatives is that pandemic recovery needs to leverage the strength and knowledge of every generation and be anchored in equity between generations.

In April, the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2022 offered youth leaders from around the world the opportunity to engage with government representatives, youth delegates and other stakeholders to share best practices, lessons learned and innovative solutions to recover from COVID-19 and get on track to achieve the SDGs. The forum welcomed over 50 Ministers, high-level government representatives and over 22,000 youth participants. The forum reiterated that young people around the world are eager to be in the driver’s seat when devising recovery efforts and when decisions are taken that would impact their future. Young people are demanding that the gap between promise and action be closed, particularly to address climate action, inequalities, peace and security, human rights, financing, education, women’s and girls’ empowerment as well as protecting the planet. Key messages from the Forum served as input to the HLPF. The forum was convened by the President of ECOSOC and supported by UN DESA and the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, in collaboration with the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development, the Major Group for Children and Youth and the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations.

5.2 mobilizing adequate and well-directed financing;

Making the money move to the Sustainable Development Goals

The Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance, convened by the UN Secretary-General, includes 30 members from among the world’s largest investors and financial institutions. UN DESA continued to support GISD as a vehicle to advocate for and scale-up sustainable finance to achieve the SDGs. The Alliance continued to shape and influence the global investment ecosystem for better alignment with the SDG Agenda, collaborating with key policy-making bodies, standard setters, regulators, and multilateral and regional development banks. The common definition of Sustainable Development Investing (SDI) and standardized sector- specific metrics for measuring the degree of SDG-alignment of investments, produced with support from UN DESA, has gained much traction. In October 2021, the GISD published a report with recommendations for development banks and the global development community for increasing private finance flows towards the SDGs. In June 2022, GISD launched an updated model mandate in partnership with the International Corporate Governance Network that seeks to ensure that asset owners’ stewardship and sustainability objectives are reflected in the contract with their asset manager. Work is also underway to establish a pioneering Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Platform (SIIP) in cooperation with the Global Infrastructure Facility. This fund will be structured as a blended finance vehicle to pool a range of public and private investors to co-invest in high-impact sustainable infrastructure in emerging and frontier economies.

Connecting the private sector to investment opportunities in sustainable development

As the private sector continues to embrace principles for sustainable and responsible investment, demand is growing for a dedicated space to connect investors with impactful business opportunities. The SDG Investment Fair is a UN DESA platform that fills this niche. It connects investors around the world to SDG-aligned projects in emerging and frontier markets. Through project-pitching sessions, investor networking, and peer learning, Member States are building the knowledge, skills, and awareness on how to prepare bankable SDG investments and how to tap a growing market for sustainable investments. With the growing demand, in 2021 the fair transitioned from an annual event to a year-round platform. Over 19 countries across all regions have been showcased as SDG investment destinations to date. In 2021, Kenya, Jamaica, Ghana, Pakistan, Rwanda, Dominican Republic, Namibia, and Ukraine presented over $10 billion in investment opportunities to financial institutions and companies. In 2022, the fair featured Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nigeria, and Malawi with opportunities in sustainable infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, green energy, and agri-business. A special investor matchmaking event was also held in April 2022 at the Permanent Mission of Namibia to the United Nations where new investors and technology partners were mobilized to support Namibia's strategic SDG investments.

Providing policy advice to bridge the financing divide

UN DESA led the preparation and analytical work for the 2022 Financing for Sustainable Development Report (FSDR), a product of the Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development. Outreach efforts resulted in broader geographic coverage, doubling the share of readers in African countries, with over 300 news hits around the world, and growth in unique website viewers coupled with a higher share of those viewers outside the host country. Most readers (74.4 %) considered the quality of the report as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, with the highest ratings from national governments/ministries, followed closely by academia. The 2022 FSDR identifies a “great finance divide” – the inability of poorer countries to raise sufficient resources and borrow affordably for investment, which will lead to a bigger gap or divide between developed and developing countries. The report recommended three sets of actions to bridge the finance divide. First, the report called for urgent measures to address rising costs of borrowing and heightened debt risks. Second, there is a need to increase public financing for investment in public policy priorities and effectively spend mobilized resources on the SDGs and productive investment. Finally, the report highlighted the importance of enhanced transparency and a more complete information ecosystem to strengthen the ability of countries to manage risks and use resources well and in line with sustainable development. The messages of the FSDR were amplified by targeted policy briefs on cost of borrowing, crypto currencies and complementary measures to GDP for access to concessional finance.

Credit ratings for long-term sustainable investing

UN DESA led exploration on the role of credit rating agencies in supporting investment in developing countries and enhancing sustainability. In a response to a call from Member States, the Department organized a High-Level Meeting on the Role of Credit Rating Agencies in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in March 2022. Recommendations put forward during the event include: (i) more transparency in rating methodologies; (ii) the incorporation of ESG factors into ratings and production of long-term ratings; (iii) more informed dialogue between governments and credit rating agencies; and (iv) institutional changes to promote a more accurate use of ratings. UN DESA will continue to support Member States and engage all relevant stakeholders to advance these recommendations in the relevant platforms.

Building trust and spurring transformation in international taxation

UN DESA supported the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters in translating its ambitious agenda into prioritized plans of work. The 24th Session had a heavy schedule due to its 11 subcommittees and 4 groups, which tackle a breadth of issues related to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on international taxation. Strong fiscal policies and international tax cooperation are critical to pandemic recovery and to avert a lost decade of sustainable development. This work is critical for developing countries. Fiscal policies can help the simultaneous achievement of multiple goals such as reduction of inequalities and promotion of sustainable consumption and production.

The session pointed out the preference expressed by developing countries for simple, administrable solutions to taxing multinational enterprises and other non-residents. It also initiated work on options for a multilateral instrument, overlaid on existing bilateral treaties, to speed up implementation of the UN model bilateral tax treaty responses to taxing income from digital services. The committee recognized that developing countries will benefit from policies and actions that have the goal to curb trade mis-invoicing and other illegal practices that lead to illicit financial flows in the extractive industries. Looking ahead, UN DESA will support the committee in its plans for practical guidance on the interaction of carbon taxes with other national measures in the context of broader fiscal reform and transition to renewable energy sources.

Enhancing the sustainability, resilience and accessibility of infrastructure investments

UN DESA expanded its capacity development programme on infrastructure asset management (IAM) for local and central government officials in developing countries in support of the SDGs. The initiative supports public sector officials in shaping strategies, policies and actions that maximize the financial and service performance of publicly owned and/or managed infrastructure assets, such as roads, water and sanitation, waste management facilities and natural assets and also strengthen their sustainability, resilience and accessibility for present and future generations. The IAM programme draws on the 2021 UN DESA publication Managing Infrastructure Assets for Sustainable Development: A Handbook for Local and National Governments and its corresponding toolkits-now available in all six UN languages and several local languages following strong country demand. Training has reached over 2,500 public sector officials and resulted in 150 multi-year Asset Management Action Plans designed by local governments around the world. 10 beneficiary countries are now receiving direct technical assistance on IAM.

The recommendations of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) added impetus to the Department's work in this area. In its 21st session, held in April 2022, CEPA emphasized transparent, accountable and participatory management of public finances as a key element of effective governance, even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic, when governments around the world face decreasing revenues and increasing expenditures.

5.3 enhancing national implementation;

Country-led and partnership-based global support to countries moving up and out of the LDC category

A record number of countries, sixteen in total, are set to move up and out of the least developed country (LDC) category. UN DESA, recognising an urgent and increasing need for capacity support for countries on the path to graduation, scaled up its pilot of the six service offerings of its LDC Graduation Support Facility to an additional seven countries and expanded its partnerships. UN DESA in collaboration with the OECD Development Centre provided policy and technical support to the Government of Bangladesh in conducting a Production Transformation Policy Review for the country—a first of its kind for an LDC. It will inform Bangladesh’s National Smooth Transition Strategy. UN DESA together with the World Trade Organization, International Trade Centre and UNCTAD produced a joint report titled The Textile and Clothing Sector in Asian Graduating Least Developed Countries: Challenges and Ways Forward. The report offers insights on the sector in Bangladesh, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal, and sets out important preparatory measures to strengthen the textile and clothing sector. UN DESA actively engaged Member States throughout the intergovernmental preparatory process for the Fifth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5), culminating in the Facility being a concrete measure of support in the Doha Programme of Action.

Keeping track of progress in UN country-level support to the 2030 Agenda

To help ECOSOC discharge its oversight role vis-à-vis the UN development system, UN DESA carried out a review of UN development system support to countries in realizing the SDGs and responding to COVID-19. The Department conducted a survey, receiving feedback from 186 countries, the results of which informed deliberations at the ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development Segment in May 2022. UN DESA also brought the UN development system together to elaborate a framework of indicators to allow Member States to monitor the implementation of the 2020 General Assembly Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of United Nations system operational activities (QCPR). The new framework allows Member States to gauge the results and performance of UN development system support to country-level implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Fifty-nine delegates attended the consultation convened by UN DESA to support the elaboration of the framework.

Supporting Member States to implement integrated national financing frameworks

In April 2022, in the margins of the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum, UN DESA launched the INFF Facility in collaboration with UNDP, OECD, the European Union and the Governments of Italy and Sweden. The INFF Facility aims to bring together international partners to align and magnify support for implementation of INFFs in more than 80 countries. UN DESA also continued to lead the UN work to develop guidance on the implementation of INFFs and supported various regional training workshops in collaboration with UNDP and the regional commissions. UN DESA is also working with UN partners to develop online self-paced training programmes, explainer videos and various communications products. The Department, in collaboration with the regional commissions and UNCTAD, continues to support INFF development in 10 countries (Belarus, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Zambia). With the support of the Government of Italy, UN DESA also embarked on targeted INFF support for small island developing States.

Building productive capacities in LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and MICs

The opportunities, challenges, key policies and investments needed to build productive capacities in LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and middle- income countries (MICs) were discussed at the joint meeting of the General Assembly and ECOSOC in October 2021. The joint meeting, organized with the support of UN DESA and UNCTAD, was presided over by the Chair of the Second Committee and the President of the ECOSOC. Building productive capacities in these groups of countries was considered as critical step for recovering better, accelerating economic growth, addressing persisting vulnerabilities and getting back on track towards achieving the SDGs. The joint meeting also explored innovative solutions, key interventions and enabling policies to facilitate and augment the long-term resilience of LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and MICs to future shocks through building productive capacities.

Building country-capacity to navigate the pandemic

UN DESA has developed an e-learning program on the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This engaging series of courses provides government officials, policymakers, and other stakeholders with additional insights to better navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic and develop more effective mitigation policies. Five thematic courses, each consisting of 3 to 5 modules, cover several issues addressed by UN DESA policy briefs. Topics include: macroeconomic impacts focusing on projections of global and regional contractions; the social effects of the pandemic, such as inequalities and the effect on vulnerable groups; the need for a better science-policy-society interface, along with more effective governance for crisis response and recovery; the differential impacts of COVID-19 on countries in special circumstances; and policy recommendations for mitigating the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19.

Accelerating action on the SDGs, with and for countries in Africa

UN DESA, in collaboration with the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa and the Economic Commission for Africa, organized the Special High-level Dialogue on the Sustainable Development of Africa, convened by the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. The dialogue provided an opportunity for African Member States and their partners to share country experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 while considering the challenges of pandemic recovery and the impact of current geopolitical challenges on food and energy security across the continent. The event served to renew the commitment to the sustainable development of Africa as one of the established priorities of the United Nations and mobilize greater support and partnerships for accelerated implementation of sustainable development priorities.

Under the provisions of the African Union-United Nations Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development UN DESA and the African Union African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) jointly convened two continental workshops, in 2021 and 2022, aimed at forwarding inclusive sustainable development in Africa through effective and coherent implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda. The workshops provided a regional platform for peer-learning on good practices for integration and implementation of both Agendas and supported countries to prepare and report on progress implementing the Agendas, including through the Voluntary National Review and Voluntary Local Review processes. Emphasis was placed on the importance of ensuring robust, agile, adaptive, resilient, inclusive and adequately resourced public institutions and on ensuring application of the principles of effective governance for sustainable development, which were developed by the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) and endorsed by ECOSOC. Each workshop brought together high-level participants from over 30 African countries.

5.4 strengthening institutions for more integrated solutions;

Placing a focus on people-centred governance to recover lost ground on the SDGs

UN DESA, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy co-organized the third SDG 16 Conference in April 2022. The theme of the conference was “People-centred governance in a post- pandemic world”. The event brought together leading experts in areas across SDG 16 representing governments, the United Nations, other international organizations, civil society, academia and other stakeholder groups. The conference focused on aspects of peace and security, rule of law and access to justice, resilient institutions in times of crisis, and leaving no one behind. Participants provided important messages and recommendations to inform the discussions at the 2022 HLPF and guide Member States in their responses to and recovery from the pandemic and other crises. The debates stressed the centrality of SDG 16 to transformations in governance necessary to recover lost ground and accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The conference featured more than 30 speakers with in-person and online participation from approximately 1,000 individuals. Participants came from 137 different countries, covering all regions.

Curriculum on Governance for the Sustainable Development Goals

The Curriculum on Governance for the SDGs is a comprehensive set of seven Training of Trainers Capacity Development Toolkits, which contain ready-to-use and customizable training material on key governance dimensions needed to advance the implementation of the SDGs. Launched by UN DESA at the end of 2022, the curriculum provides methodologies and approaches to advance knowledge and assist governments in developing capacities at the individual, organizational, and institutional/societal level, to drive the transformational change needed to implement the 2030 Agenda. Among the modules are materials targeted to COVID-19 pandemic response. The Toolkit on Transparency, Accountability and Ethics in Public Institutions contains examples and case studies on corruption risks in public procurement during the pandemic; the Toolkit on Government Innovation for Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups includes a module on ensuring inclusion of vulnerable groups during public health emergencies, focusing mostly on the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Toolkit on Risk-Informed Governance and Innovative Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience has a module on risk-informed governance and innovative technology for public health emergencies.

Recognizing public service innovations to help the world recover better from COVID-19

UN DESA recognized ten initiatives in 2022 for their innovative public service delivery with the prestigious UN Public Service Awards. The UN Public Service Awards recognize excellence in public service delivery that promotes effectiveness, transparency, and inclusiveness to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2022 UN Public Service Award winners were announced by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, during a virtual event to commemorate UN Public Service Day. In 2022, a new category on institutional resilience and innovative responses to COVID-19 was introduced to highlight the immense efforts and good practices that public institutions have implemented to fight COVID-19 and contain the social and economic fallout from the pandemic. Under this special category, four initiatives were recognized including the Saudi Data and AI Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the Tawakkalna App; the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate of the Republic of Poland, for the System of Records of the State Sanitary Inspection (SEPIS); the National Authority for Government Innovation of the Republic of Panama, for Panavac19; and the Department of Rural and Community Development of the Republic of Ireland, for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme. Other recipients included initiatives from Brazil, Canada, India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Ukraine.

5.5 bolstering local action;

Engaging local governments for the SDGs

The UN DESA project office, the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development, held the 2021-2022 International Mayors Forum in January 2022. Through presentations and discussions, the Forum provided a platform for policy dialogue and knowledge-sharing on key aspects of SDG implementation, and for examining the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on cities and local governments. Mayors, leaders and representatives of local governments from developed and developing countries discussed their experiences, lessons learned and good practices for SDG implementation at the local and regional levels, while experts from around the world shared knowledge and tools to further strengthen the contribution of local actors. More than 100 participants from around the globe joined virtually and interacted with speakers and presenters through Q&A sessions to identify potential solutions and sustainable responses for advancing sustainable development.

The fifth High-level Local and Regional Governments Forum (LRGF), an annual HLPF special event co-organized by UN DESA, the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, UN-Habitat, UNDP and the Local 2030 Coalition, was held in a virtual format, in July 2022. The LRGF aims to showcase innovative actions taken by local and regional governments to implement the SDGs under review at the HLPF. The LRGF panel discussions included a focus on Voluntary Local Reviews and Voluntary Subnational Reviews and multilevel governance and multistakeholder collaboration. 660 participants registered to attend the event, which was also livestreamed on YouTube.

5.6 reducing disaster risk and building resilience;

Building resilience for the least developed countries

Least developed countries, the most vulnerable among developing countries, have been hit particularly hard by the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, despite having been mostly spared the worst direct health impacts that affected several other countries. The UN DESA-led analysis by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) from 2021 has sadly proven to be on point. Recovery from the pandemic affects the development of LDCs in multiple ways, including their graduation from the LDC category. The 2022 monitoring reports focus on country-specific impacts of the multiple crises. By enhancing the monitoring system of countries graduating and graduated from the LDC category, the CDP and its secretariat established a system that can create linkages between external shocks and graduation-related international support. Even if times are tough for everyone, there is a need to focus to build resilience of those that are most in need. Even though the pandemic is still not over, the ongoing war in Ukraine is a further blow, not only for global peace and security but also for LDCs exposed to the resulting disruptions in food, energy and financial markets. Detailed monitoring by UN DESA is ongoing and will allow for the tracking of impacts and vulnerabilities of LDCs and other developing countries in the near-time, highlighting the widespread negative impacts while accounting for significant heterogeneities. The result of the on-going monitoring are available on the web.

Building capacity in tax administration to reduce risk and build resilience

UN DESA organized several capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing the capability of developing countries to deal with complex tax issues and help them in their efforts to reduce risk and build resilience. The integrated tax policy and capacity- building programme administered by UN DESA complements the normative guidance products of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters.

5.7 solving challenges through international cooperation and enhancing the global partnership;

Advancing global consensus on financing response and recovery

The 2022 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development (FfD) took place amid interconnected crises caused by COVID-19, conflict and climate. The forum succeeded in adopting an outcome document calling for urgent solutions to scale up financing for development. The agreement proved the unique strength of the United Nations in finding solutions at times of growing polarization.

The 2022 FfD Forum featured high-level political engagement including eight Heads of State. The discussion focused on key challenges, including the need to reform the international financial architecture. Within the outcome there is an agreement to consider multidimensional vulnerability as a criterion for both concessional finance and debt relief eligibility, using a UN-developed index geared to capture the unique challenges faced by small island developing States. Member States also called for expanded debt relief and enhancements to the G20 Common Framework. They also committed to expand investment in social protection floors as a percentage of national budgets. To follow-up on the outcome document, UN DESA will advance policy dialogue and analysis in these areas in collaboration with the UN system and bring the policy recommendations to other important fora, such as the G20.

Forwarding risk-informed development cooperation

Following the call at the 2021 ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) for stronger country-level data and evidence on innovation in development cooperation in the COVID-19 context, 53 developing countries – the majority being LDCs and SIDS – participated in the 2021-2022 DCF Survey. The subsequent 2022 DCF Survey Study explored the impact of the triple crises triggered by the pandemic, climate change and conflict on development cooperation and progress on the SDGs. The survey highlights the need for developing countries to adopt a systemic approach to dealing with an increasingly interrelated and complex risk landscape by designing risk-informed national policies, strategies and frameworks and ensuring their effective alignment with both national policies and regional agendas, and by effectively engaging a growingly diverse set of partners and stakeholders in development cooperation processes. The study included proposals that draw from best practices on the ground in developing countries to enhance the quality and impact of development cooperation for crises response and long-term recovery.

5.8 harnessing science, technology and innovation with a greater focus on digital transformation for sustainable development;

Building resilient and sustainable digital societies and economies

Building inclusive, resilient and sustainable digital societies and economies is a foundation for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and digital tools remain critical as the pandemic continues to keep people apart in many cases. The 16th Internet Governance Forum held in December 2021 in Katowice, Poland, encouraged countries to put in place adequate policies, legislation and institutions to ensure that digital transformation processes are inclusive, just, safe and sustainable. This starts with enabling universal and meaningful access to the Internet and equipping individuals with digital skills – actions that require cooperation between public institutions and private actors. The IGF continued to strengthen its position as a central platform for multistakeholder dialogue at the global level on the most pressing Internet and digital policy issues. In 2021 the forum attracted 10,371 participants from 175 countries, featuring 318 sessions addressing six issue areas: economic and social inclusion and human rights; universal access and meaningful connectivity; emerging regulation: market structure, content, data and consumer rights protection; environmental sustainability & climate change; inclusive internet governance ecosystems and digital rights; and trust, security, stability.

UN DESA is also partnering with UN ESCAP in a forward-looking initiative to explore the viability of technology sandboxes through building the institutional capacity of Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Maldives. This innovative and catalytic approach to digital government development is expected to accelerate progress towards sustainable development. Sandboxes have gained popularity in fintech in recent years but could go beyond the financial sector to others, including health, education, transport, energy, connectivity and the digital economy, in fast-tracking smart and risk-aware implementation of digital policies. The promise of sandboxes allows evidence-based decision-making and adaptive deployment of digital technologies in the pursuit of development aims. It allows institutions and regulators to experiment with digital technologies and innovations at the edge or even outside of the existing policy space and regulatory framework.

Frontier technologies for supporting smallholder farmers and addressing food insecurity

The number of people facing acute food insecurity continues to grow at an alarming rate. The world is facing a food crisis that is driven by major supply shocks, such as conflicts, weather extremes and disrupted agricultural value chains. The November 2021 edition of Frontier Technology Issues examines smart, digital, and precision agricultural technologies that could help to address information asymmetries and deficiencies facing farmers, especially smallholders. The use of these technologies could improve agricultural productivity and output and play a significant role in addressing food insecurity. The report identifies frontier technologies that could be impactful at key stages of the agricultural cycle – preparation, production, and processing and sale. Despite their potential benefits, the uptake of these technologies by smallholder farmers remains limited. To accelerate the adoption of these technologies, the report calls for greater investment in promoting digital literacy in rural areas; a rethinking of the current model of agricultural extension services; a renewed effort to make digital platforms more user-friendly for smallholder farmers; and significant expansion of rural infrastructure to promote agricultural e-commerce.

Changing mindsets for public sector transformation to achieve the SDGs

UN DESA organized a workshop on, "Innovation, Digital Government, and Changing Mindsets for Public Sector Transformation in Guyana to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals", in March 2022, in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and with the support of the Resident Coordinator Office. The training was attended by around seventy Permanent and Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers, and Chief Executive Officers of Guyana. The participants worked together to identify strengths, challenges, recommendations, actions, and priorities to inform a Roadmap for Public Sector Transformation, Innovation, and Digital Government and Changing Mindsets in Guyana. Participants agreed to establish a Steering Committee for public sector transformation in Guyana. The recommendations and roadmap will be presented to the Cabinet for further action

5.9 investing in data and statistics for the SDGs;

Monitoring progress towards the SDGs

UN DESA led preparation of the annual Sustainable Development Goals Report, as central coordinator of the global SDG indicator framework and monitoring process. The Sustainable Development Goals Report and other monitoring tools provide policy makers and stakeholders with the latest SDG data to identify areas for targeted policy interventions and enable informed decision- making. The 2022 report demonstrates how COVID-19 continues to disrupt development activities for the SDG implementation across the world and set back years of progress made on the Global Goals. The annual report is based on data from the global SDG indicator framework developed by the Inter- agency and Expert Group on SDG indicators and is prepared in collaboration with over 200 experts from over 50 agencies, funds, and programmes. The annual Sustainable Development Goals Report is among one of UN DESA’s most accessed publications.

Monitoring the growth of the global population

In July 2022, UN DESA launched World Population Prospects 2022 the official United Nations population estimates and projections, showing that global population will reach an estimated 8 billion in mid-November 2022. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all components of population change, including fertility, mortality and migration. Global life expectancy at birth fell to 71.0 years in 2021, down from 72.8 in 2019, due mostly to the impact of COVID-19. The evidence on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility levels remains mixed. In low- and middle-income countries, the availability of and the demand for contraception, as well as reported numbers of unintended pregnancies and births, have remained relatively stable. In high-income countries, successive waves of the pandemic may have generated short-term fluctuations in numbers of pregnancies and births. The pandemic severely restricted all forms of human mobility, including international migration. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many data collection operations worldwide. Countries and development partners should give priority to the ongoing 2020 round of national population censuses, as such data provide critical information to inform development planning and to assess progress towards the achievement of the SDGs.

Measuring the full impact of COVID-19 on mortality

In 2021, UN DESA co-convened with WHO the Technical Advisory Group on Covid-19 Mortality Estimates (TAG). In May 2022, estimates based on the TAG’s work were launched, finding that 14.9 million excess deaths (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million) were directly or indirectly attributable to COVID-19 between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, nearly 3 times the number of deaths officially reported as attributable to COVID-19. The work of the TAG brings to light the full mortality burden of the pandemic and underlines the need to better integrate national health information systems and civil registration and vital statistics systems. UN DESA will continue to support countries in strengthening statistical systems and improving evaluation and analysis of demographic data.

Drawing attention to the issue of early adolescent fertility

In 2022, for the first time, UN DESA included estimates of birth rates for adolescents aged 10-14 years in its annual update for SDG Indicator 3.7.2. Reducing adolescent fertility and addressing the multiple factors underlying it are essential for improving sexual and reproductive health and the social and economic well-being of adolescents, but data on fertility among younger adolescents were previously very limited. UN DESA undertook methodological and analytical studies to report reliable estimates for this younger age group. The data show that early adolescent childbearing is much more common in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean than in other parts of the world. Most countries with measurable levels of early fertility recorded a reduction in early adolescent fertility since 2000. The closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns that adolescent girls could be at increased risk of early marriage or childbearing. Data to assess the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent fertility are not yet available.

Intensifying international cooperation on data and statistics

UN DESA delivered the World Data Forum in Bern, Switzerland. Now in its third iteration, the forum continues to bring together various professional groups, such as information technology, geospatial information managers, data scientists, and users. Over 700 in-person participants and more than 7,000 people joined virtually from over 100 countries around the world. The hybrid event along with the online forum platform supported intensifying cooperation between national statistical systems, international organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector. Among the highlights from the forum are:

• the launch of the Bern Data Compact for the Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals to define the global data ecosystem needed to use data effectively for people, planet, prosperity, and peace; • the Clearinghouse for Financing Development Data, a new, free online platform providing access to data on 36,000 projects, allowing aid recipients, donors, and the public at large to understand data financing flows, identify funding gaps, and connect to new communities of experts; and • the Global Data Facility, a new World Bank-hosted fund to support data and statistics priorities at the global, regional, national, and community levels designed in collaboration with UN DESA.

Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians

Over the past year, the Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians has seen a 70% increase in users. The share of non- UN users has increased by 15 percentage points, a testament to the success of UN DESA’s efforts to expand the scope of the mechanism, opening the network to a wider audience. Since its launch in 2020, the network has attracted close to 2,400 colleagues from the National Statistical Systems (48% of all users), the global UN system (40%), academia and civil society (9%), as well as NGOs (3%). The Global Network users are based in more than 100 countries and are evenly distributed among both geographical and socio-economical regions. The Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians aims to improve coordination and collaboration among peers and organizations, to better connect existing networks and initiatives, and to provide and share information on capacity building efforts globally.

8th Global Forum on Gender Statistics

Reliable statistics on the situation of women and girls relative to men and boys are vital to monitoring progress toward gender equality. Following the successful launch of the World’s Women 2020 publication, UN DESA convened the 8th Global Forum on Gender Statistics, which was held on 30 September and 1 October 2021, with support from the Swiss Government. The Forum brought together approximately 300 experts on gender equality and gender statistics from national, regional, private sector, and the donor community. Compared to previous forums, the virtual format allowed for greater participation from all regions. The Forum included a keynote address by Tomas Gunnarsson, a gender photojournalist, and contributions from 39 speakers, who discussed the current and future state of gender statistics over six separate sessions.

Monitoring the impact of the pandemic on census taking activities

UN DESA is mandated to monitor the 2020 round of World Population and Housing Censuses which requires each country to conduct at least one census between 2015 and 2024. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries delayed or postponed their census activities. The Second United Nations Expert Group Meeting on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Conducting Population and Housing Censuses and on Census Data Quality Concerns was organized to continue monitoring the challenges in conducting population and housing censuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting provided an opportunity and comparability issues resulting from pandemic protocols and recent changes in the design of census operations. The meeting brought together census experts from NSOs, census agencies, international and regional organizations to explore challenges, good practices and lessons learned in conducting censuses during the pandemic, with a focus on the following four main topics:

i. potential adjustments in census questionnaires to improve the relevance and quality of census data;
ii. innovative approaches in designing census operations for reducing the adverse impact of the pandemic;
iii. assessment of the quality of population and housing censuses concerning the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on process quality and output quality; and
iv. effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on data analysis and comparability overtime.

New Global SDG Indicators Data Platform

Universal access to trustworthy and up-to-date data is critical for SDG monitoring. UN DESA launched the Global SDG Indicators Data Platform in September 2021. The platform improves access to the latest data for SDG monitoring and includes four components: a new, user-friendly interface to the Global Sustainable Development Goal Indicators Database, access to the SDG Country Profiles, the entirely new SDG Analytics, and Advanced Access options. Based on user feedback, updates to the Global SDG Indicators Data Platform were deployed in March 2022, in a second release. These include the ability of users to save and share their queries, improved query navigation and data download in SDG Analytics, and dramatically improved access to SDG indicators metadata in machine-readable format via an SDMX API1. The SDG Analytics now also includes the ability to review the availability of disaggregated data at the most elementary level. One important 'fix' provides greater clarity in the query selection of countries and areas in the Global SDG Indicators Database.

Building global geospatial capacities

In May 2022, UN DESA and the Government of China officially launched the UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre in Deqing, China. The centre will provide opportunities to build and expand global geospatial capacity, competence and capability and strengthen geospatial information management arrangements in countries, especially developing countries.

5.10 strengthening the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

Ensuring effective review of implementation of the SDGs

The HLPF brought more than 140 Heads of State and Government, Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers, along with other actors back to the UN Headquarters in New York to reflect on ways to recover better from COVID-19. The Forum addressed the theme, “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and also reviewed in-depth SDG 4 on quality education, 5 on gender equality, 14 on life below water, 15 on life on land, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. UN DESA supported intergovernmental negotiations on the 2022 Ministerial Declaration, as the outcome of the session. While the HLPF declaration provides the sobering diagnosis of the HLPF on the world’s situation regarding the SDGs, it also points to important policy measures that can both drive recovery and rescue and advance the SDGs. It stressed that the 2030 Agenda is our roadmap for recovering from the crises. It asserts that the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the SDGs can still be reversed and provides detailed guidance to make progress towards the goals under review. The Declaration also notes the dramatic impacts of conflict on food, energy and finance, and welcomes the Global Crisis Response Group created by the Secretary-General. It launches preparations for the September 2023 SDG Summit and calls for ambitious preparations by all actors.

UN DESA also guided and supported 44 countries in preparing their Voluntary National Reviews of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (VNRs) at the 2022 HLPF. Featuring 11 first-timers, 28 second-timers, 3 third-timers and 2 fourth-timers, the continued interest in VNR presentation points to high commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The Department organized three global workshops, including a hybrid workshop in Botswana in 2022 and an in-person workshop in July in New York, which allowed countries to learn from each other and from UN DESA on policies, actions and institutions to implement the 2030 Agenda and review SDG progress. At national level, the VNRs allowed countries to review and improve their efforts to reach the SDGs. At global level, they provided the HLPF with a clear understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on the SDGs and the kind of approaches countries are embracing to recover from the pandemic and turn the tide on the SDGs. UN DESA prepared a synthesis of main messages from the 2022 VNRs, available at the HLPF website at: https://hlpf.un.org/2022/vnrs.

Emphasizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls

To strengthen the efforts of ECOSOC and the HLPF to support gender equality as a cross-cutting issue for the achievement of the SDGs, UN DESA commissioned an analytical paper in late 2021 to examine how well gender considerations are integrated into the work of the Council and the HLPF, and to identify opportunities for expanding those efforts. This work resulted in a useful analysis of the gender dimensions of the SDGs under review in 2022. It also provided many practical recommendations to help UN DESA expand and deepen gender analysis and the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in its work in order to better support ECOSOC and the HLPF in advancing gender equality as a cross-cutting issue. To turn the recommendations into concrete actions, UN DESA developed a practical and easy-to-use Gender Checklist to help mainstream gender considerations and perspectives in the work of ECOSOC and the HLPF. The checklist provides guidance to staff on applying gender analysis and highlighting gender dimensions in the substantive documentation, programme and deliberations of ECOSOC and the HLPF.

Q6. Following the adoption of the 2022 Ministerial Declaration, please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted related to the below, if applicable:

6.1 Member States encouraged "the United Nations system and all relevant actors to take advantage of emerging technologies and their applications, as appropriate, in order to maximize impact and effectiveness in data analysis and collection and stress the need to bridge the digital gap among and within countries" (Paragraph 86)

Intensifying international cooperation on data and statistics through World Data Forum At the World Data Forum 2021 in Bern, Switzerland, UN DESA supported the launch of the following initiatives: • the Bern Data Compact for the Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals, to define the global data ecosystem needed to use data effectively for people, planet, prosperity, and peace; • the Clearinghouse for Financing Development Data, a new, free online platform providing access to data on 36,000 projects, allowing aid recipients, donors, and the public at large to understand data financing flows, identify funding gaps, and connect to new communities of experts; and • the Global Data Facility, a new World Bank-hosted fund to support data and statistics priorities at the global, regional, national, and community levels designed in collaboration with UN DESA.

New Global SDG Indicators Data Platform

UN DESA launched the Global SDG Indicators Data Platform in September 2021 to ensure universal access to trustworthy and up-to-date data, which is critical for SDG monitoring. The platform improves access to the latest data for SDG monitoring and includes four components: a new, user-friendly interface to the Global Sustainable Development Goal Indicators Database, access to the SDG Country Profiles, the entirely new SDG Analytics, and Advanced Access options. In March 2022, based on user feedback, updates to the Global SDG Indicators Data Platform were deployed in its second release. These include the ability of users to save and share their queries, improved query navigation and data download in SDG Analytics, and dramatically improved access to SDG indicators metadata in machine-readable format via an SDMX API1. The SDG Analytics now also includes the ability to review the availability of disaggregated data at the most elementary level. One important 'fix' provides greater clarity in the query selection of countries and areas in the Global SDG Indicators Database.

Technology sandboxes for digital government development

6.2 Member States specifically called upon the UN system "to work with the newly established United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub, hosted by FAO, to support Governments to develop and strengthen SDG-based national pathways for sustainable food systems transformation" (Paragraph 128)

N/A

Q7. The 2023 SDG Summit is expected to provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development and follow-up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, including through national and regional consultations, which will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the SDGs. In the lead up to the 2023 SDG Summit, please provide your organization’s recommendations on how to overcome challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs, taking into account the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews conducted to date.

UN DESA is committed to continue supporting Member States in implementing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the SDGs, reflecting on the current crisis context, complex geopolitical situation and the uncertainties around the global economic outlook. The SDG Summit in 2023 can serve as a turning point for accelerating the 2030 Agenda, by presenting the SDGs as the Agenda for addressing current needs of the people, saving them from the impacts of today’s crises and the ravages of climate change, supporting long term development and acting as a buffer to protect them from future global shocks. It should be imbued with the sense of hopeful-urgency and with unwavering commitment to turbo charge action, catalyzed by reinvigorated leadership.

In the lead up to the 2023 SDG Summit, UN DESA has already initiated its support to the preparation of the Summit. The Department will prepare of a set of substantive analytical inputs to inform Member States, including the SDG Progress Report that captures the trends through the latest data, nowcast and geospatial information. The Department will also support the Independent Group of Scientists in producing the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023, which would provide evidence that can help decision-makers to accelerate action and overcome impediments that stand in the way of progress on sustainable development. DESA will also commission thematic review papers on each goal with policy options and correlated concrete solutions. These documents, together with the Voluntary National Reviews, would inform Member States and serve as guidance leading to the adoption of a Political Declaration at the Summit.

Furthermore, UN DESA will ensure to invite the highest-level participation of Member States to recommit to the SDGs and demonstrate strong political will, which is indispensable to accelerating transformative actions by all stakeholders. To this end, the Department will also mobilize the whole UN system, particularly at the regional and country levels to generate solutions and build momentum from bottom up. UN DESA is mobilizing networks of major groups and other stakeholders and umbrella organizations in order to mobilize ambitious new commitments and initiatives at the SDG Summit. DESA will support the co-facilitators in guiding the negotiations on the declaration of the SDG Summit.

ECESA Plus Member

UNDESA

Year of submission: 2022