SDGCounting

Europe Sustainable Development Report 2026

The Europe Sustainable Development Report 2026 is out from SDSN.

Bottom line: SDG progress has stalled across Europe, even in high performers, and political prioritization is fading.

https://www.unsdsn.org/resources/europe-sustainable-development-report-2026/

AI governance is being debated everywhere, but how does it connect to real development outcomes?

UN Special Tech Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill joins Devex to discuss fragmentation, capacity gaps and why development must stay central.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo5WG63Pzfg

#AI #SDGs #AIGovernance

OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible AI This report provides practical guidance to enterprises for implementing OECD standards on responsible business conduct (RBC) and the OECD AI Principles when developing and using artificial intelligence (AI). It aims to support innovation, investment and growth of enterprises in the AI value chain by helping enterprises proactively address adverse impacts. The report promotes policy coherence, and where possible interoperability, between the OECD and other national or international AI risk management frameworks.

Last week the OECD published Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible AI.

It lays out a 6-step for due diligence: embed policy, assess impacts, mitigate harm, track results, communicate, and remediate.

Read the full report:

https://ow.ly/mvlv50YlT56

#AI #Governance #SDGs

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) tracks global trade, investment, digital economy, and development finance trends.

Did you know you can track their full data release schedule online?

https://unctadstat.unctad.org/release-calendar

#Data #SDGs #Development

Where the AI arc bends The arc of AI’s development is not defined by how quickly the technology advances or how capable it becomes—it is defined by who benefits as it does.

AI’s impact is not defined by how fast it advances, but by who benefits.

UNDP warns of an emerging “AI Equity Gap” as systems scale faster than governance.

This is an excellent post on #AI, the #SDGs, institutions, and development choices.

https://www.undp.org/blog/where-ai-arc-bends

Don't miss today's Devex newswire with a great on-the-ground recap of last week's India AI Impact Summit. #AIforGood

https://ow.ly/XKr950Yl0eY

Human rights are under assault globally, says UN Secretary General Human rights are under assault worldwide, the United Nations chief warned on Monday, citing widespread abuses of international law and devastating civilian suffering in conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine.

“The rule of law is being outmuscled by the rule of force.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns human rights are being pushed back deliberately, even proudly, as humanitarian needs surge and funding collapses.

https://ow.ly/H0LA50YkZ1q

Launch of the Europe Sustainable Development Report 2026 On 26 February 2026 (10:15-11:15 CET), the EESC, in cooperation with Sustainable Development Solutions Network, will host an online event featuring the launch and presentation of the Europe Sustainable Development Report 2026 (ESDR 2026) which tracks annually since 2019 the performance of all EU member states and partner countries on the SDGs and is co-designed with civil society.

Mark your calendars: Thursday, Feb 26 (10:15am CET).

The Europe Sustainable Development Report 2026 launches online with updated SDG Index and Dashboards tracking EU performance and spillovers.

https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/agenda/our-events/events/launch-europe-sustainable-development-report-2026

2026 Aid Transparency Index: Full list of assessed agencies unveiled We have revealed the full list of agencies that will be assessed in the 2026 Aid Transparency Index. A total of 34 organisations will be included, combining agencies that have opted into a new paid-for accreditation model with major bilateral donors assessed to preserve the Index’s role as an independent benchmark of transparency.

Publish What You Fund has unveiled the 34 agencies to be assessed in the 2026 Aid Transparency Index. A new accreditation model launches alongside independent scoring. Transparency remains essential as aid budgets tighten.

https://ow.ly/hLVr50Yki0w

#AidTransparency

Global leaders endorse Delhi Declaration on safe and responsible AI The India AI Impact Summit 2026 ends with broad consensus on inclusive AI principles, while gaps in infrastructure, funding and governance remain key challenges.

86 countries endorsed the New Delhi Declaration at the #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026.

It calls for inclusive access, transparency, and human oversight. Non-binding, no enforcement, but the broadest consensus yet. A floor, not a ceiling.

#AI #SDGs #AIForAll

nature.com/articles/d44151-026-00036-6

The landscape of development: UNDP trends update 2026 In a world of rapid change, keeping up with what’s going on in development matters more than ever. The UNDP Trends Update 2026 provides a succinct overview

What should we watch in 2026?

UNDP highlights top development trends including: multilateral strain, deepening debt distress, uneven AI adoption, stalled gender equality, and accelerating climate risks.

A compact overview of a complex year ahead.

https://ow.ly/tbAv50Ykilr

Who are the 10 largest philanthropies focused on development? The world's 10 largest foundations increased their development spending by 16.4% — a welcome trend in an otherwise contracting global aid landscape.

As bilateral aid tightens, private philanthropy is stepping up. New Devex analysis using OECD data shows the 10 largest development-focused foundations increased spending 16.4% in 2023 to $10.3B. Transparency and clear reporting matter as influence grows.

https://ow.ly/I6Ck50YkhEC

We talk about “tracking progress,” but many Sustainable Development indicators still lack timely or disaggregated data.

Closing data gaps is not technical housekeeping. It shapes who gets seen and who gets left out.

#SDGs #LeaveNoOneBehind #2030Agenda

From India, Guterres calls for $3 billion fund to ensure AI benefits all The future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) “cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires,” the UN Secretary-General told the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Friday, calling for a Global Fund to help developing nations access these technologies and build capacity.

Without investment in skills, data capacity, and computing access, developing nations risk being "logged out" of the AI age entirely. The UN chief's ask: a $3B global fund — less than 1% of a single tech company's annual revenue.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1166996

#AIforGood #SDGs

UN DESA updated its handbook for Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) ahead of HLPF 2026. With 402 VNRs submitted since 2016 and 36 due in 2026, the guidance captures lessons on strengthening follow-up, review, and action on SDG gaps.

https://ow.ly/vTH050Yi9rR

#SDGs #HLPF2026

How to Actually Fix Foreign Aid We can’t turn back the clock on USAID. But we can decide what comes next.

"We can't turn back the clock on the abolition of USAID. But we can decide what comes next: further retreat or reform with purpose."

~David Miliband of International Rescue Committee in Foreign Policy

[Paywall]
https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/19/foreign-aid-usaid-trump-humanitarian-funding/

AI is already reshaping how official statistics are produced.

#StatCom, NSOs shared real examples of #AI replacing manual coding, filling data gaps, and improving timeliness, while safeguarding quality, governance, and trust.

#SDGs #OfficialStatistics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9W6chmwh_4

New in Nature Communications: researchers use satellite imagery + machine learning to publish high-resolution Human Development Index estimates for 61,530 municipalities (and a ~10km grid). A major step beyond country-level HDI.

https://ow.ly/1VsA50Yi9gN

#SDGs #Data4Development

Charting the Fallout of Aid Cuts: Which Countries Will be Hit Hardest, as Multiple Donors Cut Budgets? We use projections of bilateral ODA flows to visualise how donors are shifting their approach and which countries will be most affected.

US aid is projected to fall 56% from 2023 levels by 2026. The UK, France, Germany, and Switzerland are also cutting. The Center for Global Development maps where the fallout lands and which countries are most exposed.

https://www.cgdev.org/blog/charting-fallout-aid-cuts

#ODA #SDGs

Cleanview — See the Energy Transition in Real-Time Cleanview is a software platform that helps visualize clean energy data.

30% of planned U.S. data center capacity may bypass the grid with on-site power. Most equipment being installed in 2025–26 is gas-fired, not renewable.

#AI infrastructure could accelerate #CleanEnergy, but current buildouts are increasing fossil fuel use.

https://ow.ly/qole50Yi6aC

Satellite imagery and AI reveal development needs hidden by national data Researchers have mapped relative levels of human well-being and development for thousands of municipalities around the world. The new approach could help fill gaps in census data and inform decisions about how to tailor policies and programs to local needs.

National averages can hide real needs. New research uses satellite imagery + machine learning to estimate Human Development Index scores for 61,000+ municipalities—showing over half the world lives in areas misclassified by country-level data.

https://ow.ly/N19750Yi5Bx

Human Development in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Indices and Global Insights from New Data | Human Development Reports .main-content { max-width: 75rem; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 3rem; } @media (max-width:1500px) { .main-content { margin-left: 2rem; margin-right: 2rem; } } .horizontal-tabs ul.horizontal-tabs-list li.horizontal-tab-button.selected a { color: rgb(0, 110, 181) !important; } .ho…

About to start at #UN57SC: “Human Development in the Age of AI” (UNDP/HDRO).

Focus: how AI is measured in human development frameworks, new insights from the 2025 HDR + Global Survey, and a data platform linking AI metrics with the HDI.

Details: https://hdr.undp.org/events/hd-in-the-age-of-ai-2026

From disaster risk to food security, UN presses for people-centred AI at the Global Summit The India AI Impact Summit 2026 opened on Monday in the capital city of New Delhi, bringing together world leaders, ministers, researchers and technology experts to examine how artificial intelligence can advance inclusive development and sustainable progress. According to organisers, more than 20 Heads of State, over 60 ministers and 500+ global AI experts are expected to participate in the five-day summit. 

At #AIImpactSummit2026, the UN is pushing a people-centred AI agenda—linking governance, disaster risk reduction, food security, gender equality, and health to the SDGs.

Innovation must be inclusive, ethical, and development-focused.

https://ow.ly/3A7U50YhQJ8

Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2026 is out.

With 5 years to 2030, the region isn't on track to achieve any of the #SDGs. At the current pace, 88% of measurable targets will be missed.

https://ow.ly/GYuX50YhQyM

IndiaAI IndiaAI Mission, an initiative by MeitY, is building a robust, inclusive AI ecosystem through democratized compute, high-quality data, talent, R&D, startup support, industry collaboration & ethical AI.

Looking to follow India’s AI Summit? Livestreams are available!

Global leaders are debating AI governance, access, safety, and development impacts. These are key issues for #SDGs, data systems, and AI-for-good.

#AISummit #AIforGood #GlobalDevelopment

https://www.youtube.com/@IndiaAI/streams

In the hands of innovators from the Global South, AI can transform lives Artificial intelligence is no longer the sole preserve of rich western nations. The applications for the Global South, in areas ranging from health to agriculture and industry, are having a transformative effect on people’s lives.

From prosthetics in Pakistan to crop modeling in Kenya, AI is already transforming lives in the Global South. This week's India AI Impact Summit puts those stories front and center.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1166959

“Leveraging AI in the production of official statistics: How AI helps NSO deliver statistics faster, cheaper, and better”

Wed, Feb 18 | 7:00–9:00 AM ET.

How AI is moving from pilots to production inside NSOs, with a focus on rigor, explainability, and quality assurance.

https://ow.ly/B1k350YgGrk

Are you on the ground at the India AI Impact Summit?

We would love to hear your perspective on the conversations around AI and sustainable development. What is standing out so far?

#AIImpactSummit #SDGs

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Happening tomorrow (11:00a ET): #UN57SC side event by ESRI on integrating geospatial info + official stats for climate/environment decisions (with a live GIS agentic chatbot + 3D coastal model demo).

https://ow.ly/2M3S50YgG8s