26 January 2026 - “Delivering better is how we rebuild trust in multilateralism and make the SDGs real for every person, in every place,” said ECOSOC President Lok Bahadur Thapa, as we spoke with him ahead of the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum on 27 January 2026. “The Partnership Forum is where we test whether our commitment to partnership is real and where we turn good ideas into change that benefit people around the world.”
 

Your presidency is framed around “Delivering Better.” What does this mean for ECOSOC this year and where do you hope to generate early momentum?

“‘Delivering Better’ is about turning commitments into visible change in people’s lives. For ECOSOC, it means a sharper focus on what works, less fragmentation and clearer follow-up across the ECOSOC cycle. 

The 2025 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Report notes that low- and middle-income countries faced record-high USD 1.4 trillion debt-servicing costs in 2023 alongside a USD 4 trillion annual investment gap, while official development assistance (ODA) declined for the first time by 7.1 percent. In this context, mobilizing stronger, more purposeful partnerships is essential to deliver at scale. 

Against this backdrop, I hope to generate early momentum by using the Partnership Forum - the first major meeting in the 2026 ECOSOC cycle - to mobilize and showcase concrete partnerships, clarify who will do what next, and then carry those insights into the Coordination Segment, the Operational Activities Segment, the Financing for Development workstream and the HLPF.”
 

You have highlighted transforming agriculture and food systems. What would a fair and future-ready food system look like to you? How might partnerships help us get there?

“A fair, future-ready food system allows farmers to earn a decent living, protects soils and water and makes nutritious food affordable for all. Partnerships are crucial. They can connect smallholders to markets, bring finance and innovation to rural areas and support national strategies that leave no one behind. I would like to see more cross-sector partnerships that link farmers, cities, youth innovators and development banks and investors around concrete solutions that can be scaled.”
 

Financing remains a chokepoint for many. What reforms are most needed for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)?

“We need a system that rewards long-term investment in resilience, not short-term risk aversion. For LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS, this means more predictable concessional finance, fit-for-purpose debt workouts and stronger use of national development banks and regional instruments, among others. Partnerships that blend public and private finance and ensure that benefits and risks are shared fairly will be essential as well to move from pledges to implementation.”
 

ECOSOC at 80 and the ECOSOC/HLPF review offer a rare opportunity. How would you use this moment to help the UN “deliver better”?

“This anniversary invites us to streamline mandates, reduce duplication and make ECOSOC more accessible to those who implement the SDGs every day. I would like the review to strengthen peer learning, bring youth and local actors systematically into our work, and ensure that every major ECOSOC discussion leads to a few clear, trackable follow-up actions that people can see and feel beyond New York.”

The 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum, under the theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all”, will take place on 27 January 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Forum will place a special emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will be reviewed at the 2026 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), namely Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The Forum will also offer an opportunity to reflect on how ECOSOC and the Partnership Forum can better support meaningful partnerships.