2026

Report of the Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group

Impact of the UN Resident Coordinator System in 2025

In 2025, the world faced converging crises: deepening geopolitical fractures, severe climate shocks and rapidly shifting development finance; all threatening to destabilize countries and reverse hard-won progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Across 160 countries and territories, the UN Development System and UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) are ensuring that countries stay the course on sustainable development.

By galvanizing policy action, directing investments and delivering programmes, UN country teams are bringing tangible impact to peoples’ lives.

Since 2019, Resident Coordinators have played a pivotal convening role and brought the UN together at country level to mobilize tailored policy support, partnerships and SDG financing that reflect each country's needs and priorities. In 2025, this work fully embraced the UN 2.0 vision: a modern, future-ready UN fit for the challenges ahead and ready to deliver the Pact of the Future.

Sharp reductions in Member State contributions combined to create a severe funding crisis, forcing difficult decisions on the UN's presence and operational capacity across the globe.

As the 2030 Agenda enters its decisive phase, the RC system remains the essential back-bone of the UN and the critical vehicle to realize the promise of the UN80 initiative.