Friday, 31 October 2025

World Cities Day 2025; October 31st.

World Cities Day 2025



FORUM: "People-centred smart cities." World Cities Day 2025. This year, the Global Observance of World Cities Day on October 31st will take place in Bogotá, Colombia, under the topic of people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people. This year's theme reflect on the growing recognition that the transformative power of digital technologies is reshaping urban life globally, offering profound opportunities to enhance how cities and human settlements are designed, planned, managed and governed. In an era marked by both urban and digital transitions, cities are increasingly adopting digital technology solutions and data to deliver better services for residents and address critical urban challenges and opportunities. The aim of this year's theme is to promote people-centred smart cities and demonstrate how crucial it is for smart cities to prioritize human needs, inclusivity, and accessibility. Second, the observance will provide a platform for cities to exchange best practices, experiences and strategies in implementing people-centred smart city initiatives globally, especially in addressing key challenges such as the global housing crisis. Lastly, by increasing global awareness about the role of technology and innovation in advancing improved access to adequate housing and achieving urban development, the goal is to foster and encourage international cooperation and collaboration among all societal sectors on People-Centred Smart Cities. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldCitiesDay, #31October, #UrbanOctober, #sustainableurbanfuture, #Cities.


CAMPAIGN: Let's Promote sustainable urban development by encouraging discussion and action on issues like housing, climate resilience, and smart city initiatives.


From October 1st to October 31st

The Urban October 2025 is a month-long global campaign led by UN-Habitat to promote sustainable urban development through events, dialogue, and awareness. It includes World Habitat Day on the first Monday of October and concludes with World Cities Day on October 31st. The campaign encourages governments, organizations, and communities to share ideas and activities for building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.


October 31st




EVENTS: On October 31st; In Bogota, Colombia, the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2025, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.

Get the Concept Note in English | Chinese | French | Russian | Spanish | Arabic;
The Information for Participants in English | Spanish;
The Agenda Programme in English, and Register to participate!

WCD2025 venue

Roundtables


AGENDA PROGRAMME

 Location Principal room ÁGORA.

07:15 – 08:15 Registration.

 08:00 – 08:30: OPENING.
PANELLISTS 
• Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá. 
• Elkin Velásquez, Regional Director ROLAC, UN Habitat. 

08:30 – 09:00 PLENARY TALK #1: Habitat and Inclusion
 Designing Cities for Living 
Keynote Speaker: Craig Dykers, Director of Snøhetta, USA/Norway • Claudia Magalhaes, Expert in Housing Policy and Housing Finance (TBC). • Anya Brickmann, Chief Executive Offcer, Affordable Housing Institute. • Juan C. Fernández, Director of Caja Vivienda Popular (CVP) in Bogotá. • Theresa Williamson, Director, Catalytic Communities. • Pablo Echeverri, President of Constructora Cápital. • Alejandro Char- Mayor of Barranquilla. Keynote Speaker: Vanessa Velasco, Secretary of Housing of Bogota Moderator: Emil Rodríguez Garabot, Director of Habitat and Sustainable Mobility, CAF 

PANELLISTS PANEL: Habitat and Inclusion 
09:00 – 10:05: Financing Affordable Housing: Challenges and Experiences from Local to Global.
10:05 – 10:20: Break 
Keynote Speaker: Peter Bishop, Policymaker, United Kingdom) 
10:20 – 10:50: PLENARY TALK #2: Smart Governance and Participation
 Urban Revitalization and Governance 

Keynote Speaker: Peter Bishop, Policymaker, United Kingdom)

PANEL: Smart Governance and Participation.
Urban Revitalization: A Commitment to Managing and Driving Transformation in the City.

 Keynote Speaker: Carlos Salazar, Housing and Urban Development Specialist, IDB Moderator: Carlos Salazar, Housing and Urban Development Specialist, IDB • Hélène Chartier, Director of Urban Planning, C40. • Álvaro García Resta, former Secretary of Urban Development of the City of Buenos Aires. • Vanessa Velasco, Secretary of Habitat, Bogotá. • María Migliore (former Minister of Human Development and Habitat of the City of Buenos Aires, 2019–2023). 
 
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch 

 13:30 – 14:00 - PLENARY TALK #3: Resilience and Sustainability
  Green and blue Cities
Keynote Speaker: Jeremy Seigel, BIG Architects, USA

Keynote Speaker: Ming Zhang, Global Director Urban, Resilience and Land Global Department, World Bank Moderator: Diego Molano, President of Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá ETB • David Michaud, Water Practice Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean, World Bank. • Natasha Avendaño, Manager of the Bogotá Water and Sewerage Company • Andrés Santamaría, Executive Director of Asocapitales. • Alejandro Callejas, General Manager of Lagos de Torca. • Laura Reyes, Part of UN SG's Advisory Board on Zero Waste 

14:00 – 15:05: PANELLISTS TALK #3: Resilience and Sustainability
 Liveable Cities: Facilitating Access to Public Goods and Services.  
16:30 – 16:45  CLOSING REMARKS  
Location Principal room ÁGORA





LIVESTREAM:

  • Bogotá video
  • World Cities Day 2025 video
Welcome Notes:
  • Opening address by Mr. Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
  • Welcome remarks by Ms. Helga Rivas, Minister of Housing, Cities, and Territory, Colombia
  • Message by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General read by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
  • Video message by Mr. Nga Kor Ming, President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, and Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia
  • Statement by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
  • Ministerial Remarks: Perspectives on Urban Development.
  • Ms. Edna Elena Vega Rangel, Secretary of Rural, Territorial and Urban Development, Mexico
  • Mr. Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, China
Cultural Performance.

High-level Panel: Localizing the people-centered smart cities approach.

On October 31st, 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.

Moderator: Mr. Elkin Velásquez Monsalve, Director, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN-Habitat.

Panelists:

Mr. Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Ms. Ndeshihafela Larandja, Mayor of Windhoek, Namibia
Mr. Claudio Orrego, Governor of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile
Mr. Lars Weiss, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Denmark

Global Awards for Sustainable Development in Cities ceremony

• Video message by Mr. Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, China
• Presentation of Awards

Roundtable 1: Achieving adequate housing through people-centered smart cities.

 

On October 31st, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.

Moderator: Ms. Vanessa Velasco, Habitat Chief Secretary, City of Bogotá

Setting the scene: Access to housing, informal settlements, and urban basic services: how can smart city initiatives and strategies help achieve these goals?

Keynote speaker: Mr. Jeroen Klink, Director, Center for Favela Studies (CEFAVELA)

Panelists:

Mr. Manuel de Araújo, Mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique
Ms. Hélène Chartier, Director of Urban Planning, C40 Cities
Ms. Oreoluwa Finnih, Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals,
Lagos State, Nigeria
Mr. Ramiro López-Ghio, Colombia Country Representative, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Ms. Nevana Srikissoon, Project Manager, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa
Mr. Julián Suarez, Manager, Sustainable Territorial Development, Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF)

Q&A Session (10 minutes)
Roundtable 2: Digital innovation to enhance urban infrastructure, land use, and basic service provision.


On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.

Moderator:

Mr. Juan Ricardo Ortega, President of Energy Group of Bogotá.
Setting the scene: Transforming urban governance through digital innovation

Keynote speaker: 

Mr. Carlo Ratti, MIT Senseable Cities Lab

Panelists:

Mr. Luis Lota, Director of the Bogotá, Cundinamarca Metropolitan Region, Colombia
Prof. Carlos Moreno, ETI Chair, Sorbonne University, France
Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, UCLG
Ms. Zoe Elena Trohanis, Global Lead for Disaster Risk Management, World Bank

Q&A session.

On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.

Moderator: Mr. Juan Ricardo Ortega, President of Energy Group of Bogotá.
Setting the scene: Transforming urban governance through digital innovation.

Keynote speaker: 

Mr. Carlo Ratti, MIT Senseable Cities Lab

Panelists:
  • Mr. Luis Lota, Director of the Bogotá, Cundinamarca Metropolitan Region, Colombia
  • Prof. Carlos Moreno, ETI Chair, Sorbonne University, France
  • Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, UCLG
  • Ms. Zoe Elena Trohanis, Global Lead for Disaster Risk Management, World Bank
Q&A session.
Closing Ceremony

On October 31st, 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.

Closing Remarks:

• Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat

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Location: Bogotá, Bogota, Colombia

Monday, 27 October 2025

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025; October 27th.



FORUM: "Your window to the world." World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025. This year is special as audiovisual archives around the world commemorate the 20th anniversary of WDAVH in raising awareness of the importance and urgency of protecting audiovisual materials to ensure their long-term availability and accessibility. Audiovisual documentary heritage opens a window to the world through the generations of incredibly unique stories. They reveal the ingenuity of the human spirit and vision, the spectacular lessons learnt from the diversity of cultures, that generate inspiration and creativity. In a world now wrought by insularity and struggling with the pain of war, moving images, aural and oral recordings are effective tools to bridge differences, bringing about much needed empathy, compassion and encouragement. You can be a part of this preservation movement. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldDayforAudiovisualHeritage, #WDAH, #audiovisual ,#27october, #AudiovisualHeritageDay #AudiovisualHeritage.

October 27th.



EVENT: On October 27th, a virtual event will be held by the UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Association (CCAAA) to mark the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025. The WDAH 20th anniversary was celebrated at the UNESCO HQ in Paris.

EVENT



On Thursday 23 October,  From 16:00 to19:00 at UNESCO Cinema, 7 Place de Fontenoy in Paris; was held the 20th anniversary of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage; On this special occasion, have been showcased a selection of newly digitized films from the UNESCO Archives thanks to the support of UNESCO Member States France and Monaco. The Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) have also presented films from around the world shared by its member organizations. This celebration emphasizes the importance of preserving the world’s audiovisual heritage by highlighting a rich selection of unique audiovisual archives. Powerful films and unseen footage that embody UNESCO’s and CCAAA’s core values, alongside brief talks by members of UNESCO and CCAAA. The screening will end with a question-and-answer period inviting lively discussions with the public about the preservation and impact of audiovisual archives. The event is free of charge.Seating is limited and registration is required. Click here to take part in the event. For further information, please contact info@ccaaa.org to help you. Registration.


Presented by Moving Image Research Collections at the University of South Carolina for the 2025 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. Streaming from October 27, 2025.


MIRC celebrates the 2025 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage — marking its 20th anniversary — with a program drawn from our remarkable home movie collections. A journey through time and space inspired by the classic Grand Tour — the journey through Europe once taken by artists, scholars, and travelers seeking culture, art, and experience. Reimagined through home movies from the 1920s to the 1960s, the program traces an American traveler’s cinematic itinerary across the Atlantic and through Europe’s storied landscapes. It includes clips from the following family collections: De Kozlowski, Dungan, Gleason, Hallowell, Livingston, Nagel, Seibels, Shapiro, Urbanek-Heins, Walton, Weir.  For information, contact MIRC@mailbox.sc.edu.

COMMUNICATION MATERIALS: Use the poster and video for reaching out to different communities. Share about the events you are organising on and around October 27th. Enable the motivation to contribute time, expertise, effort to save the extraordinary audiovisual legacy for posterity.

Get the poster in Arabic, in English, in French, in Spanish, in German, in Portuguese, in Chinese, in Russian
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Friday, 24 October 2025

World Development Information Day 2025; October 24th.



FORUM: “Charting New Directions: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Development.” World Development Information Day 2025. The Commitment to Development Index ranks 40 of the world’s most powerful countries on their dedication to policies that affect more than five billion people living in poorer nations. The CDI scores countries relative to their size and economic weight to measure countries according to their potential to help. CDI Countries range from middle to high-income; to level the playing field, we have an option to income-adjust, or rank relative to income-predicted scores. Sweden takes first place. France is second and Norway is in third place. Sweden and France also top the environment component, each applying a relatively high price to carbon and Sweden has relatively low emissions per head. The US ranks 22nd, with strong contributions on security and trade, but low scores on diffusing technology and safeguarding the environment. It scores ahead of China, which ranks 36th, but behind most EU countries, who take 6 of the top 10 spots. Follow the conversations with the hashtags #DevinfoDay, #Development, #macroeconomics, #DevelopmentIndex; #24October.




EVENTS: on October 24th; A High-level event to mark World Development Information Day 2025 will be held at UNHQ by the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development (UNPD). Register to participate!




On the 80th anniversary of the signing of the charter of the United Nations, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) convenes a Global Policy Dialogue, "Charting New Directions: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Development."




Here, members of the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (HLAB) will explore different avenues for achieving and maintaining inclusive, sustainable, and forward-looking development towards and beyond 2030. In three thematic panels, leading experts will share insights on reimagining economics to foster social inclusion, identify emerging trends that will shape the decades ahead, and envision the future of sustainable development in light of global transformations. The event seeks to showcase how global cooperation can accelerate progress, strengthen resilience, and ensure that no one is left behind. This dialogue is made possible by the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund.




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United Nations Day 2025; October 24th.



FORUM: "Building Our Future Together." United Nations Day 2025. Marking the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the @UN Charter. Let's amplify #ourcommonagenda & reaffirm the principles of the #UNCharter that have guided us for 80 years. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #24October,#UN80, #unday #80thanniversary



Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on  United Nations Day 2025; October 24th.

“We the peoples of the United Nations...”

These are not just the opening words of the United Nations Charter – they define who we are.

The United Nations is more than an institution. It is a living promise – spanning borders, bridging continents, inspiring generations.

For eighty years, we have worked to forge peace, tackle poverty and hunger, advance human rights, and build a more sustainable world – together.

As we look ahead, we confront challenges of staggering scale: escalating conflicts, climate chaos, runaway technologies, and threats to the very fabric of our institution.

This is no time for timidity or retreat.

Now, more than ever, the world must recommit to solving problems no nation can solve alone.

On this UN Day, let’s stand together and fulfil the extraordinary promise of your United Nations.

Let’s show the world what is possible when “we the peoples” choose to act as one.

António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General.



Multimedia: Download the video in MP4

United Nations Headquarters


Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on the UN's 80th Anniversary [as delivered].


EVENTS: On October 24th at the United Nations Offices worldwide, UN Staff will observe the 80th anniversary of the UN and the United Nations Day 2025. If you're interestted please Register to participate and Watch the livestream via @UNWebTV. 


Observance of the UN Day 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.


    






 

Side Event commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the UN co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Burundi and the Permanent Mission of Djibouti to the United Nations.

This commemorative event seeks to reaffirm the founding values of the United Nations and consider how current practices within the UN system can more fully reflect them—particularly as the international communityreviews the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and prepares for the Second World Summit for Social Development. As Member States look ahead to future outcomes, revisiting the UN's founding, offers both clarity and a common vision.

At a moment of increasing polarization, this event aims to ensure that multilateralism remains anchored in the UN's original mission—to uphold human dignity, preserve peace, and to protect human life, including future generations—while also providing Member States and civil society with a meaningful platform for dialogue and the pursuit of common goals.

Objective of the Event
  • To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the UN by highlighting its founding values and reflect on the original vision laid out in the UN Charter.
  • To offer respectful, constructive perspectives on how today's UN system might realign with these principles.
  • To reaffirm the central importance of the dignity of the human person as we prepare for the World Summit in Doha.
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Monday, 20 October 2025

World Statistics Day 2025; October 20th.



FORUM: "Driving Change with Quality Statistics and Data for Everyone." World Statistics Day 2025. It's time to spur data innovation, nurture partnerships, mobilize high-level political and financial support for data, and build a pathway to better data for sustainable development. This October 20th; Let's reflect on the importance of trust, authoritative data, innovation and the public good in national statistical systems. The stakeholder community engaged in the Forum represents a diverse range of governments, civil society, the private sector, donor and philanthropic bodies, international and regional agencies, the geospatial community, the media, academia, and professional bodies. Follow the conversations with the hashtags; #Qualitydata, #Drivingchange, #Qualitystatistics, #Statistics4everyone, #Data4everyone, #20october, #worldstatisticsday, #statisticians, #statistics.





EVENTS: On October 20th, the World Statistics Day 2025 will be organized by the United Nations Statistical Commission with a 24-hour Webinar Marathon Celebrating the 4th World Statistics Day!

Events



The UN Regional Commissions and UN Statistics Division invite you to a global 24-hour webinar marathon, featuring voices, stories, and innovations from every region. Following by Live sessions showcasing national and regional initiatives in official statistics.
Innovations in data — new methodologies, technologies, and partnerships making data more accessible and impactful.
Country spotlights on how statistics drive progress toward development goals.
Panel discussions with statistical leaders, data scientists, and policymakers.
Quizzes, competitions, and polls to keep the energy high.
Interactive Q&A sessions — your chance to join the conversation, wherever you are in the world.*

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on World Statistics Day 2025; October 20th.

World Statistics Day is an occasion marked once every five years to spotlight the vital role of statistics in helping to address the challenges of our time. The Sustainable Development Goals have helped transform statistical systems and increase the availability of data. In times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, statistical systems proved their resilience, delivering the data that guided life-saving decisions as well as social and economic recovery. As we confront increasingly inter-connected global challenges – from climate change to rising inequalities – timely, accurate, disaggregated, and independent data has never been more essential. This year’s observance reaffirms our commitment to the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics: impartiality, professionalism, and commitment to scientific principles and professional ethics. Citizens everywhere deserve trustworthy data to inform public policy and strengthen accountability. Let us use this day to champion the power of data in advancing sustainable development for all.


United Nations Secretary-General.

Read the statement in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian.


Dear Chief Statisticians, Dear Colleagues, I warmly invite you to join the global celebration of World Statistics Day on 20 October 2025. Celebrated every five years, this day recognizes the vital role of official statistics in informing decisions at all levels — from governments to individuals. This year’s theme, “Quality statistics and data for everyone,” reflects our shared commitment to producing and sharing high-quality, timely, and trusted data. At the heart of this mission are the national statistical offices. You are the backbone of our statistical systems — upholding professional standards, ensuring data quality, and delivering evidence that informs national and global action. You translate complex realities into meaningful numbers, provide continuity amid change, and safeguard the integrity of data. Since the endorsement of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, our community has made great strides in upholding relevance, impartiality, scientific rigour, and transparency. These principles, along with legal frameworks and quality assurance systems, underpin the integrity of official statistics. Alongside you, we, too, will be observing World Statistics Day. 2 At the global level, the commemoration will feature a 24-hour webinar marathon, moving across time zones, showcasing the work of national, regional, and international statistical systems. During the marathon, we will spotlight innovations across the statistical landscape — from the integration of new data sources and AI, to advances in methods that help us measure today’s complex realities, including inequality, climate change, and the digital economy. We will also hear about efforts to expand data access and usability, ensuring no one is left behind. Dear Colleagues, Official statistics are a public good — essential, but not without cost. I thank governments and partners for their support and call for continued investment in the statistical infrastructure. As we modernize, we must also build robust data governance frameworks to enable greater use of administrative and alternative data sources. At the same time, traditional tools like censuses and surveys remain indispensable, where we continue to need active engagement from the people we serve. Two major global frameworks, both adopted earlier this year by the Statistical Commission, reflect our continuing journey: • The 2025 System of National Accounts, updated to reflect the realities of globalization and digitalization, ensuring comparability and relevance in economic statistics. • The 2030 World Population and Housing Census Programme, which will yield essential disaggregated data for policy, planning, and monitoring of well-being. I thank all national statistical offices, regional and international partners, and users for contributing to World Statistics Day. Let us use this occasion to reaffirm our collective mission: delivering high-quality statistics to serve everyone, everywhere.




Every UN World Data Forum has resulted in the release of an outcome document to chart the progress of discussions around data and statistics and express the ambitions of the stakeholder community. The Cape Town Global Action Plan (CTGAP) was launched at the first UN World Data Forum on where to focus statistical and data capacity development efforts to establish the full range of reporting and monitoring needed to measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The CTGAP was followed by the Dubai Declaration (2018) calling for an innovative funding mechanism to support the implementation of the CTGAP; and more recently the Global data community’s response to Covid-19 (2020) and Bern Data Compact for the Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals (2021) on how official statistics and National Statistical Offices (NSOs) position themselves during Covid-19 and then in the wider data ecosystem generally. At the most recent Forums held as the fourth and fifth in April 2023 and November 2024, the Hangzhou Declaration was launched to recommit the global community to accelerating progress in the implementation of the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development (CTGAP) and provided the foundation for the launch of the Medellín Framework for Action on Data for Sustainable Development. The Framework represents a second-generation document founded on the original CTGAP, reflecting the aspirations of the wider stakeholder base fostered by the Forum over the past seven years and marking the milestone that the Forum has now been hosted in all regions of the World.

The next Forum is planned in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to take place between 9 and 12 November 2026. Share your views on the upcoming 2026 United Nations World Datat Forum programme, complete the Community Survey. The information collected from the community survey will help shape the Call for Programme Proposals announcement which will be launched at the end of November 2025 and remain open until Monday, 12 January 2026.

World Datat Forum 2026


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Thursday, 16 October 2025

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025; October 17th.

FORUM: "Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families." International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025. The observance this year underscores that ending poverty is about dignity, justice, and belonging, not just income. This year's theme focuses on ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families, with a clear goal: put the furthest behind first and build institutions that help families stay together, thrive, and shape their own futures. Families in poverty often face stigma and punitive practices in places meant to help: schools, clinics, welfare offices, and child protection systems. Single mothers, Indigenous families, and historically discriminated groups report judgment and control that erode trust and agency, sometimes culminating in poverty-driven family separation with lasting emotional and social harm to children and parents. To change course, the Day’s theme urges three shifts:
  1. From control to care: Design services that start with trust. Reduce punitive conditionalities, streamline documentation, and prioritize respectful, person-centred interactions.
  2. From surveillance to support: Rebalance investments away from monitoring and removal toward family-strengthening services: income support, quality childcare, adequate housing, mental health care, parenting support, and access to justice.
  3. From top-down to co-created solutions: Involve families living in poverty at every stage—assessment, design, budgeting, delivery, and evaluation—so policies reflect real needs and constraints.

Supporting families advances multiple SDGs (Sustainable Development Goal 1, the Sustainable Development Goal 2, the Sustainable Development Goal 3, the Sustainable Development Goal 4, the Sustainable Development Goal 5, the Sustainable Development Goal 8, the Sustainable Development Goal 10, the Sustainable Development Goal 16) through coherent, jointly delivered policies across social protection, education, health, housing, and employment. With people-centered development gaining momentum ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha (4–6 November 2025), this agenda translates commitments into concrete, measurable change by respecting, protecting, and supporting families. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #Dignity4All, #PovertyDay, #17october, #EndingPoverty, #GlobalGoals, #SDG1.

October 17th.



EVENTS: On October 17th, 2025, from 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm in the ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, will be held a high-level event to commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025 followed by a special observance at the Commemorative Stone in Honor of the Victims of Extreme Poverty, located in the United Nations gardens’ North Lawn. Register to participate!

High-level Event




Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025; October 17th.

Too often, people living in poverty are blamed, stigmatised, and pushed into the shadows.

Yet poverty is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure – a denial of dignity and human rights.

This year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty calls on us all to stop the social and institutional maltreatment of people living in poverty – and to honour the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty in all its forms, everywhere.

That requires policies that leave no one behind: affordable health care and housing; decent work and fair wages; universal social protection; food security; quality education; and financing that works for countries and communities.

On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let’s reject stigma and discrimination. Let’s stand with people living in poverty, and act with solidarity to end poverty for good.


António Guterres.



On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) renews its resolve to eradicate poverty and advance shared prosperity. This year’s theme, “Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families”, reminds us of the need to uphold the dignity of every family.


The 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) by UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative reveals that nearly 80 percent of the world's multidimensionally poor people - 887 million individuals - now live in areas exposed to at least one major climate hazard: high heat, drought, floods, or air pollution. Some 650 million poor people face two or more hazards at the same time.

This new MPI matters because it allows us to see poverty as people live it: income poverty and lack of choices compounded by climate risk and inequality. Poverty is about more than not having enough money. It also means not having access to basic services or support systems. Therefore, UNDP works with countries to build institutions that people can trust and that help families through social protection, quality services, and climate action.

Ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere, remains a defining promise of our time. It is one we can keep by ensuring that every family can live with dignity, security, and the power to shape its own future.


Haoliang Xu, UNDP Acting Administrator and Associate Administrator.


PUBLICATION: Read the World Social Report 2025 entitled ''A New Policy Consensus to Accelerate Social Progress''.

A New Policy Consensus to Accelerate Social Progress



LIVESTREAM: Family policies must be an integral part of overall development efforts and leveraged in achieving many of the interrelated Sustainable Development Goals (poverty eradication, food security, quality healthcare and education, gender equality, social inclusion, decent work/social protection, just and peaceful institutions.) Families are active agents in development. Therefore, their experiential knowledge and insight must be sought out and included to ensure effective support to lift people out of poverty and create a more just and equitable society. The 2025 commemoration will focus on ensuring respect and effective support for families. We need to better understand why poverty persists and why despite all the efforts made by parents, their children continue to experience the same deprivation. We need to better understand the reality of poverty as experienced by the people affected, so that appropriate support can be actioned. By focusing on families, we continue to highlight the hidden dimensions of poverty — in particular the social and institutional maltreatment they suffer in their daily lives, including situations of family separation due to poverty, and the pressing need to end it. Related Documents: Concept note and final programme

2025 Commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty


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Wednesday, 15 October 2025

World Food Day 2025; October 16th.


October 16th.

FORUM: "Hand in Hand forBetter Food and a Better Future." World Food Day 2025; Food is our future. The celebration of #WorldFoodDay 2025 calls for global collaboration to build a peaceful, sustainable and food-secure world. Let’s act Hand in Hand — across borders, sectors, and generations for better foods and a better future. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #SOFI2025, #HungerMap, #WorldFoodDay.





EVENTS: On October 16th; The FAO will hold a high-level event at FAO Headquarters in Rome. Food is our future. The celebration of the World Food Day 2025 calls for global collaboration to build a peaceful, sustainable and food-secure world. Let’s act Hand in Hand — across borders, sectors, and generations — for better foods and a better future. To Participate to the celebration of the World Food Day and the FAO's 80th anniversary. Get the agenda programme and  Register to participate!





Throughout October a wide variety of events and activities are taking place during the World Food Week in Rome offering opportunities to learn, engage, and be part of the global movement for food security and sustainability.

LIVESTREAM

 

 Celebrate World Food Day with the leaders of the Rome-based UN agencies and special guests including His Holiness Pope Leo XIV; Her Majesty the Queen of Spain and His Majesty the King of Lesotho — also FAO Special Ambassadors for Nutrition; and, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with a special message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Join us for the inauguration of the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network on the morning of World Food Day, with the participation of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, QU Dongyu, and the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

Watch GO09 - Food and Agriculture Museum and Network Inauguration!


FAO80


Agencies, Funds & Programmes


Chef Fatmata Binta will be designated as an FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu followed by the presentation of the FAO Achievement Award that recognises the outstanding performance of institutions that have created true impact in the efficient execution of programmes related to FAO's work.

Watch the GO21 - Goodwill Ambassador Designation and Presentation of the Achievement Award!



FAO Achievement Award.


Agencies, Funds & Programmes



Join us at sunset on 16 October for a powerful visual experience marking FAO's 80th anniversary. A new lighting ceremony will illuminate the new FAO gardens and façade of FAO headquarters, delivering a global call to action. Following the lighting ceremony, the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network will open its doors to guests for an exclusive evening preview. The evening will conclude with a reception.

Watch the GO12 - Illuminating FAO's 80th Anniversary!


October 16th


Agencies, Funds & Programmes


PUBLICATION: The State of Food and Nutrition in the World 2025. Addressing high food price inflation for food security and nutrition. This report is the annual global monitoring report for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 targets 2.1 and 2.2 – to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. It presents the latest updated numbers on hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as new estimates on the affordability of a healthy diet. Previous editions have highlighted several major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition including economic shocks, extreme weather events, the COVID-19 pandemic and conflict. While there have been signs of recovery in recent years, recent food price inflation affecting countries globally, has slowed this progress. This year’s report examines the impact of food price inflation on food security and nutrition. It includes analyses on the effects of food price inflation on different food groups and on the affordability of healthy diets. Analysis of country policy responses to food price inflation reveal patterns of successful policy interventions that have helped countries mitigate the impacts of inflation on food security and nutrition. While global efforts have become more effective, disparities across regions persist. The report reaffirms that food price inflation, though persistent, is not insurmountable. Building resilience will require sustained investments, stronger policy coordination, increased transparency, prioritization of nutritious diets, and ongoing institutional innovation.


Addressing high food price inflation for food security and nutrition

Between 638 and 720 million people faced hunger in 2024. The FAO’s Hunger Map sheds light on the prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity in each country.

Hunger Maps



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