Professor Steven Ratuva appointed to UN expert group for 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report

Professor Steven Ratuva appointed to UN expert group for 2027 Global Sustainable Development ReportFiji born Pro-Vice Chancellor Pacific at the University of Canterbury and Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, Professor Steven Ratuva has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to an expert group tasked with writing the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report.

Professor Ratuva is one of fifteen distinguished scientists and social scientists selected globally for this important role.

He says it was an honour to be selected by the UN Secretary-General.

He says being tasked with developing a new sustainable development pathway to progress towards achieving the SDGs, and to look beyond the SDGs as well, is a privilege.

He adds that he is looking forward to working with some of the leading scholars in the world and to bringing an interdisciplinary and Global South focus to this very important work that addresses some of the most serious challenges facing humanity today.

A former Fulbright fellow and award-winning scholar in political sociology, development studies, social anthropology, and social history, Professor Ratuva was nominated by the International Science Council following an extensive open selection process.

He is also the Foundation Chair of the International Political Science Association’s research committee on Climate Security and Planetary Politics and recently chaired the International Conference on Social Science in Bangkok.

Professor Ratuva has served as an expert project assessor for the International Science Council and has led international research teams on ethnicity, global security, social protection, and the climate crisis, contributing to several published books.

Over the years, he has provided policy consultation and advisory services to major international and regional agencies, including the United Nations Development Programme, Asian Development Bank, Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Pacific Islands Forum.

The Global Sustainable Development Report acts as an ‘assessment of assessments,’ providing governments and policymakers with cutting-edge research on sustainable development to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The report is mandated by the UN General Assembly to inform the SDG Summit, which takes place every four years.

The upcoming summit in September 2027 will focus on advancing sustainable development goals beyond 2030.

The group will provide expert advice on the next global development pathway after the current SDGs expires.

 Source: University of Canterbury