As the world leaders convene at the World Social Summit in Doha, they strive to build fairer, more resilient societies. The Global Accelerator and Multi-Partner Global Accelerator (M-GA) bring together a view to developing investments and projects with a stronger social impact. The M-GA launched in 2023 and backed by the Joint SDG Fund and the World Bank, stands at the forefront of a new era in social development. By accelerating universal social protection and creating decent, productive jobs.
In Albania, digital innovation is taking root in the countryside. The Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation (DART) programme is revolutionizing how farmers work and connect, crafting a National Digital Agriculture Strategy that’s reshaping the future for more than 321,000 farms. Through its upgraded Farmers’ Portal, 15,000 farmers can now access information and resources at their fingertips. And as DART builds digital skills across institutions and farming communities, a new generation of tech-savvy agricultural leaders is emerging. Meanwhile, LEAP Albania is redefining how the nation cares for its people, introducing a Universal Child Benefit for 86,000 children, training hundreds in hospitality and tourism, and extending support to vulnerable households by forward-looking policy reform and public-private collaboration.
“LEAP demonstrates how we can connect people to opportunity — through decent jobs, inclusive care, and stronger public services,” said Ingrid Macdonald, UN Resident Coordinator in Albania. “This is what SDG acceleration looks like: investing in systems that protect and empower the most vulnerable, while unlocking the potential of future generations.”
In Malawi, agriculture is being reimagined as a powerful driver of inclusive growth. By linking job creation, social protection, and value chain development, the programme is opening doors for youth, women, and smallholder families across the country. With 20,400 direct beneficiaries and an indirect reach of nearly 12 million people, it is cultivating opportunity while strengthening local institutions and sustainable financing partnerships for a more resilient rural economy.
Nepal is crafting a bold, homegrown roadmap to transform its economy that champions decent work, equity, and inclusion. Through the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection, 500 stakeholders and 50 institutions are aligning investments and policies to expand opportunities nationwide. In tandem, the M-GA programme is helping vulnerable workers, especially women and youth access training, microenterprise support, and stable livelihoods, proving that social protection and productivity can grow side by side.
Meanwhile, Senegal is charting a collaborative path toward dignity, universal social protection and decent work. Led by national institutions and supported by development partners, the joint programme engages hundreds of stakeholders with a focus on gender balance to design evidence-based policies that create jobs and reduce poverty. By advancing SDGs no poverty and decent jobs and economic growth, Senegal is building a future rooted in opportunity and shared prosperity.
In Indonesia, an ambitious roadmap is guiding the country toward a high-income, inclusive future by 2045. The social protection joint programme is modernizing social protection and skills systems to reach the most vulnerable, linking education to industry needs and unlocking opportunities for millions. The M-GA is placing persons with disabilities at the center of economic growth, ensuring equitable access to jobs and social protection for over 19 million people. And through innovative financing, from thematic sovereign bonds to bundled CSA-insurance-loan model, Indonesia is mobilizing up to US$ 4.55 billion in green and social investments, proving that sustainability and prosperity can advance together. The food system project is a proof-of-concept of this successful two-tiered approach, by closely supporting MSMEs and farmer groups in preparing bankable staple food projects for the Indonesia Environment Fund’s revolving facility, transforming the rice sector into a bankable, climate-smart domain aligned with national climate and nutrition goals.
“The programme shows how a single, integrated initiative can drive large-scale investment in human capital by improving children’s nutrition, empowering local farmers, and strengthening entire communities,” Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia added. “It is exactly the kind of integrated effort that will accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals and deliver on the promise of the Pact for the Future.”
In Fiji, a joint UN-Habitat and ESCAP initiative is driving local action on the SDGs, with Suva making history as the first city in a Pacific Small Island Developing State to complete a Voluntary Local Review (VLR). The VLR sets out clear recommendations to advance Suva’s SDG progress and informs its new Five-Year Development Plan. This pioneering effort is now being replicated in Lautoka and Labasa, supported by national training for all 13 local councils. As Fiji prepares for its first local elections in over 16 years, the programme is building a network of cities committed to sustainable, inclusive urban development across the country.
Our work extends to food systems transformation, where the Joint SDG Fund brings countries and partners together to reimagine how food systems drive not only nourishment, but also social protection and decent work. By embedding nutrition, climate resilience, and stable livelihoods into joint programmes, the Fund ensures that food systems become engines of inclusive growth and security for millions.
In Somalia, social protection systems are being leveraged to improve nutrition outcomes and resilience to climate change at household level. National social protection mechanisms are being expanded beyond cash transfer to graduation pathways that include a package of climate-smart livelihood options and income-generating activities. This strategy will help shift from assistance to long term solutions, from beneficiaries to actors of transformation, contributing to address poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition in the face of crises. Supporting 28,000 people directly and building capacity among 10,000 government and community leaders, the programme is setting the foundation for sustainable, inclusive food systems capable of reaching up to 4.4 million food-insecure Somalis.
In Tajikistan, transformation is taking hold in the food systems that sustain communities. Partnering with government, donors, and civil society, the social protection initiative is bringing climate-smart agriculture, social protection, and nutrition together to reach more than 2000,000 people, particularly women and children.
"Women are the backbone of food systems. Studies show that closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase yields by up to 30% and reduce global hunger for more than 100 million people. It makes every sense that women lead food system transformation." says Ms. Parvathy Ramaswami, UN Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan.
Through policy reform, infrastructure upgrades, and skill development, Tajikistan is not only improving livelihoods but also strengthening resilience against a changing climate.
Digital transformation is also opening new doors for inclusion and progress. Through the Joint SDG Fund joint programmes, countries are leveraging technology to modernize public services, strengthen digital skills, and connect communities to new opportunities. These joint programmes are not only about expanding access to information, they are about equipping people with the tools to participate in the digital economy, access social protection, and find decent work in a rapidly changing world.
Guatemala is bridging the digital divide with a new wave of transformation. Strengthening governance and modernizing public services, the country is ensuring that even its most remote and vulnerable populations including women and indigenous communities can access opportunity online. With 875,000 people benefiting from improved digital services, 660,000 enrolled in social security, and thousands of children and girls gaining safer access to education, Guatemala’s journey shows how technology, when paired with inclusion, can power a fairer, more resilient society.
“As the United Nations, we are committed to fostering collaboration among government, the private sector, civil society, academia, and all partners to build the inclusive and sustainable digital future we aspire to—one that, in line with the Pact for the Future, leverages technology to modernize and simplify public services for the benefit of all people.” - UN Resident Coordinator in Guatemala, Miguel Barreto.
From digital inclusion in Albania to climate resilience in Somalia, from green finance in Indonesia to agrifood transformation in Tajikistan, joint programmes are helping nations turn bold visions into lasting progress.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
