Posts

The Sustainable Development Goals: Progress, Challenges and What Comes Next

-
Image
Guest blog: Lenni Montiel: Senior UN Development Leader (Ret.) | Former UN Assistant Secretary-General |UNDP Resident Representative | Governance, Public Policy & Multilateral Diplomacy | Leadership Advisor & Trainer | Chevening Scholar. Lenni writes on LinkedIn about the UN and international development. Originally published here : The United Nations has published The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, prepared by UNDESA, presenting the latest assessment of global progress towards the 2030 Agenda. I strongly encourage everyone interested in sustainable development to read the report and reflect on its findings. The report presents a mixed picture. Since 2015, important progress has been achieved in access to drinking water, sanitation, electricity, healthcare and digital connectivity. These achievements deserve recognition. The results show that the world is still far from achieving the SDGs by 2030. Only 36% of the targets assessed are on track or making moderate prog...
Post a Comment
Read more

From AI Principles to Action: The New Ibero-American AI Alliance

-
Image
Guest blog: Lenni Montiel: Senior UN Development Leader (Ret.) | Former UN Assistant Secretary-General |UNDP Resident Representative | Governance, Public Policy & Multilateral Diplomacy | Leadership Advisor & Trainer | Chevening Scholar. Lenni writes on LinkedIn about the UN and international development. Originally published here An interesting development emerged from the Ibero-American Summit held in Madrid on 4–5 November 2026. Ibero-American countries agreed to establish an Ibero-American Artificial Intelligence Alliance, following the ministerial meeting on digital transformation and AI held on 3 November. What makes this initiative interesting is its focus on practical cooperation, going beyond discussions of AI principles and regulatory frameworks. The Alliance proposes cooperation in three areas: developing a federated regional data space, supporting AI models adapted to regional languages and needs, and facilitating access to computing infrastructure. The initiative ...
Post a Comment
Read more

If you are going or not these links for the COP31 might be useful

-
Image
Taken from the excelent blog on LinkedIn by   Zainab Bie ๐Ÿ Climate Justice | Policy Advocacy |Philan thropy to Global South | Narratives & Advocacy to Drive Systems Change | UN COPs(27-30) & G20 | UNGA| International Development |Campaign strategy| Coalitions & Community Building Attending COP31 Tรผrkiye ? Here are the key links and things you need to know here Save these resources to stay informed, follow the negotiations, and navigate the conference. ๐Ÿ“Œ Official UNFCCC Side Events Find official side events, session details, and opportunities to engage: https://lnkd.in/gn-jzCUD ๐Ÿ›️ COP31 Pavilions Programmes https://lnkd.in/ggMqvXbD ๐ŸŒ UNFCCC participant A–Z Venue health and safety, access rules and participant information: https://lnkd.in/g8aqzXzC ๐Ÿ’ช Need help? Safety support for climate leaders/ activists at risk https://lnkd.in/gdt9PxVi ๐Ÿ“ฐ Negotiations Newsletters to Follow • Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) - detailed, independent reporting on negotiat...
Post a Comment
Read more

SUSTAINABILITY IN A TIME OF UN REFORM: Human Progress, Planetary Limits and Our Common Future

-
Image
Guest blog by Adel M Abdellatif:    Global Development Thinker & Strategist | Exploring Reframed Horizons | Advancing New Pathways of Cooperation As the United Nations undergoes reform under the UN80 Initiative, a fundamental question deserves greater attention: what kind of international organization does humanity need to sustain progress in a rapidly changing world? Reform cannot be judged by institutional efficiency and cost savings alone. It must strengthen the UN’s capacity to address the interconnected challenges of peace, development, inequality, environmental sustainability and technological transformation. The international community has spent decades expanding its understanding of these challenges and building a shared development architecture, culminating in the 2030 Agenda. With that Agenda approaching its deadline, reform should build on these achievements rather than interrupt or diminish them, correct implementation weaknesses and prepare the ground for t...
Post a Comment
Read more

What did international development cooperation look like before 1960?

-
Image
Guest blog: Lenni Montiel: Senior UN Development Leader (Ret.) | Former UN Assistant Secretary-General |UNDP Resident Representative | Governance, Public Policy & Multilateral Diplomacy | Leadership Advisor & Trainer | Chevening Scholar. Lenni writes on LinkedIn about the UN and international development. Originally published here. The system already existed. It had institutions, expertise and finance. But it did not yet have a unified strategy, or the full participation of the countries it was intended to support. Between 1945 and 1960, responsibilities were scattered across UN organs, specialized agencies, regional commissions and international financial institutions. ECOSOC provided the main intergovernmental forum for economic and social cooperation. The UN Secretariat supplied research, statistics and technical expertise. FAO worked on agriculture. UNESCO on education and science. WHO on health. The ILO on employment and labour institutions. UNICEF gradually shifted from p...
Post a Comment
Read more

The UN doesn't work

-
Image
Guest blog: Lenni Montiel: Senior UN Development Leader (Ret.) | Former UN Assistant Secretary-General |UNDP Resident Representative | Governance, Public Policy & Multilateral Diplomacy | Leadership Advisor & Trainer | Chevening Scholar. Lenni writes on LinkedIn about the UN and international development. Originally published here. "The UN doesn't work." I've heard this for decades. Some of it is true. After many years inside the system, I can acknowledge what critics get right. Yes, the UN can be slow. Building agreement among 193 Member States takes time. Urgent decisions often move at the pace of the most reluctant government. The bureaucracy is real. Processes designed to ensure accountability and transparency can also create delays and complexity. Coordination across dozens of UN entities is genuinely difficult. Political interests shape everything. The Security Council still reflects the power relations of 1945. Vetoes can block action even during crises...
Post a Comment
Read more