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.
UN DESA’s work promotes and supports international cooperation in the pursuit of sustainable development for all. It addresses a range of cross-cutting issues that affect peoples’ lives and livelihoods, especially the most vulnerable. We are fundamentally concerned, not only with global prosperity today, but also tomorrow, having as a foundation the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supported by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
In providing a broad range of analytical products, policy advice and technical assistance, UN DESA effectively translates global commitments in the economic, social and environmental spheres into national policies and actions and plays a key role in monitoring progress towards the SDGs.
UN DESA’s mission, to promote development for all, underscores the need for all stakeholders – governments, UN and other international organizations, civil society and the private sector – to do their part to improve economic and social well-being.
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