- The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, outlines a comprehensive plan to achieve peace, prosperity, and environmental sustainability for present and future generations.
- At the core of this agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call for collaborative action from countries worldwide to address poverty, inequality, education, health, economic growth, climate change, and the preservation of natural resources such as oceans and forests.
Background
- The SDGs build upon previous initiatives and agreements that have aimed to promote sustainable development. In 1992, Agenda 21 was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a global plan of action for sustainable development.
- The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were then established in 2000, focusing on reducing extreme poverty by 2015.
- The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation, adopted in 2002, further emphasized poverty eradication and environmental protection.
- In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), member states decided to develop a set of SDGs to build upon the MDGs and established the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
- This process led to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 during the UN Sustainable Development Summit.
Agreements shaping SDG
- Several significant agreements were reached in 2015 that shaped international policy and multilateralism:
- The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
- The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development
- The Paris Agreement on Climate Change
- The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development itself.
Monitoring
- The annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development now serves as the central platform for reviewing and monitoring progress towards the SDGs.
- The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) within the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) provides support for the SDGs and related issues, such as water, energy, climate, and urbanization.
- DSDG plays a vital role in evaluating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda across the UN system and conducts advocacy and outreach activities to promote the SDGs.
