Economic losses from internationally reported disasters, principally large-scale disasters, have grown steadily since 1990, reaching an estimated annual average of $200 billion in 2013.
Despite progress over the past decade, increasing social protection for those most in need remains a priority. Globally, 18,000 children still die each day from poverty-related causes. The coverage gap is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, where most of the world’s poorest people live.  
Climate change presents the single biggest threat to development, and its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable.

Source: Report of the Secretary-General, "Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals", E/2016/75

“Since 1972, we knew that we were in a phase where rapid growth is leading to increase in greenhouse gases. If we breech certain threshold, we may try hard to retrieve them but if break environmental standards, and species extinct, we cannot get them back.” ~ Professor Jeffrey D. Sach, Director of Earth Institute, Columbia University at the Global Governance Institute, University College London.

The United Nation’s initial response to global problems was a development Agenda 2015 launched in 2000 which focused on strengthening the capacity of developing countries to deal with climate, economic and social problems through technical, industrial and official development assistance from wealthy developed countries. The 2015 development Agenda ended with major High Level Political Meetings in Addis Ababa, Rio and Paris. It was evident the UN needed to take more holistic approach. A new Agenda was set for 2030, with 17 ambitious goals and 169 integrated targets across environmental, economic and social issues. This is a Global Transformational Agenda underpinned by human rights which has been ratified by 193 countries.

“Governance is vital to drive solutions to global problems and it is equally vital that policies are made with consideration for impact on the well-being of people and planet, not only ‘here and now’ but also for ‘elsewhere’ and ‘later’; hence, it requires a combination of inclusive, responsible, collaborative and coherent approaches to governance.” ~ Elizabeth Moses-Mullard, Director, AlphaZULU Advocates

Through outreach programmes, policy dialogues, evidence-based contributions, development consultancy, technical capacity building, monitoring and reporting, AlphaZULU is working with local, national, regional and global partners to design and implement robust strategies for improving governance for sustainable development.