UN DESA is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. Its work is guided by the universal, integrated and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 associated targets adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015.
Based at UN Headquarters in New York, UN DESA holds up the development pillar of the UN Secretariat. Its nine Divisions work together towards a common goal to promote development, together with our Capacity Development Office. UN DESA also collaborates closely with its partners at regional and country levels in helping countries to formulate and implement national development strategies. Read more
Whether by supporting policy-making bodies, facilitating major UN conferences, projecting trends in demography, publishing top quality economic analysis, or helping countries develop national capacity, UN DESA’s work reaches far beyond the doors of the UN. Read more about our work in norm-setting, data and analysis, and capacity-building.
In 2015, the United Nations celebrated its 70th anniversary. It was a year to highlight and reflect upon seven decades of global collaboration to promote peace, security, human rights, development and our joint efforts to conquer some of the most pressing challenges facing our world. Read more
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