On November 17-18, 2022, the Asia Headquarters of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was established at Sunway University, Malaysia, where it will coordinate SDSN's work globally with the Paris and New York offices.

Jeffrey Sachs, President of SDSN and Chair of the International Academic Committee of Institute for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua University (TUSDG), Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO, SDSN Steering Committee member and President of SDSN Malaysia, and Leaders from all walks of life, SDSN network representatives from Asia Pacific Region attended the launching ceremony held on Nov. 17. Zheng Yi, Head of the Office of TUSDG, represented the SDSN China Hub attended the ceremony.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivered speeches at the launching ceremony, and on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the SDSN, they urged countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific region to join hands to seek sustainable development solutions and a shared future for global development.

Group Photo

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Ban Ki-moon

On November 18, various representatives from the SDSN Asia-Pacific region discussed the SDSN Asia work plan, the ASEAN Green Future Initiative, regional carbon reduction and decarbonisation, education for sustainable development and etc.

The launch of SDSN's Asia headquarters demonstrates the importance of countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific region in advancing the global sustainable development. As of today, SDSN has more than 1,700 member institutions around the world, of which universities account for about 90%. SDSN Asia Headquarters will be responsible for carrying out and coordinating projects within the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on the areas of decarbonisation, biodiversity conservation, sustainable financing, and education for sustainable development. TUSDG, as the SDSN China Hub, is committed to becoming a platform for interdisciplinary research and global experience exchange in the field of SDGs, to promote the implementation of the SDGs, and to actively join hands with domestic and international experts and scholars in solving global development issues.