LocationsA vital arena for a world in conflict
Charting a new course with the Hamburg Sustainability Conference
The geopolitical order is fracturing. Funding for development is shrinking. Multilateralism is being tested as never before.
Beyond supply chain disruptions, vulnerable countries are absorbing shocks, depleting reserves, taking on more debt and cutting essential investments just to survive.
Military spending has hit a record US$2.7 trillion while Official Development Assistance (ODA) has plummeted by a historic 23.1 percent over a single year.
And yet investments in sustainability, climate and energy have multiplied despite adversity. Deliberate and cumulative additions to renewable energy, biodiversity protection and climate resilience have built up a pipeline of progress in both developed and developing economies.
Investments in sustainability, climate and renewable energy have multiplied despite adversity.
How should we build positive momentum in a context of global disruption?
The Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) is an alliance committed to this idea. It’s a coalition that for three years has brought together governments, the private sector, the United Nations, civil society, academia and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
Convened by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), UNDP, the Michael Otto Foundation and the City of Hamburg, it is inspired by, and builds on the foundation laid by the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030, with the firm conviction that multilateralism remains the backbone of sustainable development.
Hamburg is the arena where new commitments take shape. As the world fragments, the answer is more inclusive cooperation, drawing in the best minds from technology and business and ensuring young people have a seat at the table within an even more representative multilateral system.
Artificial intelligence (AI) must be part of this agenda, not just as an engine of growth for the few, but as a great accelerator for sustainable development everywhere.
“We are going to redefine this moment with talks, with investments and with action. And we have to understand a very simple truth: in these very challenging and turbulent times, it is good when there are ceasefires, but real security only happens when you give people back opportunity. When you give them a chance for a better life, with jobs, with functioning institutions, with sustainable growth."
—Alexander De Croo, UNDP Administrator
Artificial intelligence must be not just an engine of growth for the few, but a great accelerator for sustainable development everywhere.
Citizens speak
A recent UNDP survey spanning 15 countries, conducted to inform the HSC agenda and to frame its priorities, found that citizens are worried about the ripple effects of conflict in the Middle East and West Asia. Across both developed and developing countries, a striking finding is the greatest shared fear is the breakdown of international cooperation–the very thing the HSC is built to defend.
The survey also found that over the next five years, people want faster energy transitions, more nature protection and expanded access to financing.
Above all, they are demanding that global development architecture protects “global public goods such as climate action,” and provides “more effective crisis response in conflict and fragile contexts.”
Achieving these aims demands new partnerships that invite everyone to the table, recognizing that complex, interconnected challenges need to be tackled at the root. Because climate change, displacement and economic fracture do not happen in isolation, neither should the solutions.
UNDP is driving this momentum at HSC: championing responsible AI, turning internal displacement commitments into development investments and promoting the global leadership potential of young people.
And UNDP’s 2023-2026 Human Development Reports set out a clear agenda for today's unsettled times. Rather than paralysis, choices focus on expanding opportunities that enable people and planet to thrive together.
A recent UNDP survey spanning 15 countries found that citizens are worried about the breakdown of international cooperation.
Germany and UNDP: The blueprint for multilateral action
The HSC embodies Germany’s commitment to unified action. Germany’s support drives UNDP's work in 170 countries, ensuring UNDP’s readiness to support 1.1 billion people in 2025.
In Syria, German funding rehabilitates hospitals and schools, restoring essential services and creating jobs. Across the border in Lebanon, UNDP programmes support vital livelihoods for both host communities and refugees. The alliances built in Hamburg are designed to be extended globally, from laying recovery foundations in Gaza to keeping Ukrainian hospitals running with solar energy.
In Lebanon, UNDP programmes support vital livelihoods for both host communities and refugees.
Seizing the tools of the future
The work is reaping results.
One year after the Hamburg Declaration on responsible AI for the SDGS, more than 256,000 people have trained in AI skills, 270,000 children have been reached with vaccines through AI, and open-source models now speak 61 African languages. UNDP, BMZ, and partners have helped turn the Declaration from commitment into a working community.
UNDP’s Jobs for Prosperity Facility identifies future job needs and matches workers’ skills with employer demand.
Public funds and private investment
Public funds that absorb initial risk unlock the conditions for jobs, green transitions and private investment.
In Panama, UNDP operates across the whole value chain. We have mobilized a $70 million loan from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and are working with other UN agencies to support national strategies.
One million dollars of catalytic capital in Afghanistan has unlocked $55 million in small business partnerships.
These and many other projects represent a crucial shift, from financing isolated projects, to building systemic prosperity that improves lives and lays the groundwork for a thriving future.
Public funds that absorb initial risk unlock the conditions for jobs, green transitions and private investment. One million dollars of catalytic capital in Afghanistan has unlocked $55 million in small business partnerships.
Work and prosperity
Meaningful and dignified work underpins human progress everywhere.
Some 1.2 billion young people will enter the workforce over the next decade, yet only 400 million jobs will be created.
At the same time, despite working, 300 million people are still in poverty.
This is an economic and demographic time bomb. Yet the challenge is not only unemployment. The deeper shift required is from poverty alleviation to dynamic, inclusive growth driven by innovation and private sector integration.
UNDP’s Jobs for Prosperity Facility identifies future job needs and matches workers’ skills with employer demand. In Papua New Guinea, solar-powered innovation hubs have enabled 65,000 people living off-grid to develop digital skills.
Through the timbuktoo initiative, UNDP connects young African innovators across ten continent-wide hubs with the skills, mentorship and financing to grow their businesses. The timbuktoo GreenTech Hub has a goal of supporting 10,000 startups and 100 million livelihoods over the next decade.
UNDP’s strategic expansion in Germany
At UNDP, 91 cents of every dollar goes directly to programmes. Expanding our presence in Bonn by more than 300 personnel consolidates global operations, deepens our partnership with Germany and positions UNDP to deliver where it is needed most.
Development delivers
The shift to thinking differently and systemically, to fully meet the challenges of the present and the future, has already begun. UNDP’s work consistently proves that integrated development, where progress in one area multiplies for entire communities, is the only viable path to lasting stability.
This is demonstrated by the 572 million people across more than 120 countries now on pathways to prosperity through decent jobs, digital tools, financial services, energy access and healthcare. Hamburg is where the alliances that make this possible are built.
Transforming Lives Through Partnerships
People and governments trust UNDP to tackle development challenges, drive innovation, and build resilience in times of crisis and conflict. These efforts are made possible through the unwavering support of our partners, especially those contributing to flexible core funding, enabling us to create a sustainable, lasting impact worldwide.
