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

As you might have gathered from my previous updates, I’m based in the Eastern US. Last Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving. Seated around the dinner table, my kids listed everything they were grateful for this year – family, neighbors, our pets, food to eat, and a place to live. Their unfeigned honesty warmed my heart.

As I sat there contemplating my good fortune, I thought of other things to be thankful for – beyond my family and community, even when times are difficult and challenges are many. So here goes.

This year I’m thankful for…  

… Multilateralism That Endures

The past weeks have demonstrated that multilateralism, though imperfect, is alive and well.

At the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD) in Qatar, leaders reaffirmed their commitment to addressing social challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and exclusion. The Doha Political Declaration provides for a five-year follow-up process starting in 2031, to ensure full implementation of the social development agenda. In a guest article, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed explained why she hopes “social justice, equality, and solidarity can still guide our shared future.” I am also thankful that the WSSD outcome recognized the need to “address the spread of misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and content inciting harm in a way that protects democratic values,” even though the climate COP removed proposed language about misinformation.

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the CBD Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) (SB8j) focused on the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and monitoring its progress, with the latter body convening for the very first time. Supporting these negotiations was a report updating on the Bern Process and multilateral environmental agreements’ (MEAs) contribution to GBF implementation.

Several processes advanced important work on:

  • Tropical forests, with the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) agreeing the Preparatory Committee to renegotiate the International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA), which is due to expire in 2029, should hold its first session in 2026;
  • Mercury, with delegates bridging differences on several contentious issues at the Minamata Convention Conference of the Parties (COP), which sought to accelerate the phase-out of mercury across products, processes, and mining;
  • Atmospheric ozone, with the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer continuing the Protocol’s “impressive run” by forging ahead with addressing issues under its purview; and
  • Global tax cooperation, with the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation holding early discussions on illicit financial flows, tax evasion, and tax avoidance, among other issues.

Work continued on UN reform to ensure the organization is better equipped to deal with current and future global challenges. The Co-chairs of the Informal Ad Hoc Working Group (IAHWG) on mandate implementation review under Workstream 2 of the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 Initiative held an interactive discussion to hear from civil society organizations (CSOs) on how to better support the creation, implementation, and review of UN mandates.

As a reminder, the UN80 Initiative aims to:

  • Achieve efficiencies and improvements (Workstream 1);
  • Review mandate implementation (Workstream 2); and
  • Introduce structural changes and programme realignments (Workstream 3).

The UN has also released an action plan for the UN80 Initiative, which serves as a coordination framework across all three workstreams, a planning and accountability tool aligning responsibilities and actions across the system, and a transparency measure showing how the UN system will take the actions outlined in the Secretary-General’s reports released to support the Initiative.

One of the month’s highlights was the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) in Belém, Brazil. Despite many parties’ strong preferences, the outcome of the Conference does not contain provisions relating to fossil fuel phaseout – or to halting and reversing deforestation. Bright spots from the talks include the adoption of a new Gender Action Plan and a decision to develop a just transition mechanism.

Although the final gaveling of the decision on indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) was contested due to concerns about the integrity of modifications that were negotiated in Belém, the global community now has a set of approximately 60 indicators to refine and incorporate into their planning.

Discussions in Belém on science were also contentious, mirroring difficult negotiations at the 63rd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) earlier this month, where delegates were unable to reach agreement on the workplan for the seventh assessment report (AR7). Many hope AR7 will be ready in time to inform the 2028 Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The timeline for the AR7 workplan will be taken up again at IPCC-64 in March 2026.

Convening on the heels of COP 30, the leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) met in Johannesburg, South Africa, to underscore their belief in multilateral cooperation to address shared challenges. Notably, the US did not attend this year’s Summit.

A preview of the CoP to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), currently underway in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, highlighted the meeting’s packed agenda, with a record 114 items, 149 working documents, and 51 proposals to amend the three CITES Appendices, which contain the lists of protected species. CITES turns 50 this year, and the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), established by CITES and partners, celebrates its 15-year anniversary.

…Lessons to Learn From

Valuable data and analyses, lessons, and examples of good practice emerged from recent meetings and publications.

In preparation for the climate COP, several reports assessed progress and outlined opportunities for enhanced action:

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) exchanged perspectives on how to rethink mining to add value beyond extraction.

COP 30 side events offered guidance on how to strengthen NDCs through the recognition and protection of land tenure rights and offered climate-resilient solutions for infrastructure, housing, and informal settlements. 

… Solutions to Make Multilateralism Fit-for-Purpose

A number of current and emerging trends are shaping an improved version of multilateral engagement on common challenges.

Although the issue has received only limited recognition in the formal climate negotiations, leveraging synergies to improve policy coherence drove many conversations around the climate COP.

The Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action held its first high-level meeting during the Conference. The Dialogue is a COP-to-COP collaboration space aimed at fostering continuity and building a consistent, focused approach to integrating water considerations across the climate agenda.

Side events also:

Discussions continued on new metrics and standards that can support better outcomes by offering novel ways to measure progress.

An event during the Second World Summit on Social Development focused on advancing the ‘Beyond GDP’ concept through education, skills development, and inclusive policymaking. Efforts to go beyond GDP aim to complement traditional economic metrics by capturing what societies truly value, including our environmental health, our social equity, and our long-term resilience. Our monthly update on Beyond GDP revealed a growing interest in a human rights economy for sustainable development.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released a new international standard dedicated to biodiversity, which provides a rigorous, auditable framework for organizations to assess, manage, and report their impacts on nature.

The recently proposed Systematic Observation Impact Bond emerged as a novel finance solution, demonstrating how public and private finance could support resilience and safeguard lives in a changing climate. If backed, the instrument would enable 30 least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) to meet the requirements of the Global Basic Observing Network – the internationally agreed standard for surface-weather and climate observations.

As climate negotiations become ever more challenging – with finger-pointing, debates over negotiation modalities, and increasingly raised points of order – a growing number of countries are beginning to look beyond conventional processes for adequate responses. Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) weighed in on States’ obligations with respect to climate change and on what could happen if these obligations were breached. In a curated series, the SDG Knowledge Hub has been unpacking the numerous implications of this ruling for climate law and action. Our most recent feature explains why customary law and Indigenous knowledge should be used more widely in climate responses.

Amid today’s global environmental and geopolitical challenges, we hope this snapshot of November’s SDG news inspires you to reflect on the solutions, successes, and reasons to carry on – things we all can be thankful for.