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UN DESA Monthly Newsletter for September 2026

Monthly Newsletter: Vol 30, No. 9 – September 2026
Download this issue as a PDF: DESAVoiceSeptember2026.pdf

From global challenges to collective action: What to watch at UNGA 2026

This month, world leaders will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the largest annual gathering in global diplomacy—the high-level week of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), happening 21-25 September. Amid mounting global challenges, UN Member States will participate in the UNGA’s 81st session, debating a broad agenda and seeking solutions to keep the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in reach by 2030. Here are some of the key moments to look out for this month and beyond.

Expert Voices

Nicole Mun Sim Lai of UN DESA's Population Division

Making the invisible visible: Why the world needs national inclusion accounts

As populations around the world grow older, understanding who benefits from economic growth and public policies across the lifecycle is becoming increasingly important. Nicole Mun Sim Lai of the UN DESA Population Division explains how National Inclusion Accounts (NTA-I) can reveal inequalities that conventional statistics often overlook, why this new framework matters for policymaking and how it can help countries build more inclusive and age-ready societies.

Things You Need To Know

3 reasons everyone should care about the upcoming UN Water Conference

Later this year, water will take center stage at the 2026 United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. World leaders will then come together to tackle the global water crisis. Ahead of this major Conference on 8-10 December, here are 3 reasons everyone should care.

Launch of the 2026 Gender Snapshot!
All SDGs in numbers

More from UN DESA

Coming Up

UN DESA Monthly Newsletter for July and August 2026

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Monthly Newsletter: Vol 30, No. 7 – July 2026
Download this issue as a PDF: DESAVoiceJulyAugust2026.pdf


HLPF 2026: Where hope turns into action for a sustainable future

Our world is grappling with multiple persistent crises. Climate shocks, geopolitical tension, poverty, and growing economic uncertainty are all imposing burdens and impacting people’s everyday lives. With only four years until the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the need for action is more urgent than ever.

Expert Voices

Delivering energy access: leaving no one in the dark

Despite notable progress over the past decade, millions of people still live without electricity. With 2030 fast approaching, we spoke with UN DESA’s energy data experts Leonardo Souza and Jessica Ying Chan about closing the energy divide for good with insights from Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2026.

Things You Need To Know

Photo credit: © FAO/Giulio Napolitano

4 things you should know about the latest data on SDG progress

As world leaders gather at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to take stock of progress on the 17 SDGs, UN DESA’s Statistics Division is releasing The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 on 7 July 2026. Here is what the data show.

Animation highlighting latest global energy trends and the SDG 7 Tracking Report.

SDG Blog by y Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

More from UN DESA

Coming Up

HLPF 2026 Special Events
Event banner for Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation

PH, Dutch NGO ink 5-year deal to rid Pasig River of plastic wastes

<p><strong>PASIG RIVER CLEANUP DEAL</strong>. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials and representatives from The Ocean Cleanup sign a five-year agreement to purge plastic waste from the Pasig River. In a news release on Thursday (June 4, 2026), DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the partnership aims to fulfill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a clean, navigable, and vibrant Pasig River. <em>(Photo courtesy of DENR)</em></p>

 

The Ocean Cleanup’s work in Manila is being supported by Energies PH which views the collaboration with The Ocean Cleanup as part of a larger initiative: to help build sustainable communities by connecting clean energy, clean water, resilient infrastructure, and practical environmental stewardship.

The Interceptor is a technology, but the real project is larger. It is about restoring confidence that even our most difficult environmental problems can be addressed when science, government, enterprise, and community work together,” said Antonio Ver, chairman and chief executive of Energies PH.

Read more here: PH, Dutch NGO ink 5-year deal to rid Pasig River of plastic wastes | Philippine News Agency

Advancing BIMP-EAGA within ASEAN 2026

BIMP-EAGA brings together Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines around one simple idea: the communities closest to each other’s borders should also be closest in opportunity.

From food security to connectivity and regional growth, here’s why the conversation in Cebu matters, and why it affects real people, real livelihoods, and real opportunities across Southeast Asia.

Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office 

Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office 

 

 

Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office 

Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office 

Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office 

Photo c/o Presidential Communications Office 

 

Read more here: BIMP-EAGA at ASEAN2026

Rice at the Center of Feed The People PH

Rice is more than just food in the Philippines. It is part of daily life, family meals, and community survival. For many Filipino households, rice is the foundation of every meal and a basic need that helps families get through each day. This is why rice remains central to the mission of Feed The People PH: to help make essential food more accessible to communities.

Feed The People PH focuses on the practical work of connecting available food resources with people who need them. Through proper coordination, handling, and distribution, the initiative helps bring rice closer to families and communities. With rice as a basic Filipino staple, the purpose is clear and direct: support people by helping ensure that food reaches those who need it most.

UN DESA Monthly Newsletter for May 2026

Monthly Newsletter: Vol 30, No. 5 – May 2026

Download this issue as a PDF:

DESAVoiceMay2026.pdf672.02 KB

Delivering on the promise of Sevilla 

In a world tormented by war, crises and an already fragile economy, financing challenges, including in response to shocks, continue to obstruct progress towards sustainable development. Many of the poorest and most vulnerable countries are experiencing a “financing squeeze”, suffering from historically high debt service burdens, unprecedented declines in aid, and structurally low tax revenue. A more fragmented world economy is undermining trade, investment and capital flows.

Expert Voices

Forests are running out of time. How can we save them?

Forests cover nearly one-third of our earth and sustain billions of lives. Yet, they’re disappearing rapidly, putting our natural world and economy at risk. The new Global Forest Goals Report 2026, launching this month, will reveal just how much ground we’ve lost and what it will take to turn the tide before 2030. We spoke with UN DESA’s expert Shyam Paudel about the report and what we can do to reverse course.

Things You Need To Know

7 things you should know about innovating for sustainable development

This month, young innovators, scientists, world-leading experts and entrepreneurs are coming together at the annual STI Forum with one purpose – to leverage their knowledge and solutions to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here are 7 things you should know about this annual event and efforts to innovate for a sustainable future.

SDG Blog by Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

More from UN DESA

Coming Up

2026 STI Forum
UN Forum on Forests
International Day of Families
WESP 2026 midyear update
Read more here: https://desapublications.un.org/un-desa-voice/may-2026