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

Springtime in the Northern Hemisphere can be overwhelming. Lately, I’ve noticed that I’ve been departing from social convention in my day-to-day interactions. When asked how I’m doing, instead of the customary “fine, thank you” I’ve started saying “busy.” Maybe it’s the lawn that suddenly needs mowing, the kids’ summer sports, or the chicks we’re raising… Although I have a feeling this might also have something to do with just how much has been going on in the multilateral space.

The July session of the 2026 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is fast approaching. Preparatory work for major summits later this year has kicked off. The process for the selection and appointment the next UN Secretary-General is well underway. And these are just some of the developments we reported on in April.

So, if you aren’t intimidated by the sheer volume of it all, let’s dig in!

Getting HLPF ready 

Preparations are in full swing for the July session of the HLPF. The co-facilitators of the negotiations on the HLPF outcome document have circulated a “zero draft” ministerial declaration, along with a roadmap and an indicative timeline for the remainder of the talks. The co-facilitators plan to place the draft Ministerial Declaration under the silence procedure before the end of June.

Regional inputs are also coming in. Every year, five regional forums on sustainable development (RFSDs) meet in preparation for the HLPF. In April, RFSDs convened in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region. The meetings took stock of SDG progress, highlighted regional priorities, explored solutions to accelerate the SDGs while leaving no one behind, and discussed policies and innovations that can drive the transformation towards sustainability. The Asia-Pacific forum convened in February. The Arab RFSD, originally scheduled to take place in Beirut, Lebanon, from 21-23 April, was postponed due to conflict, with new dates and venue to be announced.

To inform the RFSD deliberations, each of the UN’s five regional commissions – the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UNECE, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) – produces an annual regional progress report, highlighting SDG implementations gains, assessing gaps, and proposing solutions to accelerate the needed transformations. Key findings from this year’s reports include:

• UNECE: the region is on track to achieve only 19 SDG targets, or 15% of the 127 measurable targets, by 2030. This is down from 21 targets in 2025, and 20 targets in 2024;
• UNECA: although Africa is making progress towards 12 of the 17 SDGs, the current pace of progress is insufficient to achieve the Goals by 2030;
• ESCWA: despite “notable advancements” on SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), and SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), political instability, economic disparity, and resource scarcity hinder progress on many other Goals; 
• ECLAC: major global disruptions observed in 2025, such as the imposition of tariffs, have had an impact on SDG achievement in the region; and
• ESCAP: the region has made notable improvements in poverty reduction, industrialization, and health and well-being, but setbacks in the areas of climate action, marine conservation, and biodiversity, as well as widening inequalities are undermining these gains. 

Convening under the theme, ‘Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all,’ this year’s HLPF will carry out in-depth reviews of five Goals – SDG 6, SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). A series of expert group meetings (EGMs) organized in early 2026 contributed to the reviews of the SDGs on energy, water, industry, and cities.

Organizations, UN entities, and stakeholders are also preparing inputs to HLPF 2026. Submissions from the functional commissions of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), UN agencies, and other intergovernmental bodies and forums can be accessed directly through the HLPF inputs database. A report from ECOSOC’s Committee for Development Policy (CDP) highlights the importance of structural transformation, innovation and technological diffusion, and fiscal and debt sustainability to accelerate sustainable development to 2030 and beyond. German stakeholders identified key messages for the German delegation to deliver at the UN in July.

2026 is also the year when ECOSOC and the HLPF undergo reviews by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Member States are considering the zero draft resolutions and will begin discussing them in early May. The co-facilitators expect to circulate text to be placed under the silence procedure in mid-June. A guest article offering recommendations on how to improve HLPF/ECOSOC review processes calls for greater emphasis on interlinkages between the Goals, including those relating to peace and governance. 

Prepping for major summits

Preparatory work is underway for several other major summits taking place later this year.

UN agencies, partners, and government representatives convening for the 43rd UN-Water Meeting discussed preparations for the December 2026 UN Water Conference. Participants also heard an update on the final details for the third edition of the UN SDG 6 Synthesis Report, to be launched during the HLPF in July.

The Turkish Presidency of the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 31) announced its priority for the COP of finding “common ground to build a safer world and a more secure global economy for humanity as climate impacts rapidly worsen.” The conference will feature a World Leaders’ Summit where leaders are encouraged to announce “new, concrete, and implementable” climate commitments and initiatives.

Ahead of the negotiations, the 17th Petersberg Dialogue met in Berlin, Germany, to build early political alliances and partnerships and showcase examples of successful transformation. The informal ministerial meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives from over 30 countries and representatives of the EU, the UN, and other international organizations, as well as high-level stakeholders from civil society, the scientific community, the financial sector, and industry, to discuss key international climate policy issues in preparation for the COP.

Just as partnerships are critical for a successful negotiation, robust science is essential for meaningful outcomes. Many see the timely production of the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as imperative for informing the climate negotiations. Yet, agreement on the AR7 timeline remained elusive for the Panel, which is also facing financial pressures.

Amid challenges, there is an appetite for solutions. Formerly known as the Vienna Energy Forum, the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum highlighted the action-oriented steps required to align sustainable development with decarbonization pathways. The main message that emerged from the Forum was that the energy transition can no longer be seen as limited to the climate agenda but is a broader development and security imperative underpinning economic transformation.

A recent event on strengthening the climate-health agenda in the lead up to COP 31 highlighted the emergence of “two-speed multilateralism,” where coalitions of the willing advance practical initiatives and voluntary roadmaps alongside consensus-based UN processes. The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, which wrapped up in Santa Marta, Colombia, two days ago, emerged as a prime example of such accelerated diplomacy.

Multilateralism in action

In April, progress in other processes was similarly mixed. Following the entry into force of the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), a preparatory meeting for the first COP marked the beginning of its implementation journey. Bumpy as it was, most of the points of contention stemmed from long-standing disputes that are not BBNJ-specific.

The recent meeting of the COP of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) listed 40 new species, subspecies, and populations in the CMS Appendices, of which 20 were added to Appendix I (migratory species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range). According to the 2026 interim report on the State of the World’s Migratory Species, which informed the discussions, some species, like the saiga antelope, scimitar-horned oryx, and Mediterranean monk seal, now face reduced extinction risks, thanks the Convention’s protections.

The latest round of talks on a plastics treaty concluded last year without an agreement. Following the Chair’s subsequent resignation, a new Chair was elected in February. In the lead-up to the next round of negotiations, Chair Julio Cordano (Chile) wrote to Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) members, outlining his approach to advancing substantive work. His goal is to have an informal reference document after an informal in-person Heads of Delegation meeting in Nairobi, taking place from 30 June to 3 July.

The One Health Summit stepped up the implementation of the One Health approach by fostering international cooperation, global scientific partnerships, and practical solutions to strengthen health security across human, animal, and environmental systems. Convened at the behest of the French President as the ninth edition of the One Planet Summit, the One Health Summit contributed to France’s 2026 Presidency of the Group of 7 (G7).

In April, the process for the selection and appointment of the next UN Secretary-General picked up the pace. Four candidates currently being considered for the post – Michelle Bachelet Jeria (Chile), Rafael Mariano Grossi (Argentina), Macky Sall (Senegal), and Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (Costa Rica) – took part in interactive dialogues to present their vision and to allow for engagement with Member States. The tenth Secretary-General will be appointed by the UNGA, on the recommendation of the Security Council, and will assume his or her role in January 2027. The new Secretary-General will lead the UN as Member States advance the UN80 reform, implementation of the Pact for the Future, efforts to complement gross domestic product (GDP) with other metrics, and conversations on a post-2030 sustainable development agenda. 

The UN80 reform initiative received a boost with the UNGA’s adoption of a resolution aiming to improve how the UN system translates decisions into results. Building on the work of the Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on the Mandate Implementation Review, the resolution introduces a more structured approach across the full mandate lifecycle and supports clearer and more focused mandates, stronger and more coordinated implementation, more systematic review of results, and increased transparency. The informal group will continue its work as the Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review, beginning work in May 2026 and concluding it at the end of April 2027.

Throughout the month, the UN organized several briefings on the UN80 initiative, including updates on the preliminary findings of the merger assessment of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women (work package 4), progress on work packages dealing with data (work package 16) and technology (work package 15), and progress on the assessment of current arrangements and proposed structural changes and programme realignments on environmental issues (work package 27). There are 31 UN80 work packages.

As preliminary data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed historic declines in official development assistance (ODA), the latest milestones in the implementation of the Pact for the Future focused mainly on finance. The ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up (FfD Forum) took stock of progress since the 2025 Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Participants reaffirmed FfD4’s Sevilla Commitment as a renewed global framework for FfD to realize sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda. During the Forum, participants heard updates on recent meetings organized pursuant to the Pact for the Future that addressed financial integrity, international cooperation in tax matters, and credit ratings, among other issues.

Responding to the Sevilla Commitment, finance ministers and central bank governors of borrowing developing countries created a platform to give borrower countries a voice in the global debt architecture. The Borrowers’ Platform was launched during the 2026 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where the WBG and IMF announced governance reforms called for in the Pact for the Future. These are mainly focused on improving operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Addressing the technology component of the Pact for the Future was the UN’s call for written inputs to help shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) governance through the Global Dialogue on AI Governance established by the UNGA in 2025. the Dialogue is an inclusive platform within the UN for Member States and stakeholders to discuss the critical issues concerning AI.

Data and partnerships to drive progress

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” While contested at times, this oft-cited adage rings true when it comes to efforts to develop metrics that go beyond measuring well-being.

With its first plenary meeting, the Beyond GDP Global Alliance kicked off its operational phase. Members of the Alliance as well as interested countries and stakeholders discussed the Alliance’s objectives and explored how the Alliance can contribute to advancing recommendations that the UN High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP (HLEG) is expected to deliver in May. Among other areas, the HLEG is expected to weigh in on valuing care work.

Also contributing to measuring what societies truly value are the findings from the 2026 World Happiness Report, which explores how heavy social media use contributes to the decline in well-being among young people in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, especially girls.

The new Food Security Index from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) can help transform food systems by assessing countries’ performance on food availability, access, utilization, and sustainability and helping determine why countries are food insecure, enabling informed policy responses.

In April, we also explored the role of engaging stakeholder and partnerships in driving sustainable development. ECOSOC’s annual forum discussed youth’s critical role in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for all, highlighting youth’s mental health and well-being as a foundation for sustainable development. In an op-ed, our guest authors argued that youth’s role in UN processes could benefit from improved, more meaningful engagement.

At the SDG Knowledge Hub, we give youth a voice by welcoming guest articles for our dedicated Generation 2030 column. In April, our Generation 2030 contributors shared perspectives on issues ranging from women’s economic empowerment in Africa and rethinking fast fashion to restoring the Great Barrier Reef through coral in vitro fertilization. We are pleased to share this snapshot of issues that young professionals find important, and we look forward to the solutions they will pursue as they establish their professional paths.

Other guest authors explored how implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies can contribute to sustainable livelihoods in Africa and pathways to localizing water and energy security.

Meanwhile, many people on the ground are driving action. To recognize them, the UN SDG Action Campaign has launched the 2026 edition of the SDG Action Awards and welcomes applications until 17 May 2026. ‘Heroes of Tomorrow’ will be recognized in three categories – changemaker, creativity, and resilience.

I hope this snapshot of April’s SDG news leaves you with a sense of satisfaction that despite the many challenges we face, much is being done to make the world a better place.