Updated VNR Preparation Guidance Available
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has updated its handbook for the preparation of voluntary national reviews (VNRs). Together with the UN Secretary-General’s voluntary common reporting guidelines for VNRs, the guidance will support the countries presenting their VNRs at the 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
The handbook provides step-by-step guidance on the process of preparing and presenting a VNR. It also acknowledges that the steps outlined in the handbook are not exhaustive, and many other sources of information may also assist countries in the VNR preparation and reporting process.
UNEP, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance Announce Collaboration
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have announced a collaboration to advance the environmental dimensions of responsible mining. The partnership will focus on enhancing transparency in the mining sector and improving its environmental performance.
“[D]igital transformation and decarbonization efforts drive an unprecedented demand for minerals and metals,” a UNEP press release notes. This growing demand puts increasing pressure on the extractive industries to minimize their environmental impacts, including deforestation, land degradation, and pollution. There are also calls for better transparency regarding the extractive sector’s performance and the traceability of minerals and metals.
36 Countries to Present VNRs at HLPF 2026
Thirty-six countries will present their voluntary national reviews (VNRs) to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July 2026. All the countries on the list have presented their VNRs at least once before. The majority are third-time presenters. Egypt and Switzerland will present their fourth VNRs. Togo and Uruguay – their fifth.
Twelve countries – Albania, Algeria, Burundi, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Mozambique, Moldova, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Somalia, and Tonga – will carry out their VNRs for the second time.
Microsoft pledges $50 billion to tackle AI inequality as it warns of a ‘growing divide’
Microsoft says it is on track to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to help bring artificial intelligence to lower-income countries, as concerns mount over the technology’s potential to deepen inequality.
The announcement was made Wednesday at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where leading tech executives, government officials and AI researchers are debating how to use AI to solve real-world problems.
From India, Guterres calls for $3 billion fund to ensure AI benefits all
The future of artificial intelligence “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 Thursday, calling for a global fund to help developing nations to better access these technologies.