Civil Society and the Future of Global Development
In a world of deepening crises and widening governance gaps, this issue asks a fundamental question: how can the multilateral system be reformed while ensuring meaningful civil society participation in shaping the future of global development?
As progress towards the 2030 Agenda falls increasingly off track, Roberto Bissio questions whether our conventional measures of development still serve their purpose. From growing inequality and austerity to the limitations of GDP, he argues that achieving sustainable development requires rethinking how we define and measure progress.
READ THE EDITORIAL →Reforming the United Nations requires more than institutional restructuring. Ziad Abdel Samad examines the deeper imbalances of power, wealth and decision-making shaping global governance, and calls for a more democratic multilateral system grounded in human security, social justice, international law and meaningful civil society participation.
READ THE ANALYSIS →This contribution looks beyond the brief interventions delivered by civil society at the HLPF, examining the research, coordination and advocacy behind them and asking whether existing participation mechanisms enable meaningful influence or remain largely tokenistic.
READ THE ARTICLE →A critical look at the 2026 High-Level Political Forum amid escalating climate crises, geopolitical tensions, shrinking civic space and declining aid, highlighting both persistent development gaps and the urgent need for stronger international cooperation.
READ THE ARTICLE →This contribution explores civil society engagement in Egypt’s 2026 Voluntary National Review, highlighting how local experiences and national participation can feed into global advocacy and strengthen civil society voices in sustainable development processes.
READ THE ARTICLE →Explore the full Arab Watch 2025 collection on the right to water and climate change, including the regional report, national reports, thematic papers, and case studies from across the Arab region.
EXPLORE THE FULL COLLECTION →As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen civil society action on climate justice across the Arab region, ANND and its members are creating national spaces for dialogue, identifying priorities, and amplifying the voices of communities most affected by climate change.
ANND will convene a Focus Group Discussion bringing together civil society organizations, researchers, academics and journalists to discuss climate injustice, identify the groups most affected by climate change, explore needed policy reforms, and strengthen civil society engagement in climate advocacy and policymaking.
The discussion will also contribute to launching a Community of Practice on Climate Justice, creating a space for collaborative learning and exchange, with particular attention to the engagement of youth and women.
As part of efforts to promote civil action for climate justice in the Arab region, ANND and its members are conducting a series of national meetings to provide a space for discussion, prioritize issues, and enhance civil society participation in climate policy and advocacy processes.
Four focus group discussions were held across Amman, Deir Alla and Irbid, bringing together environmental civil society organizations, researchers and academics, as well as women, farmers and agricultural workers, to explore climate justice, identify the most affected groups and sectors, and discuss ways to strengthen civil society engagement.
EXPLORE THE ACTIVITY →The New Woman Foundation organized three intensive discussion sessions bringing together civil society organizations, researchers, academics and journalists, alongside youth, women and communities directly affected by climate change, to identify climate justice priorities and explore ways to strengthen civil society's role in advocacy, governance and policymaking.
