Report of the chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group

In 2025, the world faced converging crises: new conflicts, climate shocks and sharp cuts to development financing, threatening to destabilize countries and reverse hard-won progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Across 160 countries and territories, the UN development system led by UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) are ensuring that countries stay the course on sustainable development. Through policy support, directing investments and delivering programmes, UN teams are helping countries protect development gains and deliver results for people.

RCs and their Offices are supported by the Development Coordination Office (DCO) regional and headquarters teams. In 2025, they helped RCs maintain a coherent UN offer by connecting national priorities to financing and expertise, supporting governments to navigate cross-border risks, and providing surge support when needed.