By Elena Kosolapova and Lynn Wagner, SDG Knowledge Hub
Geopolitical rifts are deepening. Power dynamics are shifting. International engagement is changing. Earlier this month, the US withdrew from more than 65 international organizations and UN entities. Withdrawal, the presidential announcement states, means ceasing participation in and funding for UN and other entities. While President Donald Trump’s administration’s UN skepticism is well known, the announcement confirms what many have feared: once a leader of the UN, the US is divesting from the organization that is already facing a liquidity crisis.
In our opening policy brief of 2025, we highlighted the need for “functioning multilateralism to effectively respond to challenges and achieve a better future.” Both the 2024 Pact for the Future, which provides a blueprint for its revival, and the Secretary-General’s 2025 UN80 Initiative to improve the way the organization does business with limited resources respond to that need. Rejection by a global power no doubt dealt a blow to global cooperation. So how can multilateralism triumph amid increasing pressures?
For many actors, 2026 isn’t just about doing more with less. It’s about fewer doing the work of many. How will governments engage with each other on issues of global concern? Like the proverbial phoenix, will the UN be reborn better and stronger? What are the processes to watch? Looking ahead at 2026, the SDG Knowledge Hub’s editorial team has identified five areas that merit close attention.
1. Responding to multilateralism in crisis
Implementation of the Pact for the Future is expected to continue – with or without US engagement. The Pact’s 56 actions, and commitments and objectives spelled out in its two annexes (the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations), span the areas of peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance, including the global financial architecture.
If the Pact is the “what” in rethinking how the global community can deliver on its commitments amid the challenges plaguing multilateralism, the UN80 Initiative is the “how.” Proceeding in three workstreams, it aims to achieve efficiencies and improvements, review mandate implementation, and introduce structural changes and programme realignments.
In 2026, the Co-Chairs of the Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on the Mandate Implementation Review hit the ground running. On 8 January, they circulated the zero draft of the Mandate Implementation Review resolution. Consultations on the draft began on 19 January. Work under the other two workstreams is expected to intensify, with delivery envisioned by December 2026. This timeline aims to ensure the next UN Secretary-General, who will be selected in 2026 and will begin their term on 1 January 2027, will inherit a potentially reformed and more efficient organization.
2. Solving the triple planetary crisis
In 2026, all three Rio Conventions will convene meetings of their Conferences of the Parties (COPs).
Since the Belém Climate Change Conference did not deliver substantive outcomes on fossil fuel phaseout or on stopping deforestation, its Brazilian Presidency said it would prepare roadmaps on transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just and equitable manner and on halting and reversing deforestation. The first International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in April is also expected to build momentum toward fossil fuel phaseout and “explore viable, fair, and equitable pathways for transitioning to sustainable, diversified, and accessible energy.” Whether and how any of these efforts will find reflection in formal negotiations remains to be seen.
The shared presidency arrangements for COP 31, with Türkiye carrying the responsibility over the Action Agenda and Australia designated as the “Presidency of negotiations,” will bring new insights and intrigue to the role of the presidency for climate COPs. COP 31 will meet in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
Prior to the climate COP, UNCCD COP 17 in August will continue deliberations on whether a framework – or a legally binding protocol are the best way to address drought. Appropriate for its location – Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – sustainable management, restoration, and conservation of rangelands will also be top of the agenda. Meeting in October in Yerevan, Armenia, the UN Biodiversity Conference is expected to focus on implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
The year of three Rio Conventions’ COPs provides a unique opportunity to build on synergies between the three processes to improve coherence and efficiency of action on climate change, biodiversity loss, and desertification.
3. Advancing on chemicals, waste, and pollution
Last year, the negotiations towards a global plastic pollution treaty did not result in consensus, leaving the process in the balance. Concerns over process and transparency caused the Chair to step down. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) will convene for one day in February for organizational and administrative purposes. The meeting will focus on election of officers, and no substantive negotiations will be held. The way things stand, much additional effort will be needed to “get it right next time.” The SDG Knowledge Hub will be reporting on the outcomes of the February meeting and on further developments in this process.
Meanwhile, other parts of the chemicals and waste cluster are providing some hope for potential progress in an otherwise challenging multilateral agenda. The new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution is ready to begin work. We’ll be reporting on the first session of the plenary in February that will elect officers and discuss operational, and financial and budgetary arrangements for the Panel. The Global Framework on Chemicals will convene its First International Conference in November. It is expected to begin to chart its course on an ambitious agenda to bring together governments, industry, and civil society to phase out harmful pesticides, finance capacity building, and promote safer chemicals throughout the entire lifecycle.
4. Accelerating water action
2026 will be a big year for water. In July, SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) will undergo in-depth review by the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The 2026 UN Water Conference will convene in December. With the first-ever UN System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation and its implementation plan firmly in place, the conference will address six themes: water for people; water for prosperity; water for the planet; water for cooperation; water in multilateral processes; and investments for water. The Conference will also discuss how water will be reflected in a post-2030 development agenda.
5. Laying the groundwork for a post-2030 sustainable development agenda
2026 is the last year before the 2027 SDG Summit – the meeting of the HLPF convening under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) once every four years to review all 17 Goals of the 2030 Agenda. The 2027 Summit will conduct this review for the last time before 2030 – the deadline for the SDGs’ delivery. It will also kick off official negotiations on a post-2030 development agenda.
In 2026, we expect to see increased engagement among various stakeholders on the future of sustainable development. Among other important contributions to the beyond 2030 discussions, we will be watching for the independent High-Level Expert Group’s report to the UNGA with recommendations for indicators of sustainable development that complement or go beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
At the SDG Knowledge Hub, we’ll be tracking these and other processes and developments throughout the year. We will also be updating the SDG Knowledge Hub calendar as more event announcements are made, so please check it frequently.