The “Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards” is a global initiative recognizing efforts aligned with the UN SDG Action Campaign and the broader Sustainable Development Goals agenda.

The awards, launched as part of the SDG Global Festival of Action, highlight work across areas including climate action, gender equality, education and peacebuilding.

Marina Ponti, global director of the campaign, said the program aims to amplify voices from underserved communities leading transformative change. She described awardees as individuals who act decisively despite constraints and demonstrate commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable world.

Ponti said the 2026 edition will feature three categories: Changemaker, recognizing leadership in justice and peace; Creativity, focusing on initiatives using art and innovation; and Resilience, highlighting efforts addressing conflict, inequality and climate pressures.

Past awardees include Syrian refugee Jin Dawod, whose mental health platform supports displaced communities across 26 countries, and Julienne Lusenge, known for her work supporting survivors of gender-based violence and advancing peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to Ponti, the program has received around 5,500 applications from 190 countries in recent years, with entries assessed on impact, scalability and innovation, alongside what she described as a distinguishing “wow factor.”

She noted disparities in application volumes due to barriers such as language and access, with a higher share of submissions coming from English-speaking countries. The campaign is exploring measures to improve inclusivity through expanded outreach, language support and partnerships.

Ponti added that governments can strengthen participation by investing in local initiatives through funding, training and capacity-building programs to help scale grassroots solutions.

Finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony scheduled for later in the year.

A tanker carrying approximately 650,000 barrels of crude oil arrived at the port of Baniyas on Sunday, officially launching the initial phase of the multi-million-barrel support program.

The shipment represents the first installment of a 1.65 million-barrel commitment intended to help stabilize Syria’s energy infrastructure.

The delivery forms part of broader efforts aimed at supporting essential sectors and reinforcing economic resilience amid continued pressures on the Syrian energy grid.

The grant agreement was signed on September 11 between Saudi authorities and Syria’s Ministry of Energy, formalizing structured cooperation in supplying crude oil for refinery operations.

The partnership is designed to ease the strain on Syria’s fuel supply chain, which has faced persistent challenges affecting electricity production and industrial activity.

Saudi officials stated that the shipment aligns with directives from national leadership emphasizing humanitarian and economic support measures.

They noted that the initiative reflects a broader commitment to contribute to stability, infrastructure restoration, and essential service delivery in partner nations.

The Saudi Fund for Development confirmed that the crude oil grant is being implemented under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Energy.

Its objective is to enhance the operational capacity of Syrian refineries, improve efficiency standards, and strengthen long-term financial sustainability across key energy facilities.

According to technical teams overseeing the project, the assistance will help reduce operational disruptions that have affected electricity generation and domestic fuel supply.

By supporting refinery performance, the program is expected to contribute to improved economic activity and industrial output in multiple regions.

The grant also aligns with international development frameworks that promote stability, reconstruction, and long-term sustainability.

Officials highlighted that the initiative supports efforts connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially those concerning energy accessibility, economic recovery, and institutional capacity building.

Saudi Arabia emphasized that this support underscores longstanding historical ties and continued cooperation between the Kingdom and Syria.

The initiative aims not only to address immediate energy needs but also to create conditions that facilitate long-term development and improved living standards.

Economic observers note that the delivery could help ease fuel shortages across several sectors in Syria, particularly transportation, manufacturing, and public services.

Improved energy stability may also support humanitarian operations by strengthening basic service infrastructure relied upon by local communities.

The shipment comes at a time when regional countries are exploring mechanisms to enhance energy security through cooperative agreements.

Analysts say such partnerships can contribute to easing economic pressures while supporting reconstruction-oriented strategies in countries recovering from prolonged disruptions.

The ongoing supply arrangement is expected to continue in structured phases until the full volume of the 1.65 million-barrel pledge is completed.

Authorities from both countries will monitor the operational impact and adjust logistical schedules to ensure optimal use of the resources delivered.

Officials in Syria expressed appreciation for the assistance, noting that improved refinery access to crude oil will contribute to more stable fuel availability.

They added that the support is timely as energy consumption increases across both residential and industrial sectors during peak demand seasons.

Saudi representatives reiterated that the grant reflects a consistent policy of working with partner nations to improve essential services that directly affect daily life.

They highlighted that the initiative is rooted in strategic cooperation intended to strengthen economic capacities and support gradual recovery in critical sectors.

With the arrival of the first shipment, attention now turns to the rollout of subsequent deliveries and their measurable impact on energy output in Syria.

Continued coordination between technical teams on both sides will guide future implementation, ensuring that the program delivers long-term developmental value.

Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, Gates said the world was at a crossroads, with millions of children at risk of dying if funding drops too steeply.

The Gates Foundation’s pledge matches its donation in 2022. That was the last time the Global Fund, a Geneva-based independent nonprofit, raised money on its three-year budget cycle. The announcement follows deep aid cuts from governments around the world, led by the United States.

“A kid born in northern Nigeria has a 15% chance of dying before the age of 5. You can either be part of improving that or act like that doesn’t matter,” Gates said in an interview before the foundation’s annual Goalkeepers event in New York on Monday.

The event celebrates and seeks to accelerate progress on United Nations global development goals set for 2030, including improving health and ending poverty.

“I am not capable of making up what the government cuts, and I don’t want to create an illusion of that,” he said about his pledge.

The Gates Foundation, the philanthropy started by the Microsoft co-founder and his then-wife in 2000, is one of the world’s biggest funders of global health initiatives, with a particular focus on ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, tackling infectious diseases and lifting millions out of poverty.

Earlier this year, Gates pledged to give away almost his entire $200 billion fortune by 2045, more quickly than planned because of the urgent need worldwide.

Millions More Could Be Saved

According to the U.S.-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, global development assistance fell by 21% between 2024 and 2025 and is now at a 15-year low.

That could still change, said Gates, with organizations like the Global Fund trying to raise money before the end of the year. But if the trajectory remains the same, progress that cut child mortality in half since 2000, saving 5 million lives a year, could be in jeopardy, he said in a statement.

Gates said that there was still an opportunity to save millions of lives and end some of the deadliest childhood diseases by the time he will have donated the rest of his fortune in 2045.

That would require maintaining funding for institutions like the Global Fund as well as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, prioritizing primary healthcare and rolling out innovations – such as the long-acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir – quickly.

“What’s happening to the health of the world’s children is worse than most people realize, but our long-term prospects are better than most people can imagine,” Gates said in a statement.

At the Goalkeepers event, the foundation gave Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez its annual Global Goalkeeper Award. While other countries reduced global health support, Spain increased its donations to the Global Fund this year by 12% and Gavi by 30%.

The Goalkeepers event usually involves publication of a progress report on the U.N. sustainable development goals, originally adopted in 2015. But that has been delayed until an event in Abu Dhabi in December, when global health funding will be clearer, the foundation said.