On the sidelines of the 2025 Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake, Resident Coordinators are driving global progress on food system transformation; leading efforts in countries like Ethiopia, Guyana, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Togo, and the Central Sahel.
Youth around the world gathered to discuss the clean energy transition, responding to the UN Secretary-General's call for accelerating action against fossil fuels. Led by Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, these youth-driven events emphasized energy justice, economic dignity, and a liveable planet.
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.
When I arrived in Libreville in mid-2021 to lead the work of the United Nations in Gabon as the Resident Coordinator, I could not have imagined the intensity, complexity and richness the assignment would bring. Leading the UN Country Team as the most senior UN official in the country and representative of the UN Secretary-General on development, during such a pivotal moment in the nation’s history, I have strived to ensure that we, as the UN, effectively support Gabon’s aspirations to deliver durable peace and sustainable prosperity for its people.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Mr. Hao Zhang of China as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Maldives, with the host Government’s approval, on 1 May 2025.
Around the world, 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water. As we mark World Water Day on 22 March, it is a moment to recognize the central role that water plays in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Resident Coordinators bring together UN country teams and partners to support the work of governments and communities in boosting access to safe water. They mobilize resources to tackle water scarcity challenges, ensuring that access to safe water remains a top policy priority. Their engagement focuses on several fronts, from tackling the impact of climate change on water resources to water conservation to boosting public health and community resilience.
Thirty years ago, the world pledged "equality for all" in Beijing. Yet, today, for many women and girls around the world, this remains elusive. Ahead of International Women’s Day, a new progress report of the UN Secretary-General released by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), titled Women's Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing, points to an uneven trajectory to secure women’s rights and full participation in all aspects of society.
