SDGs

Sri Lanka is gearing up to apply for $25 million from the United Nations' Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD). The application is intended to support recovery efforts.

The financial turmoil is already rippling through UN agencies, with humanitarian work bearing the brunt. BBC investigations show that agencies rarely receive full funding for crises, but the past year has been exceptionally grim.

Nepal faces international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce stunting to 15 per cent, wasting to four per cent, and underweight rates to 10 per cent by 2030 – targets that appear increasingly challenging, particularly in remote and underserved regions like Sudurpaschim.

Unchecked, these impacts could deepen conflicts and stall sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 6 on water and sanitation.

Violence against children emerged as another pressing issue. The committee raised alarms over sexual violence, particularly against boys, gender-based violence, corporal punishment, and online abuse.

With 2026 designated the Year of Water, Blue Davos seeks to shift perceptions – elevating water from a peripheral issue to a core developmental and economic priority.

The NCCEBL survey found that over 80 per cent of rescued workers did not have a First Information Report (FIR) registered, a prerequisite to hold exploiters legally accountable. Moreover, 63 per cent did not receive interim financial assistance.

The Employment and Social Trends 2026 flagship report highlights deepening structural weaknesses in labour markets that threaten progress on sustainable development and social equity.