Stories that matter: Top picks from our readers around the globe

With less than 10 years left for the world to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, people across the world are facing unprecedented changes and challenges, from climate change to COVID-19 and the ripple effects of turmoil – threatening to disrupt fragile economies and food supplies and to push millions more into poverty. Vulnerable communities stand to lose the most as a result of social instability and exacerbated inequalities.

In this context, a new generation of UN country teams, under the leadership of an empowered UN Resident Coordinator system, work relentlessly to support countries in tackling these extraordinary challenges.

Below are some of the UN teams’ stories that trended in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish in the first part of 2022, showing the issues that matter to our readers — and illustrating our efforts to ensure no one is left behind as we strive to deliver better, together.

Yemen: Between the FSO Safer and starvation

Between the rickety FSO Safer – a rapidly decaying oil tanker stuck in the Red Sea that’s been referred to as “a ticking time bomb” for its potential to destroy the coastline and communities that depend on it – and a humanitarian crisis that has left more than 17 million Yemenis food insecure, stories from Yemen have taken center stage on our Arabic-language website.

Climate action by young Moroccan leaders has also attracted a lot of interest from our readers, especially after the launch of a new climate change report which Secretary-General António Guterres called a “damning indictment of failed global leadership on climate.”

Across Asia: All eyes on vaccines and development 

Chinese-speaking readers were most interested in topics like vaccinations and development.

At the end of January 2022, India celebrated hitting the 75 per cent vaccination rate milestone. The UN team in India mobilized its resources and capabilities to support India's vaccination drive.

While fighting against coronavirus, the UN also tackled deadly diseases like polio as new cases of polio were detected in Benin, pushing vaccination campaigns to stem polio transmission in Benin and protect children.

Also in the spotlight was the UN’s initiative to eliminate poverty, as IFAD and UN Women teamed up to empower rural women in the remote mountains of Qinghai, China.

Africa: Spotlight on health, climate action, poverty reduction and the SDGs

The pieces most read by our French-speaking audience show significant interest in some of the key themes that marked world news during the first part of 2022: public health, with the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 infodemic on other vital vaccination campaigns (Benin); youth engagement on climate action in the context of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) as global warming continues to accelerate (Morocco); the UN’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of the Ukraine crisis on food security and poverty reduction efforts (Africa); and the work being done to harness the UN’s leadership in rescuing the SDGs (Africa).

Europe and Central Asia: Women’s empowerment, humanitarian aid, COVID-19 and economic response

So far – these were the topics most popular with our Russian-speaking audience in 2022. 

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, humanitarian needs across the country have soared, and Uzbekistan quickly stepped up to support its neighbor. Read how this relatively young country became a vital partner in the UN’s response to one of the world’s most urgent humanitarian emergencies.

Turning to Azerbaijan: For many small-scale farmers, COVID-19 was a hard hit. Read how the UN, together with the Government of Azerbaijan, helped them diversify their businesses to stay afloat.

Lastly, new technologies can have a truly transformative effect on women’s and girls’ lives. How? Find out in our article from Armenia, where young women in STEM fields are changing dominant narratives about science and tech being a male space.

Bolstering coordination in Latin America and the Caribbean

Who is stepping up to tackle the knock-on effects of the pandemic on SDG progress or drive ambitious climate action? How are joint, coordinated efforts bolstering areas in need of greater attention, such as climate action led by women? And what underlies the resilience displayed by host communities and people on the move, including asylum seekers, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), migrant workers and others? Finally, how are Indigenous people leading the way to advance solutions? These were some of the top concerns of our Spanish-speaking audience during the first half of the year.  

In the context of the Transforming Education Pre-Summit — that took place in Paris in June—the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for the Transforming Education Summit in September, Leonardo Garnier, shared his vision on the genesis of the current educational crisis and crossroads across Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Another noteworthy piece was on countering hate speech. Leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the UN team in Costa Rica — with the support of different sectors — exposed over 937,000 messages linked to hate speech and discrimination nationwide, which represents a 71 per cent increase compared to the previous year.  

UN teams and the SDGs in 2022 and beyond

The multidimensional crises of today require an exceptional response from the international community – and from all of us.

We thank our UN teams on the ground in 162 countries and territories for championing people’s stories and striving to fulfill the SDGs. With their efforts and partnerships, we are able to bring you these stories of hope, perseverance, and resilience.

Please stay tuned for more powerful content from UN teams across the globe!

What can you do to help? You can become an advocate for the SDGs, volunteer your time as a UN Volunteer, or donate to the Joint SDG Fund, to help the UN reach the 2030 Agenda. 

Written by the UN Development Coordination Office. To learn more about our work, please visit: UN in Action.   

To learn more about the results of our work in these areas and beyond, please read the 2022 UNSDG Chair Report on DCO.