Sustainable Development Solutions Network

The Solutions Network mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable development problem solving at local, national, and global scales.

The scale of the global sustainable development challenge is unprecedented. The fight against extreme poverty has made great progress under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but more than 1 billion people continue to live in extreme poverty. Inequality and social exclusion are widening within most countries. As the world population is estimated to rise to 9 billion by 2050 and global GDP to more than US$200 trillion, the world urgently needs to address the sustainable development challenges of ending poverty, increasing social inclusion, and sustaining the planet.

The UN Secretary-General announced the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) on August 9, 2012.

The Solutions Network mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable-development problem solving at local, national, and global scales. This Solutions Network accelerates joint learning and helps to overcome the compartmentalization of technical and policy work by promoting integrated approaches to the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world. The SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, as well as other international organizations.

The Network is structured around 12 Thematic Groups of global experts that work to identify common solutions and highlight best practices. They also provide technical support to the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The SDSN has started launching Solutions Initiatives projects to pilot or roll-out practical approaches to sustainable development challenges and assist countries in developing sustainable long-term development pathways.