Reflections from the Field: Lessons for Genuine Sustainable Development

This blog was written by Allegra Baiocchi, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica

In a few days, I will be closing a professional and personal chapter that has profoundly shaped me: my work as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica. I leave with a conviction that has become my compass. Sustainable development is not a speech; it is a daily practice that is won or lost on the ground.

Costa Rica taught me that even countries with strong institutions, high levels of human capital and a firm democracy face complex tensions, including persistent inequalities, environmental pressures and a digital space that can be both a tool for progress and a stage for polarisation. I wish to share five reflections for those who support the values and principles underpinning the UN.

1. Localisation is not “Implementation” — it is Origin

The first perspective is simple: structural and transformative changes do not “trickle down” to communities; they are born within them. The localisation of sustainable development cannot be a chapter at the end of a plan. It must be embedded in formulation, the design of cooperation frameworks and the architecture of partnerships from the outset. If we are to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need the perspectives and commitment of local and regional authorities.

In Costa Rica, this approach took shape through the creation of the Network of SDG-Promoting Cantons, a platform bringing together local governments to advance the 2030 Agenda from the ground up and which today includes more than half of the country’s cantons. When a local authority aligns planning, budgeting and priorities with the SDGs, development stops being an aspiration and becomes a set of verifiable decisions. When several municipalities coordinate together, mutual learning, the exchange of good practices and partnerships that address shared challenges are strengthened.

In the field, I have witnessed a commitment to recognise gaps, set priorities, and sustain policies beyond political cycles. If development is not felt within the community, it is unlikely to endure at the national level.

2. The UN Adds Value When it Supports Countries in “Seeing” in Order to Act

The UN contributes in examining themselves honestly and with evidence, especially on complex or sensitive issues. The Organization can and must offer technical, reliable and safe spaces that enable sound solutions and high-quality public policy.

In Costa Rica, the UN worked with partners to make visible the impact of hate speech and discrimination within the digital ecosystem. As the Secretary-General has noted, hate speech undermines tolerance, inclusion and social cohesion, and can lay the groundwork for violence.

This risk was addressed through systematic research and strategic partnerships, which enabled progress toward a national strategy. The logic is clear: what is not measured is not recognised; and what is not recognised is not transformed.

Twenty-first century democracy is also contested in the digital sphere. It is there that perceptions are shaped, exclusions normalised, or rights protected. The UN must accompany States in developing tools to anticipate risks, safeguard human rights and strengthen social cohesion.

3. To Innovate is to Solve Problems Better

Innovation is not about accumulating tools but about applying new approaches to address real challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) can amplify inequalities or accelerate solutions; it all depends on its governance, institutional capacity and the ethical approach guiding it.

The UN supported the Government in developing the first national guidance on the use of AI in educational centres and in convening the First National Dialogue on the Ethics of AI, a multi-stakeholder space to build consensus on principles, risks and opportunities.

In this context, the UN also plays a key role in strengthening foresight and strategic anticipation, supporting countries in thinking beyond the short term and preparing today for the challenges of tomorrow. 

4. Income Level Does not Determine the Relevance of the UN

There is a perception that high-income countries do not require the UN’s support. However, in an interdependent global context, all countries face challenges that transcend borders: human mobility, the climate crisis, disinformation, cyber risks and social polarisation. As set out in the Secretary-General’s vision for the future of global cooperation, Our Common Agenda, no country can resolve its challenges alone.

Beyond financial resources, the UN is a centre of thought, a platform for dialogue and technical support for complex decisions. Twenty-first-century cooperation goes beyond traditional projects; it involves protecting global public goods, sustaining social cohesion, and accompanying complex transformations grounded in human rights, evidence, and dialogue.

5. Coordination Multiplies Impact and Credibility

My final reflection is that coordination need not be synonymous with control, bureaucracy or dependency. It is a substantive capacity to serve better. When agencies come together around clear priorities, with validated coordination and strong technical capacity, the UN responds with greater relevance, scale and coherence.

Our cooperation frameworks exist precisely for this purpose: to organise collective effort with strategic direction, mobilise partnerships and turn objectives into measurable results. And when that coordination works, something fundamental happens. The country does not see “agencies”, it sees solutions. It sees a system that listens, adapts and delivers.

I leave Costa Rica with humility, because the lessons learned are also reminders of what remains to be done. And I leave with hope because I have seen unlikely partnerships become possible; I have seen evidence open political doors; I have seen thousands of people embrace the Sustainable Development Agenda as their own; and I have seen the UN work with a profound conviction of service.

Today, more than ever, sustainable and inclusive development does not need more promises: it needs courageous decisions, effective cooperation and shared humanity.

This blog was written by Allegra Baiocchi, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica. Please visit the UN team's website for more information about the UN's work in Costa Rica.