Welcome to the May edition of our In Case You Missed It monthly review. 

Financial deficits across multilateral processes and organizations have made it clear reform of the international financial architecture – and the UN itself – is no longer a lofty ambition. It’s an urgent imperative.

Financial and institutional challenges notwithstanding, the just-released 2025 SDG progress report from the UN Secretary-General identifies where efforts to deliver the SDGs must intensify and accelerate if we are to claim success when we reach the 2030 deadline.

Today’s newsletter looks at recent initiatives to advance these agendas and identifies opportunities for further progress.

Getting HLPF ready 

In preparation for the July session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), countries have been engaging in peer-to-peer learning through a series of events and workshops to raise the level of ambition in their voluntary national reviews (VNR) of SDG implementation. Thirty-seven countries will present their VNRs this year, and their main messages are now available. 

Also out is the UN Secretary-General’s annual SDG progress report, which finds the world is on track to meet or is making “moderate” progress on more than one-third of SDG targets with available data. The report identifies the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), the Second World Summit for Social Development, and the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) among “timely and strategic platforms” to advance transformative change for the Goals. 

Talks on the outcome documents for each of these related events are underway. During the negotiations on the first draft of the FfD outcome document, many delegates called for a “fit-for-purpose system for monitoring and follow-up to track the implementation of commitments.” The zero draft for the World Social Summit’s political declaration notes progress since the 1995 World Summit on Social Development includes reductions in extreme poverty and increases in education and life expectancy, but gaps remain. The eight-page UNOC3 political declaration includes provisions relating to conserving the ocean, promoting sustainable ocean-based economies, and accelerating action. In the lead up to UNOC3, the tenth Our Ocean Conference mobilized 277 new commitments worth USD 9.1 billion. 

Opportunities to drive transformative change also emerged from a one-day high-level conference on SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), where civil society launched a declaration outlining recommendations for revitalized SDG 16+ action. “SDG 16+” refers to the 12 SDG 16 targets, as well as 24 targets from seven other Goals that directly measure an aspect of peace, inclusion, or access to justice:

  • SDG 1 (no poverty);
  • SDG 4 (quality education);
  • SDG 5 (gender equality);
  • SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth);
  • SDG 10 (reduced inequalities);
  • SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities); and
  • SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).

Three of these Goals – SDGs 5, 8, and 17 – will undergo in-depth review at the HLPF in July, along with SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 14 (life below water). 

Also contributing to the HLPF are the Secretary-General’s report on long-term impacts of current trends on the realization of the SDGs, plus submissions by the UN Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) functional commissions and other intergovernmental bodies and forums. These submissions would normally be synthesized in a dedicated report. Yet this year, in the light of the liquidity situation affecting the UN’s regular budget – and the Secretary-General’s efforts to streamline operations – the synthesis of submissions is being discontinued. The submissions can be read online. 

Exploring new approaches to financing (within and outside the UN)

With the US reviewing its support to the UN, the need for the organization to improve efficiency and cut costs is becoming more urgent. As we celebrate the UN’s 80th anniversary this year, the Secretary-General is evaluating the UN architecture. His “UN80” initiative – aimed at updating the UN’s structures, priorities, and operations for the 21st century – prioritizes action under three workstreams:

  • identifying efficiencies and improvements under current arrangements;
  • mandating implementation review; and
  • considering the need for structural changes.

The Secretary-General intends that the initiative “move as quickly as possible.” Meanwhile, processes such as the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) are trying to figure out “how to do more with less.” 

In exactly one month, leaders from governments, international and regional organizations, financial institutions, and other stakeholders will come together in Seville, Spain, in an effort to strengthen international cooperation on financing for development (FfD). Many see FfD4 as an opportunity to tackle challenges facing the global financial system. An alliance of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers has called on FfD4 to transform multilateral development banks (MDBs), establish a fair sovereign debt resolution framework, and reaffirm official development assistance (ODA) as a strategic and predictable investment, among other priority actions. Middle-income countries (MICs) look forward to the Conference in the hopes of exiting the “middle-income trap.”  

Raising ambition for climate  

In preparation for the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, the President-designate outlined his plans to orchestrate a global mutirão – coming together to work on a shared task and support one another – with a view to COP 30 and beyond. He urged all delegations to adopt three interconnected priorities:

  • reinforcing multilateralism and the UN climate regime
  • connecting the climate regime to people’s real lives
  • accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

To support climate negotiations – and sustainable development more broadly – our May guest authors explored:  

Multilateralism in action… 

One process that crossed the finish line in May was the negotiation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement. The new global Agreement sets out the principles, approaches, and tools for better international coordination across a range of areas, including equitable and timely access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. WHO member States adopted the Agreement following its approval by vote – which the US did not take part in – with 124 in favor, zero objections, and 11 abstentions.

Meanwhile, during the 2025 Conferences of the Parties (COPs), the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS) each sought to “leverage its built-in flexibilities to adapt to the work of other international organizations and supply chains.”

…And the data to support it 

Several major reports released over the course of the month provide policymakers with data to support informed decision-making processes:

  • The World Social Report 2025 by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), which makes the case for a new policy consensus around three mutually reinforcing principles – equity, economic security for all, and solidarity;  
  • The Human Development Report 2025 by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which highlights opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) to “reignite development”; 
  • The Circularity Gap Report 2025 by Circle Economy in collaboration with Deloitte, which argues that governments and businesses could do more to drive the circular transition; and 
  • An assessment of recent trends in child well-being in wealthy countries by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which warns that even in rich countries, the hard-won progress in child well-being can be easily compromised due to children’s vulnerability to global shocks.

Events and initiatives have facilitated exchanges between stakeholders – and across generations – to shape the future of sustainable development and economic policymaking, including by discussing actions for intergenerational equity in policymaking and the potential of combining modern development approaches with Traditional Knowledge to achieve climate and sustainability objectives.

To support the development of metrics that go beyond gross domestic product (GDP), the UN Secretary-General launched a High-level Expert Group. Members will work to elaborate a conceptual framework to identify key dimensions of progress and develop an initial list of corresponding indicators. The SDG Knowledge Hub’s own monthly update on ‘Beyond GDP’ highlighted publications that focus on measuring wealth and examined its importance in addressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality.