United Nations in India

India is critical in determining the success of the SDGs, globally. At the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted, “Sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity will be of great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet. It will be a world of fewer challenges and greater hope; and, more confident of its success”. NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier think tank, has been entrusted with the task of coordinating the SDGs, mapping schemes related to the SDGs and their targets, and identifying lead and supporting ministries for each target. In addition, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has been leading discussions for developing national indicators for the SDGs. State governments are key to India’s progress on the SDGs as they are best placed to ‘put people first’ and to ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’. The UN Country Team in India supports NITI Aayog, Union ministries and state governments in their efforts to address the interconnectedness of the goals, to ensure that no one is left behind and to advocate for adequate financing to achieve the SDGs.

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17 February 2026

From disaster risk to food security, UN presses for people-centred AI at the Global Summit

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 opened on Monday in the capital city of New Delhi, bringing together world leaders, ministers, researchers and technology experts to examine how artificial intelligence can advance inclusive development and sustainable progress. According to organisers, more than 20 Heads of State, over 60 ministers and 500+ global AI experts are expected to participate in the five-day summit. AI and global cooperationIn an interview on the opening day, Amandeep Gill, the UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, said convening the summit in the Global South reflects efforts to broaden participation in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.He said the gathering marks an important step towards making AI related decision making more inclusive. The first Global AI Governance Dialogue, scheduled for July 2026, will provide countries with an opportunity to work jointly on policy approaches, he added.The UN Secretary-General has proposed a voluntary global fund of up to $3 billion to support nearly 90 at risk countries. In addition, a 40-member international scientific panel on AI has been established to monitor developments and impacts and to issue evidence based reports aimed at informing governments, companies and society.Gill also said that artificial intelligence has the potential to bring significant change across agriculture, education, industry and climate action. AI applications can help identify sources of emissions, improve energy efficiency and enhance infrastructure planning. At the same time, he cautioned that the rapid expansion of AI systems is increasing demand for energy, water and other resources, particularly for data centres. He also stressed that AI must always be used ethically, with human oversight and strong governance arrangements. He warned that misuse, including the spread of misinformation, poses risks that require coordinated global action. AI and disaster preparednessThe role of artificial intelligence in disaster risk reduction was also highlighted at the summit. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, said AI can significantly enhance the ability to anticipate hazards, identify risk prone areas and populations, and enable timely preparedness and relief measures to minimise damage.He cited AI based flood forecasting systems as an example, noting that they are faster and more accurate than traditional methods. In the future, AI could also analyse urban planning and construction safety to help reduce disaster risks. AI and gender equalityDuring a high-level session on gender and technology, Soha Ali Khan, Actor and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Advocate for United Nations Population Fund India, raised concerns about rising risks facing women in a rapidly evolving digital environment. She stressed that strong ethical safeguards in artificial intelligence are essential to ensure safety and protect rights. In a separate event at the summit, the launch of the AI Casebook on Gender and Agriculture highlighted the structural gaps in AI design. Speaking at the launch, Christine Arab, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at UN Women, warned that a “persistent design gap” remains globally. She noted that when fewer women are involved in building AI systems, fewer products reflect women’s realities.Developed in collaboration with UN Women, the Casebook presents 23 AI solutions demonstrating measurable gender impact, ethical design and global replicability. The collection showcases systems advancing equity, safety, economic inclusion and improved public service delivery. Download from hereAI and regulatory preparednessInstitutional readiness was another focus of the summit. On its margins, UNESCO and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India launched the India AI Readiness Assessment Methodology Report. Developed by UNESCO in partnership with the IndiaAI Mission and Ikigai Law as implementing partner, and supported by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the report is the outcome of 18 months of engagement. The process included five regional consultations across Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Guwahati, bringing together more than 600 stakeholders from government, startups, academia, research institutions and civil society.The report highlights India’s strong AI talent base, vibrant innovation ecosystem and growing multilingual AI initiatives, while identifying priority actions, including strengthening legal and ethical oversight, expanding inclusive workforce transitions, enhancing centre–state coordination and integrating sustainability into AI infrastructure planning.Through the Readiness Assessment Methodology, UNESCO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting India in shaping AI that is ethical, inclusive and human centred, advancing innovation while upholding rights, dignity and public trust. AI and public healthHealth applications of artificial intelligence were also showcased during the summit The WHO South-East Asia Region launched the Casebook on AI Health Use Cases Across the Global South, developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The compendium has examples of how healthcare workers around the world are starting to be equipped with decision aid tools to help standardize and improve care and equalize access and quality and reach to health. It highlights scalable, AI-enabled health solutions deployed in real-world settings. The featured cases demonstrate how AI improves health outcomes, strengthens health systems, and advances equitable access to healthcare. Download from hereAI and food and nutrition securityFood and nutrition security also featured prominently at the summit, where World Food Programme mounted a dedicated exhibition on technology and artificial intelligence solutions aimed at strengthening food systems and closing last mile nutrition gaps.The exhibition showcased five WFP innovations, including three developed in India and two global solutions. Technologies developed by India’s Department of Food and Public Distribution were also on display.In addition, the event included the felicitation of the top three ideas from the hackathon titled “NourishNext: AI enabled solutions for last mile nutrition challenges”, supported by WFP and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The initiative focused on AI powered nudges designed to bridge nutrition gaps through intelligent, locally adapted solutions. AI and agriculture In a separate session on agriculture titled “AI for Agriculture: Data Sharing and Multimodality to Feed the Future”, Vincent Martin, Director of Innovation at the Food and Agriculture Organization, said AI must be rigorously tested, responsibly governed and sustainably financed to ensure it truly serves farmers. ***

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15 February 2026

In the hands of innovators from the Global South, AI can transform lives

Artificial intelligence is no longer the sole preserve of rich western nations. The applications for the Global South, in areas ranging from health to agriculture and industry, are having a transformative effect on people’s lives.Fodder cutters are fearsome machines with huge circular blades spinning at high speed, powered by small generators. Operated by rural workers in several developing countries, including India, Pakistan and Kenya, they pose a constant risk – many have had hands or arms amputated following accidents.The consequences are devastating. Tasks that shape daily life – harvesting crops, kneading dough, stitching embroidery – suddenly become impossible. Thousands of women are left with reduced independence, lost livelihoods, and, too often, social exclusion.Until recently, advanced prosthetics were far beyond their reach. Now, homegrown AI tools are opening the door to the same kinds of sophisticated devices available in wealthier countries.Karachi-based Bioniks Technologies partnered with UN Women to design and deliver prosthetic limbs tailored specifically for affected female workers in Pakistan’s Sindh province. The initiative harnessed frontier technologies – 3D modelling, digital scanning, and artificial intelligence – to create lightweight, durable, and intuitive bionic arms capable of transforming daily life. “Through this collaboration, we provided advanced prosthetic arms, hands-on training, psychological support and awareness sessions to help communities understand safety practices and prevent such injuries in the future,” says Ayesha Zulfiqar, co-founder of Bioniks.“Watching these incredible women regain their mobility, dignity, independence and return to hand embroidery, their main source of income, has been profoundly inspiring. This is more than technology, it’s restoring hope, confidence and opportunity.”The India AI Impact Summit: A first for the Global South This initiative is a powerful example of what can be achieved when AI is available to innovators based in the Global South. Democratising AI is a major priority for the United Nations, which is working to ensure that this rapidly evolving technology is developed ethically and benefits people everywhere.At the India AI Impact Summit, taking place from 16 to 20 February in New Delhi, several UN agencies will showcase the initiatives they are supporting in the country and across developing nations.The Summit is the first major event of its kind in the Global South. Building on the momentum of the 2023 AI Safety Summit convened by the UK, and the 2025 AI Action Summit in France, it will also feature UN Secretary‑General António Guterres and Amandeep Gill, his Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies.Speaking to author and podcaster Anirudh Suri in the run-up to the conference, Mr. Gill said that the UN is focused on bridging the growing ‘AI divide’ (between wealthy and developing economies, as well as the rich and poor within countries) and making AI more accessible to people everywhere.“The concentration of economic and technological power is our biggest concern at the United Nations,” said Mr. Gill. “We’ve seen this story before, during previous industrial revolutions, when those who missed steam power found themselves 50 years behind in terms of development. We cannot afford to let that happen again.”Despite the fears he expressed, Mr. Gill pointed to regions that have put plans in place to capitalise on AI and avoid being left behind. “I see this in Southeast Asia, in many parts of Africa and in India, where the government is taking the lead, subsidising access to AI for researchers, developers and smaller companies.”Although the AI Impact Summit is not a UN event, Mr. Gill has been involved in shaping the agenda and considers it to be an important moment on the path to international governance. “It’s exciting to see the focus on bridging the AI divide, building capacity and involving citizens in a democratic approach to the technology.”What to expect at the SummitAI Impact Summit Week will run from 16 to 20 February at Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in New DelhiIt will bring together global leaders, policymakers, technology companies, innovators and experts to deliberate on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence across governance, innovation and sustainable developmentUN Secretary-General António Guterres will speak at the Summit on Thursday 19 FebruarySeveral United Nations entities are holding side-events, showcasing the ways that they are using AI for social good.They include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Women, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA), the UN science agency (UNESCO) and the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET).The UN and AI Here is a selection of the work on AI that is taking place across the UN system. These initiatives are aimed at reducing global inequalities by addressing the uneven distribution of AI benefits and supporting digital capacity in developing countries. Global Digital Compact, a global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance, adopted by world leaders at the 2024 Summit of the FuturePrinciples for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in the UN System, a guide to the ethical adoption of across UN agenciesThe High‑Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, created to improve evidence‑based policymaking, global coordination, and participation across Member StatesAI for Good, the UN system’s largest, action‑oriented platform for scaling practical AI solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development GoalsUNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021), The world’s first global AI ethics framework, adopted by all 193 Member States, covering human rights, transparency, fairness, environmental impact, and governance obligations across the AI lifecycle.Generation AI (UNICEF), a global effort to build evidence, shape policy, and co‑develop AI solutions that uphold child rights This story was first published on UN News website

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13 February 2026

UN chief to attend AI Impact Summit in India as Global South shapes AI governance

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will travel to India next week to participate in the AI Impact Summit 2026, a major global gathering on artificial intelligence that will be held in the Global South for the first time at this scale.The Summit, organized by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will take place in New Delhi from 16 to 20 February. It will bring together governments, international organizations, industry leaders, academics and civil society to examine how artificial intelligence can be harnessed responsibly to advance sustainable development.AI and the Sustainable Development GoalsMore than 30 events organized by the UN system are scheduled during the five-day summit, and will include sessions on AI for resilient agriculture, health systems innovation, ethical AI governance, women’s leadership in technology, digital capacity-building in the Global South and responsible business practices.“We need shared understandings to build effective guardrails, unlock innovation for the common good, and foster cooperation,” Mr. Guterres said ahead of his visit.UN officials say the discussions will focus on how AI can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals while safeguarding human rights and addressing emerging risks. High-level UN delegationThe Secretary-General will be joined by senior UN leaders, including Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Amandeep Singh Gill, Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies; and Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.Also participating are Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization; and Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.Senior representatives from UNDP, UN Women, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, FAO, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute will contribute to discussions across the Summit agenda.

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13 February 2026

Indian professor among 40 experts on new UN AI panel

The General Assembly appointed 40 members recommended by the Secretary-General to the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on 12 February."Today marks a foundational step towards global scientific understanding of AI. The 40 members of the new Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, established within the United Nations, have been appointed by the General Assembly of the United Nations for a three-year term. They will serve in their personal capacity," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said as he unveiled the Panel.First global scientific body dedicated to AI

Established by General Assembly resolution in 2025, the Panel is the first global scientific body of its kind, and aims to bring experts together to assess how the technology is transforming the world and its people. It will issue an annual report containing evidence-based scientific assessments that synthesize and analyse existing research related to the technology's opportunities, risks and impacts.The Panel includes experts from all regions and disciplines, picked from a pool of more than 2,600 candidates after independent review by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Panel’s work will help Member States have policy-relevant, evidence-based scientific assessments, guided by principles of independence, scientific credibility and rigour, multidisciplinarity and inclusive participation.

The members have backgrounds in core technical AI expertise; applied AI, safety and infrastructure experience; and AI policy, ethics and impact.
Among those appointed is Indian AI expert Professor Balaraman Ravindran, the founding head of the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Here's the full list of the Panel members: Girmaw Abebe Tadesse (Ethiopia)Tuka Alhanai (United Arab Emirates)Joëlle Barral (France)Yoshua Bengio (Canada)Tegawendé Bissyandé (Burkina Faso)Loreto Bravo (Chile)Mark Coeckelbergh (Belgium)Carlos Coello Coello (Mexico)Melahat Bilge Demirköz (Türkiye)Adji Bousso Dieng (Senegal)Awa Bousso Dramé (Cabo Verde)Mennatallah El-Assady (Egypt)Hoda Heidari (Islamic Republic of Iran)Juho Kim (Republic of Korea)Anna Korhonen (Finland)Aleksandra Korolova (Latvia)Vipin Kumar (United States of America)Sonia Livingstone (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)Qinghua Lu (Australia)Teresa Ludermir (Brazil)Vukosi Marivate (South Africa)Bilal Mateen (Pakistan)Yutaka Matsuo (Japan)Joyce Nakatumba Nabende (Uganda)Andrei Neznamov (Russian Federation)Maximilian Nickel (Germany)Rita Orji (Nigeria)Román Orús (Spain)Alvitta Ottley (Saint Kitts and Nevis)Martha Palmer (United States of America)Johanna Pirker (Austria)Balaraman Ravindran (India)Maria Ressa (Philippines)Lior Rokach (Israel)Piotr Sankowski (Poland)Silvio Savarese (Italy)Bernhard Schölkopf (Germany)Haitao Song (China)Leslie Teo (Singapore)Jian Wang (China)

Click here to learn more about the panel

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09 February 2026

From rural margins to media trailblazers: India’s women journalists are rewriting the news

Khabar Lahariya, literally “news waves”, is an all-women media organisation run since 2002 by rural reporters, many of them Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim, dispatching fresh stories from some of the most marginalised regions.“We faced challenges at every level,” founder Kavita Devi told UN News. “People would say women can’t be journalists, but we went to villages, persisted and proved that women can not only report but tell stories that others cannot.”Long before global conversations about diversity entered newsrooms, these women were building their own.From illiterate to multimedia producerVillagers initially doubted women could be journalists and educational barriers made recruiting reporters a daunting challenge, Ms. Devi said, recalling the scepticism they encountered.At the time, female reporters were virtually absent from newsrooms in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Many of the women who joined Khabar Lahariya had little formal education.One such journalist, Shyamkali, transformed from being illiterate to becoming a senior reporter. Reporting from the margins“I didn’t know how to write a resume or handle a camera, but with training and guidance, I was able to learn everything, from interviewing to mobile journalism, and now I report stories that mainstream media ignore,” Shyamkali told UN News.Khabar Lahariya’s reporting also goes beyond mere representation. Shyamkali recounted a story about a woman who, driven to desperation, acted violently against her abusive husband. Mainstream media reported the incident without context, focusing only on the shocking act, she said. But, Shyamkali’s reporting brought the woman’s perspective and underlying social realities to light, demonstrating how women journalists can add nuance, empathy and depth to stories often ignored or misrepresented.Women ‘see their own image in the news’Language plays a critical role in Khabar Lahariya’s mission. Publishing in local dialects like Bundeli, Awadhi and Bhojpuri, ensures that news is accessible, relatable and empowering for rural communities. “When we explain issues in their language, people understand better,” Ms. Devi said.“They see their own image in the news, especially women.”Game changing digital mediaTransitioning from print to digital platforms has been a game changer for Khabar Lahariya, with its staff embracing mobile journalism, learning to anchor, produce and share news on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.“Technology has empowered us to amplify voices from communities that were always ignored,” Shyamkali said, recalling the initial fear and excitement of tackling digital media.“I never imagined handling a camera or sending live reports from a phone, but now I can.”This digital expansion not only increases visibility, but enhances women’s agency, confidence and economic independence, proving that technology and training can transform social realities at the grassroots level. Telling the whole storyWomen remain just one in four people seen, heard or read about in the media, according to the 2025 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) report.Kalliopi Mingeirou, chief of UN Women’s section to end violence against women and girls, told UN News “this is not because women lack expertise or leadership” but because media continues to rely on the same narrow set of voices, too often defaulting to men as experts and decision makers.Indeed, democracy depends on informed debate and inclusive decision making, she said.“When women’s voices are missing, the public is denied half the story,” she said. “This distorts reality, weakens accountability and narrows the democratic space. In today’s context of backlash against gender equality, the exclusion of women in news is not only a gender issue, it is a democratic deficit.”‘Radical rethink’ requiredProgress on gender representation in media has not only stalled, it is under threat, according to the new report.“These findings are both a wake-up call and a call to action,” said Kirsi Madi, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. “When women are missing, democracy is incomplete.”Despite making up half of the world’s population, women today account for just 26 per cent of news subjects and sources globally, a figure that has barely shifted in the last 15 years, the report found.“A radical rethink is needed so that media can play its role in advancing equality,” Ms. Madi said. “Without women’s voices, there is no full story, no fair democracy, no lasting security and no shared future.” This story was first published on UN News.

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Press Release

02 February 2026

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we reaffirm a fundamental truth: equality in the sciences is essential for humanity’s progress.Despite advances in access to education, women in STEM are still held back by a lack of research funding, gender stereotypes, and discriminatory workplace practices. Globally, only one in three researchers is female.This gap is particularly pronounced in the realm of technology, with women representing just 26% of the workforce in data and artificial intelligence, and only 12% in cloud computing. The absence of female voices, especially in leadership positions, embeds biases into digital tools and leads to real world harm.Excluding women from science weakens our collective capacity to address urgent global challenges, from climate change to public health to space security. To solve these problems, we must ensure that every girl can imagine a future in STEM, and that every woman can thrive in her scientific career.That’s why the United Nations supports women and girls in STEM, including through scholarships, internships and mentorships across multiple disciplines. From advancing renewable energy to preventing the next pandemic, our future hinges on unlocking as much human talent as possible. Today and every day, let us ensure that women and girls can realise their scientific ambitions — for their rights, and for the benefit of all.[END]

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Press Release

29 January 2026

Secretary-General: ‘Seize the Moment’ to Show Global Cooperation Can Still Deliver as Raw Power Tests Multilateralism

It is my honour to speak to you today on behalf of the Secretary-General as we begin this year’s coordination segment.Last week, the Economic and Social Council marked its eightieth anniversary as the UN Charter body mandated to promote international cooperation in economic, social and environmental matters.Since its inception, the Economic and Social Council has been a platform for global dialogue and decision-making, a place for turning aspirations into commitments in our countries, and a catalyst for mobilizing resources and promoting coordinated action. Over the past eight decades, it has been an engine of progress for sustainable development and human rights around the world.But much work remains to be done. Our world today faces multiple interconnected crises -- from raging conflicts and widening inequalities to climate chaos and runaway technologies. Yet raw power is testing the resilience of multilateralism. The Economic and Social Council must seize this moment and show that global cooperation can still deliver.I welcome its continued commitment to optimizing the work of the UN development system -- in alignment with the UN80 Initiative’s vision of a stronger, more effective UN that delivers for people and planet, particularly at the country level. And I count on the Council’s determination to drive transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated action.This includes actions that are needed to unlock financing for development, lift our crushing debt burdens, help developing countries climb supply chains, promote dignity, advance equality, empower women and girls, and foster the opportunity for youth, and so much more.Over the next few days, you will hear from experts in a wide range of fields -- among them representatives of Member States, our own UN systems, and Economic and Social Council subsidiary bodies. They will brief you on work being done to deepen coherence, foresight, innovation, and data-driven coordination across the Economic and Social Council system. This coordination segment is also a vital opportunity for additional stakeholders to share their views.From the start, the Economic and Social Council has excelled at enabling civil society, the scientific and technological community, the private sector, and many others to participate and influence the decisions -- helping to ensure that we do keep our no one left behind commitment.We have just five years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Yet progress on many of the Sustainable Development Goals is alarmingly off track. Now is the time to double down and deliver. Major commitments in recent months have put wind at our backs.I am thinking of the Compromiso de Sevilla, adopted at Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, the Awaza Political Declaration, adopted at the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, the Doha Political Declaration, adopted at the Second World Social Summit, and the Belém Political Package, adopted at COP30 [Thirtieth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)].We have to build on this momentum. I am counting on your policy guidance to the ECOSOC system over the next few days -- and in the months ahead -- to help light our way. Your engagement will be critical in turning these commitments into concrete and measurable actions on the ground, and in ensuring that these activities -- at global, regional, national and local levels -- are concerted and impactful.This Coordination Segment is a chance to optimize the work of the Council and the wider UN development system -- by assessing progress that’s been made, aligning our strategies, and strengthening collective efforts towards achieving the 2030 Agenda.With this in mind, I also welcome the upcoming General Assembly reviews of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum. The Council has evolved significantly over the years, and this exercise offers a further opportunity to strengthen its deliberative work, heighten its real-world impact and ensure that we are future-ready.The complex global challenges we face make the Economic and Social Council’s role more vital than ever. In our divided world, it offers a forum for boosting solidarity, fostering those partnerships and strengthening them, and guiding collective action towards our commitments.Now I believe we have time for decisive action, but let’s reaffirm and strengthen the core values and principles of the UN -- with robust, inclusive multilateralism that promotes peace, justice, and humanity; above all gives hope to the many who do not see tomorrow.Let us renew our commitment to a future grounded in cooperation, dialogue, resilience, and a shared responsibility. And with the Economic and Social Council as a pillar of multilateralism, let us take action to make the vision for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a reality for all.[END]

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Press Release

28 January 2026

ECOSOC Partnership Forum 2026

It is an honour to join you for the opening of the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum.We are here for a simple reason: because the 2030 Agenda cannot be delivered by governments alone.Or civil society alone.Or the private sector alone.The scale of what we face demands something different: partnerships that pool resources, expertise, and political will to deliver results.This forum exists because ECOSOC understood the necessity of partnership from its inception, and for 80 years, this Council has advanced progress by bringing the right actors together.Last week, we marked that anniversary and we reflected on eight decades of achievement:Drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and championing its fulfilment.Driving the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Fostering inclusive dialogue across governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, and communities.Nearly 6,500 non-governmental organizations now hold ECOSOC accreditation. That represents decades of work to ensure diverse voices shape the decisions that affect us all.This legacy matters now because of the tests we will be facing over the next five years.You have heard us say time and again that progress on the 2030 Agenda is alarmingly off track.You have also heard the numbers that underpin that alarm, let me remind you of just a few:2.2 billion people still lack safe drinking water.Poverty reduction has largely stalled as extreme poverty today remains close to its 2015 level.Global hunger levels today exceed those of 2015.Africa carries 85 per cent of the global electricity deficit.Goal 5 on gender equality is likely to be missed.About 3 billion people cannot afford adequate housing, while more than 1 billion live in slums without basic services.The bottom line is that developing countries face an annual SDG financing gap of more than 4 trillion dollars.But we have wind at our backs. Recent months brought us the Sevilla Commitment on Financing for Development and the Doha Political Declaration from the World Social Summit.Both are clear on one point: closing these gaps will not happen through statements. It will happen through country-led partnerships that are transparent about who is doing what, financed at scale, and held to results.Partnerships are the practical engine for that work. They are how financing reaches projects and how delivery is coordinated.We know this works because we have seen it work:Since 2015, electricity has reached 92 per cent of the global population.AIDS-related deaths have been cut in half.More than 100 million children and youth have gained access to education.These gains happened because the right actors converged around shared goals with shared purpose.At last year's High-Level Political Forum, 37 countries presented Voluntary National Reviews. They showed how implementation is accelerating, increasingly through consultations with civil society, youth, academia, indigenous groups, and local communities.Today you will focus on four goals under review at this year's HLPF: partnerships for the goals, clean water and sanitation, affordable energy, industry and innovation, and sustainable cities.Think of these as infrastructure for everything else - health, education, jobs, climate action all depend on getting these fundamentals right.The partnerships you form here, the insights you share, will feed directly into the ECOSOC Coordination Segment tomorrow and the HLPF in July.As you know, you are meeting at a moment when Member States are preparing to review ECOSOC and the HLPF, in parallel to the UN80 Initiative, two closely connected tracks both in purpose and direction.Use what you hear today to be specific about what needs to improve: clearer accountability for partnerships, less duplication, better data on what is working, and faster pathways from commitment to financing and implementation.The United Nations is already putting these principles into practice. Our Resident Coordinators and country teams are leveraging their convening power to align sectors, partners, and resources behind coherent national priorities, strengthening national partnership capacities and delivering coordinated support across sectors. Ladies and Gentlemen, ECOSOC has spent 80 years proving that partnerships generate both capacity and momentum.What you share here should not stay in this room.Countries and communities know what they need. Our role is to support that knowledge, amplify it, and help sustain it.We have five years. That is enough time to show real movement if we are clear about roles, honest about constraints, and serious about follow-through.I look forward to the concrete actions that will emerge from your discussions today.Thank you.[END]

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Press Release

28 January 2026

Secretary-General: Stressing Holocaust Starkly Demonstrates Dangers of Unchecked Hatred

I am deeply honoured to join you and humbled by the presence of Holocaust survivors and their families.We gather in solemn remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust. They were mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren. Six million Jews murdered just because they were Jewish. We also grieve the Roma and Sinti, the people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, and so many more who were enslaved, persecuted, tortured, and killed.And we also remember the stories and struggles of those who confronted the worst of humanity to show us the best: diplomats who defied orders and issued lifesaving visas, journalists who fought to expose the truth, and farmers and villagers who hid families at great peril.Remembrance is more than honouring the past. It is a duty and a promise: to defend dignity, to protect the vulnerable, and to keep faith with those whose names and stories we refuse to forget. The Holocaust, after all, is not only history. It is a warning; a warning that hatred, once unleashed, can consume everything.Today that warning feels more urgent than ever. Antisemitism around the world is raging. Jewish communities live in fear. Synagogues attacked, families shattered, vile antisemitic hatred racing across cyberspace.We are haunted by the horrific terror attack of 7 October -- which I once again categorically condemn -- along with the taking of hostages, and the acts of hatred targeting Jews around the world in recent years, and, indeed, in recent weeks.But coming together as we have come today, to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust fills me with hope. I see the power of humanity in all of you. I see the courage of survivors who turned pain into purpose. I see the commitment of young people -- of every faith and nation -- standing together against hate. I see the strength of solidarity when communities unite.You are here because you choose hope over hate. You choose remembrance as a living force -- a shield against prejudice, a spark for justice, a pledge to protect every human being.This show of unity is more important than ever. Because we know the Holocaust is a stark demonstration of the dangers of unchecked hatred. The Holocaust did not begin with killing. It began with words. Its architects telegraphed their evil intentions. They deliberately spread a hateful, supremacist ideology that preyed on fear and economic despair.This powerful engine of hate was given fuel through the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, the stifling of the press, the persecution of civil society, the corruption of courts, and the erosion of the rule of law.It included a mastery of the technology of the time: Controlling information, deploying propaganda and manipulating public discourse, spreading antisemitic and racist hatred with devastating efficiency. And we must never forget the painful truth that Jewish families who sought refuge were met with the cold shoulder of indifference, closed borders and bureaucratic barriers.This dark chapter of our common history reveals sobering truths. When those with power fail to act, evil goes unpunished. When the past is distorted, denied and weaponized, hatred and prejudice fester. When words become weapons, lies, conspiracies, the casual joke and the coded slur can grow until the unthinkable becomes policy and violence.So let us together pledge to stand against antisemitism and all forms of hatred -- and against bigotry, racism and discrimination anywhere and everywhere.This is the tenth time I have had the privilege as Secretary-General to address you on this day of remembrance. For me, Holocaust remembrance -- and the fight against the ancient poison of antisemitism -- is not abstract. It is personal. One of my personal achievements as Prime Minister of Portugal was working with Parliament to adopt a decree that revoked the sixteenth century expulsion of Jews from my country. I am happy to see tens of thousands of descendants of those expelled families regaining Portuguese nationality.This was a symbolic step -- but one that demonstrated the importance of acknowledging the depth of our remorse, even the remorse for the crimes of our country, remorse for the past, and our commitment to build a better, more inclusive future. A commitment that goes to the core of what brings us here today in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.As Secretary-General, I remember standing in Yad Vashem, confronted by the immense weight of memory and the countless lives extinguished in the darkness of hatred. I have prayed together with the Jewish community in the aftermath of atrocious acts of violence and antisemitism. I have heard testimonies from Holocaust survivors about their experiences that began with a knock on the door -- and ended with lives erased.And I have always understood the clear link between the horrors of the Holocaust and the spirit of multilateralism, justice and rights that founded our organization. Just over 80 years ago, the Nuremberg trials began. These trials represented the beginning of a new era in international criminal law; an era 78 which individuals, including the most powerful, are held accountable. Today, more than ever, we need to reclaim that spirit.At the opening of Nuremberg, Justice Robert H. Jackson warned us: “These prisoners represent sinister influences that will lurk in the world long after their bodies have returned to dust.” These influences -- antisemitism, racism, hatred -- are very much still with us.Our duty is clear: to speak the truth, to educate new generations, to confront antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination, and to defend the dignity of every human being.But it is also our duty to keep alive the spirit of acting in common purpose, through multilateralism, to ensure that the forces of humanity always triumph over the forces of inhumanity.Let us honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust by recommitting to justice, dignity, compassion and vigilance, to a world where humanity stands united against oppression, and where the terrible legacy of the past strengthens our resolve to protect human rights today and in the future.Let us forever carry in our hearts the Holocaust’s victims, whose calls for justice and peace can never be extinguished. May their memory be a blessing.[END]

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