Spotlight

Volker Türk — Defending Human Rights in an Era of Global Division

Few positions within the United Nations are as scrutinized—or as consequential—as that of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. At a time when armed conflicts, democratic backsliding, mass displacement, and geopolitical rivalry are testing the international rules-based order, Volker Türk has emerged as one of the UN system’s most prominent and outspoken advocates for […]

Read Full Article >>

Damilola Ogunbiyi – Working to Ensure the Global Energy Transition Reaches Everyone

The world has entered a new era of energy investment. Governments are committing hundreds of billions of dollars to modernize electricity grids, scale renewable energy, expand battery storage and strengthen critical infrastructure. Yet while the global energy transition is accelerating, hundreds of millions of people still live without something many take for granted: reliable electricity. […]

Read Full Article >>

Mafalda Duarte: The Woman Rewiring the World’s Largest Climate Fund

As development budgets tighten and climate-vulnerable countries face rising costs, Mafalda Duarte is pursuing reforms intended to put billions more to work without waiting for new donor commitments. At a moment of mounting pressure on global climate finance, Mafalda Duarte is trying to show that multilateral institutions can expand their impact not only by raising […]

Read Full Article >>

Alexander De Croo: From Prime Minister to Global Development Leader

Why Alexander De Croo Could Help Redefine the Future of UNDP Few world leaders have made the transition from national office to the helm of global development as naturally as Alexander De Croo. After serving as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2020 to 2025, De Croo now leads the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)—the UN’s […]

Read Full Article >>

In Memoriam: Wally Funk, Who Refused to Let the Sky Be the Limit

Wally Funk, the pioneering American aviator who broke barriers for women in flight and, six decades after being denied a path to NASA’s astronaut corps, finally reached space at age 82, has died at 87. Her life was one of the great American stories of perseverance: a woman who passed the tests, challenged the rules, […]

Read Full Article >>

Tomas Lamanauskas Is Helping Shape the AI Future From Inside the UN System

As the global debate over artificial intelligence accelerates, Tomas Lamanauskas has become one of the most important multilateral figures working to ensure that AI is not only powerful, but useful — not only disruptive, but directed toward the public good. Tomas Lamanauskas, the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, brings a rare combination of […]

Read Full Article >>

Kyleigha Beckmann – Building Peace Through Trade, One Block at a Time

Some entrepreneurs build companies. Kyleigha Beckmann is working to build something much larger: an economic system where opportunity is more broadly shared, commerce is more transparent, and prosperity becomes a foundation for peace. As Founding Partner of Peace Through Trade (PTT), the Brazilian entrepreneur is advancing a bold vision for the future of the global […]

Read Full Article >>

Luisa Neubauer: Defending the Climate, Democracy, and the Rights of Future Generations

At a time when the climate crisis is increasingly colliding with democratic instability, disinformation, and political fatigue, Luisa Neubauer has emerged as one of Europe’s most compelling voices for a livable future. A German climate justice activist, author, speaker, and leading organizer of Fridays for Future Germany, Luisa Neubauer represents a generation that refuses to […]

Read Full Article >>

Glen White and the Rise of Sustainability LIVE

LONDON, United Kingdom — As thousands of leaders from government, business, finance, and civil society gather across the British capital for this week’s London Climate Action Week (LCAW), one of the signature convenings helping shape the global sustainability conversation is making its official debut on one of climate diplomacy’s biggest stages: Sustainability LIVE @ London […]

Read Full Article >>

Dr. Ralph Chami: The Economist Teaching the World to Value Living Nature

For more than three decades, Dr. Ralph Chami has worked at the highest levels of global finance, advising governments on economic policy, financial markets, and development. A former Assistant Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and recipient of the IMF’s Operational Excellence Award, his career has spanned financial crises, fragile states, banking regulation, and […]

Read Full Article >>

SDG News LOGO