RC attends the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 

On 24 February 2026, Resident Coordinator Joe Colombano attended the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD). Held at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, the Forum is an annual intergovernmental event aimed at reviewing progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level. The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, member States, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the 2026 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level. 

The theme of this year’s APFSD was “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all.” In alignment with the 2026 HLPF, the APFSD assessed progress on Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation); 7 (affordable and clean energy); 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure); 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 17 (partnership for the Goals). The Forum also assessed progress on the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and provided a platform to support countries presenting their voluntary national reviews at the 2026 HLPF. 

The Forum was also attended by Assistant Secretary-General for Development Coordination Oscar Fernández-Taranco, who met with the teams of the Regional Development Coordination Office for Asia and the Pacific, Office of the Resident Coordinator in Thailand, and Office of the Resident Coordinator in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.