Newsletter 29 July 2026

Dear Colleagues,

We just came back from the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Fourteen GCAP members participated in this year’s forum, witnessing first-hand the growing geopolitical tensions and the problems of multilateral cooperation. The UN is at the centre of these challenges.

Esso Pedessi (GCAP Togo) and Youth Constituency Group, answering to the VNR of the Government of Togo

The UN is facing a deep financial crisis. Some Member States – including the biggest two, the USA and China, have either failed to pay their contributions or paid them too late. Until recently, the organisation had funding secured only until end of August. The prospect of a total closure hang like a sword of Damocles above the UN. A change of the financial rules has averted that immediate risk. But, the future is uncertain.

GCAP representatives at the HLPF – Mauro Pereira (Brazil), Esso Pedessi (Togo), Aminata Barry (Mali), Ingo Ritz (Director), and Martina Kabisama (Tanzania) – in conversation with Mariame Baldé (second from right) of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington DC, who cooperated for side events and travel.

Heavy budget cuts are already underway: At the beginning of the year, 20% of the staff were laid off. Under the UN80 reform plan, agencies are being merged and UNAIDS is expected to be closed by the end of 2026. This might lead to a reverse in the progress to fight HIV.

Civil society weekend meeting on the future of multilateralism and the sustainable development agenda.

Another big topic in the floors of the UN and the HLPF is the selection of the next UN Secretary General, who will start her (or his) mandate on 1 January 2027. Although several official candidates have emerged, it is totally unclear who will be appointed. Civil society, including GCAP, demands for the appointment of the first-ever woman Secretary General. However, despite all the efforts to make the selection process more transparent and democratic, many expect the decision to be made behind closed doors by the five veto powers of the Security Council (the P5).

The outgoing Secretary General, António Gueterres, met with civil society for two hours in an event titled “We the Peoples.”It was interesting and refreshing to hear the clarity of his analysis and words: He stressed the role of power – how some countries use it for their own interests and that of the super-rich. He talked about two existential threats to humanity – climate change and artificial intelligence. He underlined the role of the fossil fuel industry in shaping the climate crisis.

It was good to see that the processes at the UN are still going on: The presentation of the VNRs from 36 countries and the civil society statements being coordinated by the Major Groups and other Stakeholders. GCAP members from Togo, Tanzania and Brazil were either responding to the presentations of their governments or part of the presentation.

GCAP was part of seven civil society events – either as an organiser or co-organiser. We also used the HLPF as an opportunity to discuss civil society strategies and to strengthen our networks – especially as the restrictive visa policies and shrinking funding for civil society was visible.

GCAP at the Bonn Climate Talks

In June, GCAP participated in the 64th UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn, Germany. Three members participated. Salina Sanou of GCAP Africa was one of them. She wrote the following report: “Broken finance promises cast shadow over Bonn Climate Talks – Frontline communities cannot wait for endless negotiations. The report highlights stalled negotiations on adaptation finance, growing calls for feminist climate finance and a just transition, and outlines advocacy priorities to turn climate commitments into concrete action for frontline communities.

In solidarity,

Ingo Ritz, Director

Watch the video of our HLPF Side Event: After the World Social Summit: Universal Social Protection Floors (USPF) as a Framework for a Sustainable Future