A Decade of Action for the Global Goals

The world has passed the midpoint of the United Nations Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals (2020-2030), launched following commitments made by Heads of State and Government at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019 to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Progress on the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) depends on coordinated action by governments, civil society, academic institutions, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and individuals. The Universal Peace Federation, a nongovernmental organization in General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), aligns its peacebuilding activities with this global framework and integrates peacebuilding into SDG implementation.

At the core of UPF’s approach is the understanding that sustainable development demands moral accountability and universal ethical commitment. This perspective is consistent with the 2030 Agenda’s commitment to leave no one behind. The founders of UPF, Dr. Hak Ja Han and Dr. Sun Myung Moon, emphasized in their public addresses and writings that institutional reforms and technical solutions remain limited when ethical responsibility toward others is absent. In an address delivered at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 18 August 2000, Dr. Sun Myung Moon stated that lasting peace depends not only on systems, but on people who act with responsibility for others and for future generations. This principle, often expressed by the founders as living for others, guides UPF chapters in treating SDGs as direct calls to service, such as through interfaith projects in Asia and Africa. This echoes the founders’ view of humanity as one family under God, where service begins in the home and extends to global stewardship, integrating spiritual conscience into SDG efforts such as International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) youth programs without overshadowing practical outcomes.

From its inception, UPF has been shaped by this orientation. As documented in the historical timeline of the founders’ international peace initiatives, early peace tours and interreligious assemblies brought together political leaders, scholars, and representatives of civil society from multiple regions. These gatherings anticipated United Nations principles on dialogue across political, cultural, and ideological boundaries and still guide UPF’s multilateral work today.

During the Decade of Action, UPF chapters have focused on several priority areas. In relation to Sustainable Development Goal 16, UPF advances SDG 16 through the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) and the International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP), where legislators and heads of state examine constitutional reform and transitional justice, including reconciliation in Africa as seen in recent IAPP assemblies.

Sustainable Development Goal 17 is reflected in the global initiative Peace Road, implemented in dozens of countries. Peace Road mobilizes communities in symbolic journeys that translate international development commitments into local action, bringing together youth, public officials, and civil society actors. The 2025 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report confirms that global progress remains uneven under the pressure of conflict, inequality, and financing constraints, underscoring the importance of inclusive, multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Education and youth engagement are central to UPF’s contribution to the Decade of Action. Through youth-led initiatives across multiple regions, young people engage in community service, environmental awareness, and skills development projects. These activities support Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Sustainable Development Goal 8. Through service learning platforms such as the IAYSP, UPF equips young people with the skills and values required for long-term sustainable development, translating civic responsibility into practical community support.

UPF advances women’s participation in peacebuilding through education, leadership training, and public engagement. Women’s participation strengthens family stability and social resilience, advancing progress on SDGs related to health, education, gender equality, and reduced inequalities.

Within the Decade of Action, UPF tackles inequality and environmental challenges through initiatives such as IAED dialogues on fair trade. UPF advances the principle of mutual prosperity, emphasizing that economic development benefits from inclusion and ethical grounding. Through the International Association for Peace and Economic Development (IAED), the Federation engages business and economic experts in dialogue on responsible entrepreneurship, fair practices, and social responsibility. Environmental initiatives such as tree planting, river cleanup activities, and public awareness programs contribute to international efforts related to climate action, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem restoration, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 13 and the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 7), held from 8 to 12 December 2025 at the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters in Nairobi. This aligns with UNEA 7 resolutions on sustainable solutions for pollution and biodiversity, adopted on 12 December 2025, where UPF can support implementation through environmental service projects in vulnerable regions.

As the international community enters the final phase of the Decade of Action, challenges remain, including the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts in regions such as Ukraine and the Middle East, which underscore the need for inclusive peace processes as articulated in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related frameworks, and slow SDG progress. The 2025 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report highlights fragile and unequal progress, with over 800 million people still living in extreme poverty and persistent gaps in data availability for key targets. These findings echo the Pact for the Future, adopted at the Summit of the Future on 22–23 September 2025 during the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly, calling for renewed multilateralism that UPF advances through its neutral mediation efforts, including in the Middle East. At the same time, technological innovation, civic participation, and youth engagement demonstrate measurable progress, reflected in recent gains in electricity access and disease elimination, and reaffirmed during the SDG Moment 2025, held on 22 September 2025 during the high-level week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

UPF roots its SDG work in the family as the school of ethics, extending from community service to global cooperation on goals such as SDG 5 and SDG 16. Drawing from the late Dr. Sun Myung Moon’s teachings on moral leadership, UPF links UN agendas to spiritual values through initiatives such as family programs that build ethical foundations for gender equality and inclusive institutions. Through initiatives ranging from youth service learning and interfaith leadership dialogues to parliamentary cooperation and economic development, UPF contributes to all seventeen SDGs, with particular focus on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

As President of the Universal Peace Federation, I am convinced that our collective action in these decisive years will define the legacy of the 2030 Agenda. My experience, from local communities to global summits, has shown me that sustainable development begins with strong families, and I invite partners to collaborate on interfaith initiatives that embody living for others, including joint SDG projects on ethical education that link family dialogue with parliamentary and multilateral cooperation. Guided by the vision of One Family under God, we work to advance sustainable development and peace, grounded in the understanding that humanity’s shared moral responsibility obliges us to steward creation and serve one another with integrity. 

UPF’s role as a non-partisan organization in General Consultative Status with ECOSOC positions us to facilitate dialogue among governments, civil society, faith-based communities, and the private sector. I invite all partners who share this commitment to join us in translating shared values into practical action for the future we seek to build.

Dr. Tageldin Hamad
President, Universal Peace Federation