UNDP Mexico Partners With Tijuana, Sinaloa on SDGs

United Nations Development Programme Mexico expanded collaboration with subnational governments through new agreements with Tijuana and Sinaloa to strengthen long-term, evidence-based public policy aligned with the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals. In Tijuana, technical assistance and cross-sector training will support improved planning and governance in one of Mexico’s most dynamic border economies. In Sinaloa, the agency is helping design Plan Sinaloa 2050, a strategic roadmap to guide sustainable investment and regional competitiveness. The initiatives reflect rising demand among state and municipal authorities for stronger institutional capacity, climate-focused policy and inclusive development frameworks amid national and global uncertainty.

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Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz signed a collaboration agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Mexico to strengthen public policy design under human rights, sustainability and social inclusion standards in one of Mexico’s most economically dynamic border cities.

The agreement provides technical assistance aligned with international benchmarks and the UN 2030 Agenda, aimed at improving municipal planning, monitoring and evaluation processes. Tijuana committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the start of the current administration and in 2025 became the first of 100 municipalities nationwide to present a Subnational Voluntary Review, which will be updated in 2026.

The initiative includes specialized training for public officials as well as representatives from the private sector, academia and civil society, strengthening cross-sector collaboration in a city marked by high economic activity and population mobility.

Burgueño said the partnership reinforces a governance model centered on human development and sustainability. “We reaffirm our commitment to work under the highest international standards, prioritizing human development and sustainability,” he said.

Municipal authorities said the agreement seeks to translate Tijuana’s border-driven growth into structured, measurable and long-term public policies, addressing infrastructure, service provision and social cohesion challenges associated with rapid expansion. Burgueño said the effort is intended to build a more equitable and prosperous city, adding that the municipality will continue integrating international frameworks into its development strategy.

UNDP, CODESIN Partner on Sinaloa 2050 Plan

The Tijuana-UNDP agreement follows a separate agreement signed between the UN agency and the Economic Development Council of Sinaloa (CODESIN). The Feb. 2026 agreement seeks UN support for the design of Plan Sinaloa 2050, a long-term strategy aimed at guiding the state’s economic development under sustainability, inclusion and resilience criteria.

The accord establishes technical assistance to strengthen methodologies, develop specialized diagnostics and promote multisector and multilevel dialogue. The goal is to ensure that the 2050 plan is built on statistical evidence, technical analysis and institutional capacity, facilitating implementation and continuity over time. 

The collaboration includes reviewing and strengthening the plan’s diagnostic framework and structure; facilitating interinstitutional and multisector working groups to build consensus and define priorities; developing technical tools to analyze and enhance productive sectors and regional opportunities; and implementing a comprehensive capacity-building strategy for public officials. The training component will focus on evidence-based decision-making, long-term planning and monitoring and evaluation of public policies.

During the presentation of the agreement, participants emphasized the need for coordinated public, private and social sector action to address structural challenges across Sinaloa’s regions, enhance productive capacities and align economic policy with a shared long-term vision.

Silvia Morimoto, UNDP Resident Representative in Mexico, highlighted the importance of broad ownership of the plan. She said UNDP will support dialogue and provide technical guidance for long-term planning and local capacity development. “We reiterate our commitment to facilitate dialogue and technically accompany long-term planning and the consolidation of local capacities,” Morimoto said.

Héctor Ley Pineda, president of CODESIN, described the initiative as an institutionalized long-term planning process with a strategic vision that involves all sectors. He said the effort represents a key opportunity given the current context facing the state.

Feliciano Castro, Sinaloa’s secretary of economy, underscored the need to promote investment with a sense of local ownership and highlighted the role of business and academic leadership in the state’s development.

UNDP Mexico Highlights 2025 Progress on Sustainable Development

In early February, UNDP Mexico released a report highlighting its key achievements in 2025, including work on institutional strengthening, social inclusion and climate-focused action. The report — UNDP Mexico in Action 2025 — noted that this progress resulted from partnerships with federal and local governments, the private sector, civil society, academia and international organizations. The UNDP emphasized that its public policy design and implementation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on poverty reduction, inequality, environmental protection and the efficient use of public resources.

The report opens with a message from Silvia Morimoto, who noted that Mexico made concrete progress across several socioeconomic indicators in 2025, despite a challenging national and international context marked by growing threats to international cooperation on issues ranging from trade and migration to climate change. 

The document highlighted achievements on institutional capacity building, environmental management, risk management, financial inclusion for women, youth policy, labor rights and climate finance. Looking ahead, Morimoto reaffirmed the UNDP’s commitment to Mexico. “The UNDP will continue supporting the Mexican government in building a more just, inclusive and sustainable development that leaves no one behind.” She described the report as an invitation to continue working together — with innovation, solidarity and a long-term vision — so that aspirations for well-being and dignity become tangible realities for all people in Mexico.