SDG Action was launched in 2021 to support the UN’s Decade of Action. Its aim is to encourage cross-sector dialogue and problem solving to accelerate the transition to sustainability.
Climate — Global, Sub-Saharan Africa
Peace deals may be negotiated by leaders, warring parties, and external powers. But to achieve lasting peace, formal agreements must be connected to peacebuilding from the grassroots up
More frequent extreme weather events, as well as gradual changes to the global climate, are increasingly harming people and economies. Integrating climate risk into economic management can help unlock the finance needed to build resilience and protect progress towards the SDGs
Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed, yet too often expected to do so within work systems built around separation. If we want to improve breastfeeding rates, those systems must change – through stronger legislation on workplace responsibilities, flexible working, and care arrangements that allow mothers and babies to stay together
As conflicts grow more protracted, climate shocks intensify, and aid budgets shrink, gender equality cannot be treated as optional. Women’s leadership and rights must be central to effective humanitarian action
Across much of the Global South, formal housing markets fail to reach the people most in need of affordable homes. Recognizing incremental, community-driven housing systems is essential for achieving inclusive, climate-resilient cities
Universal health coverage – a central target of the SDGs – seeks to guarantee access to essential health services without financial hardship. Achieving it, however, requires confronting the inequalities in access and quality that coverage alone cannot resolve
Safe, affordable water in urban areas is central to sustainable development, yet progress remains uneven. To close this gap, cities need to adopt integrated, evidence-based approaches that build resilient and equitable services in practice
Political polarization is pushing many democracies into mutually hostile camps with conflicting views of reality. Restoring democratic health will require citizens and leaders to shift the focus from what divides society to what binds it
We have built an intricate understanding of the dynamics between climate change, environmental systems, and resource use. We have also made huge strides in developing tools to analyze and model data. Why, then, are we not using this science to direct policy?
At every level, development is being disrupted and overshadowed by conflict. A common and glaring omission in the ongoing peace efforts is the absence of justice.
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Donald Trump’s vision of the UN as a great-power forum clashes with decades of evolution in global peacebuilding. How can UN members continue to advance peace as envisioned by the SDGs?
Civilian protection in armed conflict remains more aspiration than reality, as recent crises expose deep flaws in the international system. To restore credibility, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) – a global pledge to prevent mass atrocities – must evolve and be backed by bold reform, regional initiative, and political will
Across the world, women’s rights are increasingly under attack from conservative and populist forces. Defending these rights – through broad democratic alliances and institutional resilience – is critical to safeguarding democracy itself
Through innovation, foresight, and rigorous alignment with global standards, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is pioneering a future-ready water management model that safeguards reliability, sustainability, and resilience, contributing meaningfully to the achievement of SDG 6
Education can be a powerful force for shifting unequal gender norms, but schools do not transform them automatically. Embedding gender equality in education systems at scale – and defending that work against growing backlash – requires sustained political commitment, institutional reform, and public support
The case for a woman Secretary-General is not just about symbolism. More representative leadership would strengthen the UN’s legitimacy, improve decision-making, and better equip the institution for an era of compounding global crises
