UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Explained
Overview
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was universally adopted by all 193 Member States of the United Nations on September 25, 2015. The agenda is “a comprehensive a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.” It is made up of a political declaration, 17 goals, 169 targets, over 230 indicators for measuring progress, and a framework for follow up and review. The 2030 Agenda came into effect on January 1, 2016. It is comprised of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals:
(Hope you enjoy my attempt to draw these haha)
History
The 2030 Agenda has two predecessors that influenced its development. The first was called Agenda 21, a non-binding agreement that was reached at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Agenda 21 was largely seen as an environmental agenda even though it did, in fact, include dimensions of social and economic development. The second were the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were put forward in 2000 by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The MDGs were 8 goals targeted at developing countries and included reducing poverty and child mortality, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, improving child and maternal health, and combatting diseases. The MDGs were mostly seen as human-development-focused, even though they did include a goal on environmental sustainability.
At the Rio +20 Summit in 2012, countries agreed to undertake a synthesis process that would bring the various streams of sustainable development together into one agenda, which led to the 2015 adoption of “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” That same year, three complementary outcomes were also reached - the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.
Principles
Integrated. The 2030 Agenda recognizes that all our systems are interlinked and inherently interconnected. While the goals are listed as individuals, they are approached as a common framework of people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. No goal may be implemented at the expense of another and we must take into consideration their synergies and tradeoffs when deriving strategies.
Universal. Unlike the Millennium Development Goals that were targeted at developing countries, the SDGs recognize that no country has successfully achieved sustainability and therefore every nation has work to do. The goals apply equally to all countries, although they are, of course, implemented differently in each context.
Inclusive/Shared Responsibility. The SDGs were developed by surveying over 5 million people around the world and, while they were adopted by governments and therefore are ultimately the responsibility of national governments, they rely on the involvement and participation of all sectors of society including NGOs, academic institutions, the private sector, civil society, and individuals.
Leave No One Behind. The Agenda recognizes that the dignity of individual is fundamental and that the Agenda’s Goals and targets should be met for all nations and people and for all segments of society. It endeavours to reach first those who are furthest behind and puts specific focus on marginalized people and populations including minority groups, children, the elderly, refugees, and persons with disabilities.
And finally, the Agenda is underpinned with human rights principals, demands accountability, and calls for transformative change, not just incremental improvements, it asks us to rethink our systems as we know them.
Follow Up and Review
The SDGs are reviewed every year in New York in July at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF). At this event, progress on the overall agenda, individual goals and individual countries (Voluntary National Reviews) is reviewed, gaps or challenges are identified, and best practices and successful strategies are shared. Every 4 years, the goals are reviewed at the General Assembly of the UN, which means the heads of state discuss their progress on a 4 year cycle.
Decade of Action
We are now five years into the Agenda, and 2020 kicked off the “Decade of Action.” The first 5 years were largely a period of the international community figuring out how to implement the Agenda, assessing their current levels of achievement, and beginning to build the systems and policies needed to progress on the goals. The COVID 19 pandemic has set progress back on many of the Goals, so action is needed more now than ever.
“With just 10 years to go, an ambitious global effort is underway to deliver the 2030 promise—by mobilizing more governments, civil society, businesses and calling on all people to make the Global Goals their own.” - UN, Ten Years to Transform Our World
Keep Learning
Here are a few great resources for further reading and learning:
Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015, United Nations)
2020 Sustainable Development Goals Report (2020, UN Statistics)
The 5 Implementation Principles of the 2030 Agenda Infographic (Alumniportal Deutschland)
SDG Primer E Course by UNITAR, UNSSC, SDSN, UNDCO
Age of Sustainable Development (book) by Jeffrey Sachs
How to Support?
With every video, I provide links to related organizations that you may or may not choose to support or learn more about.
This particular topic is very all-encompassing so it is difficult to note a single organization that you can support to “help the cause.” Instead, I recommend checking out Charity Navigator’s listing of charities related to sustainable development. You can also look around your local community for organizations that are focused on helping people or the planet!