Local and Regional Governments Key to Advancing UN 2030 Sustainable Goals

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Tuesday, November 4th, 2025

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Doha, November 04 (QNA) – The Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Anaclaudia Rossbach, emphasized that local and regional governments play a crucial role in supporting the UN’s plan to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speaking at a press conference as part of the Second World Summit for Social Development, Rossbach stated that global solutions must begin locally, as challenges like poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation affect all societies. She noted that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), centered on people, planet, and peace, are not new, and since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, national actors have been recognized as essential contributors to multilateral cooperation.
Rossbach highlighted the UN Secretary-General’s report on “Recommendations on how engagement with local and regional authorities could advance the 2030 Agenda,” launched during the summit. The report provides actionable recommendations to strengthen the participation of local and regional authorities in achieving and localizing the SDGs. It underscores how their leadership in providing housing, services, and employment opportunities is vital to delivering the goals effectively to communities.
The report suggests measures such as strengthening existing platforms like the Local and Regional Governments Forum and the Forum of Mayors, revitalizing the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments, and enhancing participation through new institutional arrangements, including annual hearings at the UN General Assembly or permanent observer status for local authorities.
Rossbach emphasized that the report offers comprehensive models and practical tools to guide future deliberations and institutional innovations, helping the UN system and member states accelerate progress on the SDGs. She urged governments and local authorities to initiate dialogue and collaborate closely to ensure that sustainable development reaches the places and people who need it most.