United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
Mission
DESA promotes and supports international cooperation to achieve development for all, and assists governments in agenda-setting and decision-making on development issues. DESA provides analytical products and policy advice that serve as valuable sources of reference and decision-making tools for developed and developing countries, particularly in translating global commitments into national policies and action and in monitoring progress towards the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
1.Infrastructure Asset Management
Recognizing that infrastructure systems contribute to achieving up to 92% of the SDGs, UN DESA has spearheaded a capacity development initiative since 2017, equipping local and national governments with the tools to implement risk-informed and forward-looking asset management strategies. This initiative has strengthened policy development, as well as supported the preparation of local action plans to support the sustainable management of critical infrastructure assets.
In 2024 alone, UN DESA, in collaboration with UNOPS and UNCDF, successfully conducted 11 in-person workshops and 30 in-country technical support missions, directly engaging over 778 participants. These efforts resulted in the development of 26 Asset Management Action Plans (AMAPs) and 6 national Enabling Environment Roadmaps, integrating climate risk considerations into long-term resilient infrastructure. To date, UN DESA has trained over 4,300 government officials and has provided technical assistance to the development of 230 multi-year AMAPs in support of more sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient infrastructure.
2. UN DESA contributed to the 2024 International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum, organized by UNDRR ONEA & GETI, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) of the Republic of Korea, and Incheon Metropolitan City. The forum focused on capacity development for local governments in disaster risk reduction and multistakeholder efforts to build disaster-resilient communities while supporting sustainable development.
UN DESA shared the Guidance Note on Enhancing Local Capacity for the Prevention, Adaptation, and Mitigation of External Shocks, introduced the Curriculum on Governance for SDGs, and showcased UN DESA/UNDRR eLearning course on Risk-Informed Governance and Innovative Technology for DRR and Resilience.
3. UN DESA organized the Online Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Systems for All through Effective Gender-Responsive Planning, Digital Government Transformation and Financing in collaboration with the UNITAR CIFAL Jeju/Jeju International Training Center, the UNDRR Office for North East Asia & Global Education and Training Institute, and the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality. The workshop aimed at strengthening the capacities of local government officials and other stakeholders from over 100 countries. Over 1,500 participants gained in-depth knowledge on the concepts, approaches, and tools to help ensure effective and people-centred DRR and EWS, and gender responsive approaches, tools, checklists, good practices and limitations related to multi-hazard EWS at all levels. The workshop introduced UN DESA's Handbook on Strengthening Resilience in Cities and Local Communities through Innovation and Digital Government; and the Training Toolkit on Risk-informed Governance and Innovative Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience.
4. Throughout 2024, a total of 1,156 participants from national and local governments, academia, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations attended the eLearning course on Risk-Informed Governance and Innovative Technology for DRR and Resilience, developed by UN DESA and UNDRR. This self-paced eLearning course includes accessible features.
5. UN DESA organized a session on Resilient Communities: AI for Early Warning Systems and Resilience with the support of UNDRR and introduced the topic of Disaster Risk Reduction Technologies with the support of UNDRR during the Local Governance and Partnerships Forum. Both sessions were part of the official program of the 8th Regional Symposium on Effective Governance and AI Transformation for the 2030 Agenda: Fostering Transformative Actions for Innovating Public Services.
This annual UN DESA event, held in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, aims to raise awareness of critical public governance issues, explore current and future trends, and introduce innovative approaches and methodologies. It supports United Nations Member States in building their capacities to accelerate the implementation of their commitments toward achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Voluntary Commitments
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.
