Life Below Water

With funding from the Joint SDG Fund and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, a UN programme is supporting local businesses in Milne Bay Province to strengthen their fisheries, expand eco-tourism and protect marine ecosystems.

Governments are reporting the highest levels of satisfaction with UN development support since reforms of the development system began nearly a decade ago. But continued progress will depend on sustained political engagement and more predictable financing.

Amid obstacles in the global financial architecture, UN teams are supporting Small Island Developing States to broker deals, build the case for investment and move from isolated projects to scalable solutions, driving both national and regional impacts.

With most Comorians living within two kilometres of the coast, the UN and partners are supporting investments that will safeguard 140,000 residents by restoring, protecting and sustainably managing the natural resources that comprise the islands' natural defences.

With the High Seas Treaty now in effect, the UN is building on existing support to ensure that high seas and international seabeds are managed for the benefit of all humanity, offsetting the ecological destruction wrought by unsustainable economic interests.

A UN programme, funded by the joint SDG Fund is transforming lives for seaweed farmers in Zanzibar and beyond.

In 2025, the urgency of climate action is undeniable. Spotlighting ten solutions that prove that scaling action now can drive justice, jobs, resilience and still bend the curve towards the 1.5-degree limit.

The reality is that change is happening, and it affects our everyday lives. From grassroots initiatives to national policy, we are seeing progress that is real, measurable, collective and worth scaling up. 

The Joint SDG Fund helps countries unlock billions in private and public investment to tackle climate change, build inclusive economies, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Papua New Guinea is set to present its Voluntary National Review (VNR), offering invaluable insights into national action for ocean health.

Global life expectancy increased by an astonishing five years between 2000 and 2019. And then since the COVID-19 pandemic, it slid backwards by almost two. More than 110 million children have entered school since 2015 – but by 2023, 272 million children still had no access to the classroom.

The UN, through its Resident Coordinators, is actively implementing blended finance initiatives worldwide and attracting significant private capital where it's needed most.

UN Country Teams, led by their Resident Coordinators in diverse settings like Nepal, Niger, Panama, and Saudi Arabia, are demonstrating how to translate pledges made at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) into tangible impact.

In a year marked by compounding crises, the Joint SDG Fund has emerged as a transformative force in global development financing.

UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) have emerged as vital agents of change, driving systemic shifts to help countries identify and use mechanisms to finance their development priorities and ensure that national budgets are aligned with the SDGs.