The Sustainable Development Goals are

a UN Initiative.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ocially known as Transforming our

world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a set of seventeen aspirational
"Global Goals" with 169 targets between them. Spearheaded by the United Nations,
through a deliberative process involving its 193 Member States, as well as global civil
society, the goals are contained in paragraph 54 United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/1 of
25 September 2015.[1] The Resolution is a broader intergovernmental agreement that,
while acting as the Post 2015 Development Agenda (successor to the Millennium
Development Goals), builds on the Principles agreed upon under Resolution
A/RES/66/288, popularly known as The Future We Want.[2] The SDGs were in large
measure informed by the oft quoted assertion by United Nations Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon that "there can be no Plan B, because there is no Planet B."
On 19 July 2014, the UN General Assembly's Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) forwarded a proposal for the SDGs to the Assembly. The
proposal contained 17 goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable
development issues. These included ending poverty and hunger, improving health and
education, making cities more sustainable, combating climate change, and protecting
oceans and forests.[3] On 5 December 2014, the UN General Assembly accepted the
Secretary-General's Synthesis Report which stated that the agenda for the post-2015
SDG process would be based on the OWG proposals.[4]

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The Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post 2015 Development Agenda (IGN) began
in January 2015 and ended in August 2015. Following the negotiations, a final document
was adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit September 2527, 2015 in New
York, USA.[5] The title of the agenda is Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.[6][7]

Background
The history of the SDGs can be traced to 1972 when governments met under in
Stockholm, Sweden, for the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment , to
consider the rights of the human family to a healthy and productive environment.[8] It was
not until 1983 that the United Nations decided to create the World Commission on
Environment and Development which defined sustainable development as "meeting the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs." In 1992 the first United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development was held in Rio. It was here that the first agenda for Environment and
Development was developed and adopted, also known as Agenda 21.

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Ocial logos for each of the

Millennium Development Goals.

Twenty years later, at the Rio+20 Conference, a resolution, known as The Future We
Want[9] was reached by member states. Among the key themes agreed on were poverty
eradication, energy, water and sanitation, health, and human settlement. Paragraph 246 of
the Future We Want outcome document forms the link between the Rio+20 agreement
and the Millennium Development Goals: "We recognize that the development of goals
could also be useful for pursuing focused and coherent action on sustainable
development. The goals should address and incorporate in a balanced way all three
dimensions of sustainable development (environment, economics, and society) and their
interlinkages. The development of these goals should not divert focus or eort from the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals". Paragraph 249 states that "the
process needs to be coordinated and coherent with the processes to consider the post2015 development agenda".
Taken together, these two paragraphs paved the way to bring together the development
agenda centered on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),[10] which were ocially
established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, and the
agreement under the Future We Want outcome document. The Rio+20 summit also
agreed that the process of designing sustainable development goals, should be "actionoriented, concise and easy to communicate, limited in number, aspirational, global in
nature and universally applicable to all countries while taking into account dierent
national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies
and priorities".[11]
The MDGs were supposed to be achieved by 2015. A further process was needed to
agree and develop development goals from 2015-2030. Discussion on the post-2015
framework for international development began well in advance, with the United Nations
System Task Team on Post 2015 Development Agenda[12] releasing the first report known

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as Realizing The Future We Want.[13] The Report was the first attempt to achieve the
requirements under paragraph 246 and 249 of the Future We Want document. It identified
four dimensions as part of a global vision for sustainable development: Inclusive Social
Development, Environmental Sustainability, Inclusive Economic Development, and Peace
and Security. Other processes included the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on
Post 2015 Development Agenda,[14] whose report[15] was submitted to the Secretary
General in 2013.

The goals
Further information: Post-2015 Development Agenda

On 25 September 2015, the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030
Development Agenda titled Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. Following the adoption, UN agencies, under the umbrella of the United
Nations Development Group, decided to support a campaign by several independent
entities, among them corporate institutions and International Organizations. The
Campaign, known as Project Everyone,[16] introduced the term Global Goals and is
intended to help communicate the agreed Sustainable Development Goals to a wider
constituency. However the decision to support what is an independent campaign, without
the approval of the member states, has met resistance[17] from several sections of civil
society and governments, who accuse[18] the UNDG of ignoring the most important
communication aspect of the agreement: Sustainability. There are also concerns that
Global Goals is a term used to refer to several other processes that are not related to the
United Nations.
The Ocial Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted on 25 September 2015 has 92
paragraphs, with the main paragraph (51) outlining the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
and its associated 169 targets. This included the following goals:[19]

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A diagram listing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

1. No Poverty - End poverty in all its forms everywhere[20]

Extreme poverty has been cut by more than half since 1990- however, more than 1 in
5 people live on less than $1.25 a day
Poverty is more than lack of income or resources- it includes lack of basic services,
such as education, hunger, social discrimination and exclusion, and lack or
participation in decision making.
Gender inequality plays a large role in the perpetuation of poverty and it's risks; They
then face potentially life-threatening risks from early pregnancy, and often lost hopes for
an education and a better income.
Age groups are aected dierently when struck with poverty; its most devastating
eects are on children, to whom it poses a great threat. It aects their education,
health, nutrition, and security. It also negatively aects the emotional, spiritual and
emotional development of children through the environment it creates.
2. Zero Hunger - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture[21]
Globally, 1 in 9 people are undernourished, the vast majority of these people live in

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developing countries
Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per
cent of todays global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor
rural households. Women comprise on average 43 per cent of the agricultural labor
force in developing countries, and over 50 per cent in parts of Asia and Africa, yet they
only own 20% of the land.
Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 per cent) of deaths in children under five 3.1
million children each year.
3. Good Health and Well-being - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at
all ages[22]
Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some
of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality, and major progress
has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria,
tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
However, only half of women in developing countries have received the health care
they need, and the need for family planning in increasing exponentially, while the need
met is growing slowly- more than 225 million women have an unmet need for
contraception.
An important target is to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses
from pollution-related diseases.
4. Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all[23]
Major progress has been made for education access, specifically at the primary
school level, for both boys and girls. However, access does not always mean quality of
education, or completion of primary school. Currently, 103 million youth worldwide still
lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 per cent of them are women
Target 1 "By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality
primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 eective learning
outcomes"- shows the commitment to nondiscriminatory education outcomes

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5. Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls[24]
Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work,
and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel
sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large
While a record 143 countries guaranteed equality between men and women in their
Constitutions by 2014, another 52 had not taken this step. In many nations, gender
discrimination is still woven through legal and social norms
Though goal 5 is the gender equality stand-alone goal- the SDG's can only be
successful if women are completely integrated into each and every goal
6. Clean Water and Sanitation - Ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all[25]
7. Aordable and Clean Energy - Ensure access to aordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all[26]
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all[27]
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote
inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation[28]
10. Reduced Inequalities - Reduce income inequality within and among countries[29]
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable[30]
12. Responsible Consumption and Production - Ensure sustainable consumption and
production patterns[31]
13. Climate Action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by
regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy[32]
14. Life Below Water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development[33]

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15. Life on Land - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss[34]
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies
for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build eective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels[35]
17. Partnerships for the Goals - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize
the global partnership for sustainable development[36]
As of August 2015, there were 169 proposed targets for these goals and 304 proposed
indicators to show compliance.[37]

Post-2015 development agenda process

Since Rio+20 did not elaborate specific goals, a 30-member Open Working Group (OWG)
was established on 22 January 2013 by the decision of the UN General Assembly. The
OWG was tasked with preparing a proposal on the SDGs for consideration during the
68th session of the General Assembly, September 2013 September 2014.[38]
The Open Working Group used a constituency-based system of representation, which
meant that most of the seats in the working group are shared by several countries. After
13 sessions, the OWG submitted their proposal of 17 SDGs and 169 targets to the 68th
session of the UN General Assembly in September, 2014.[39]
The Rio+20 outcome document stated that, at the outset, the OWG will decide on its
methods of work, including developing modalities to ensure the full involvement of
relevant stakeholders and expertise from civil society, the scientific community and the
United Nations system in its work, in order to provide a diversity of perspectives and
experience.[40]

Critique

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A report by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of 2013 criticized the
eorts of the SDGs as not ambitious enough. Instead of aiming for an end to poverty by
2030, the report "An Ambitious Development Goal: Ending Hunger and Undernutrition by
2025" calls for a greater emphasis on eliminating hunger and undernutrition and achieving
that in 5 years less, by 2025. It bases its claims on an analysis of the experiences from
China, Vietnam, Brazil and Thailand and identifies 3 pathways to achieving this goal:
agriculture-led, social protection and nutrition interventionled, or a combination of both
of these approaches.[41]
The SDGs have been criticized for being contradictory, because in seeking high levels of
global GDP growth, they will undermine their own ecological objectives. It has also been
noted that, in relation to the headline goal of eliminating extreme poverty, "a growing
number of scholars are pointing out that $1.25 is actually not adequate for human
subsistence," and the poverty line should be revised to as high as $5.[42]
A commentary in The Economist argued that the 169 targets for the SDGs are too many,
calling them "sprawling," "misconceived," and "a mess" compared to the Millennium
Development Goals. It also criticised the goals for ignoring local context and promoting
"cookie-cutter development policies." They claimed that all other sustainable
development goals are founded on achieving SDG number one. The Economist estimated
that trying to alleviate poverty and achieving the other sustainable development goals will
require about US$2 trillion to 3 trillion per annum for the next 15 years, which critics do
not see as being feasible. The reduction in the number of people living in abject poverty
has been criticized as a result of the growth of China; the MDGs have been mistakenly
credited for this drop.[43] The SDGs have also been criticized due to the inherent
shortcomings in the very concept of sustainable development and the inability of the
latter to either stabilize rising carbon dioxide concentration or ensure environmental
harmony.[44]

Intersectoral linkages

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Water, sanitation, and hygiene

WASH experts have stated that without progress on Goal 6, the other goals and targets
will not be able to be achieved.[45][46]

Climate change
Nations and other parties negotiating at the UN have highlighted the links between the
post-2015 SDG process, the Financing for Development process to be concluded in
Addis Ababa in July 2015, and the COP 21 Climate Change conference in Paris in
December 2015.[47]
In May 2015, a report concluded that only a very ambitious climate deal in Paris in 2015
will enable countries to reach the sustainable development goals and targets.[48] The
report also states that tackling climate change will only be possible if the SDGs are met;
and that development and climate are inextricably linked, particularly around poverty,
gender equality, and energy. The UN encourages the public sector to take initiative in this
eort for minimizing negative impacts on the environment.[49]

Women and gender equality

Despite stand-alone goals on health, gender equality and education, among others, there
is widespread consensus that progress against any and all of the SDGs will be stalled if
women's empowerment and gender equality is not prioritized. Arguments and evidence
from sources as diverse and as economically oriented as the OECD, to expected sources
such as UN Women, bolster the case that investments in women and girls impact national
and global development in ways that exceed their initial scope of interest.[50]

Economic growth and infrastructure

World Pensions Council (WPC) development economists have argued that the twin
considerations of long-term economic growth and infrastructure investment werent
addressed properly and prioritized as they should be: More worryingly, Work and

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Economic Growth and Technological Innovation and Infrastructure Investment joined the
[SDGs] priority list at N8 and N9 respectively, a rather mediocre ranking which defies
economic common sense [51]

See also
Economics of climate change mitigation
List of countries by Social Progress Index
Millennium Development Goals
Post-2015 Development Agenda

References
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Platform" . Sustainabledevelopment.un.org. Retrieved 11 October 2016.

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26. ^ "Goal 7: Aordable and clean energy" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
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28. ^ "Goal 9: Industry, innovation, infrastructure" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
29. ^ "Goal 10: Reduced inequalities" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
30. ^ "Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September
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31. ^ "Goal 12: Responsible consumption, production" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September
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32. ^ "Goal 13: Climate action" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
33. ^ "Goal 14: Life below water" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
34. ^ "Goal 15: Life on land" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
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36. ^ "Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals" . UNDP. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
37. ^ "Technical report by the Bureau of the United Nations Statistical Commission
(UNSC) on the process of the development of an indicator framework for the goals and
targets of the post-2015 development agenda - working draft"

(PDF). March 2015.

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by General Assembly's Sixty-eighth Session | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases" .
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(PDF). Uncsd2012.org. Retrieved 2016-10-18.

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41. ^ Fan, Shenggen and Polman, Paul. 2014. An ambitious development goal: Ending
hunger and undernutrition by 2025 . In 2013 Global food policy report. Eds. Marble,
Andrew and Fritschel, Heidi. Chapter 2. Pp 15-28. Washington, D.C.: International Food
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42. ^ "The Problem with Saving the World | Jacobin" . www.jacobinmag.com. Retrieved
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43. ^ "The 169 commandments" . The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613 . Retrieved
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44. ^ "Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030: Easier Stated Than Achieved - JIID" .
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45. ^ Rao Gupta, Geeta (October 2015). "Opinion: "Sanitation, Water & Hygiene For All"
Cannot Wait for 2030" . Inter Press. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
46. ^ Batty, Margaret (25 September 2015). "Beyond the SDGs: How to deliver water and
sanitation to everyone, everywhere" . Retrieved 23 October 2015.
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48. ^ Ansuategi, A; Greo, P; Houlden, V; et al. (May 2015). "The impact of climate
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CDKN & HR Wallingford. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

49. ^ "Sustainable Development Innovation Briefs, Issue 9"

(PDF). March 2010.

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50. ^ "Gender equality and women's rights in the post-2015 agenda: A foundation for
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(PDF). Oecd.org. Retrieved 2016-10-18.

51. ^ Firzli, M. Nicolas J. (October 2016). "Beyond SDGs: Can Fiduciary Capitalism and
Bolder, Better Boards Jumpstart Economic Growth?" . Analyse Financire. Retrieved
1 November 2016.

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External links
Ocial SDG website
Transitioning from the MDGs to the SDGs. Animated video by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP)
UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform - The SDGs
"Project Everyone" Campaign
"Global Goals" Campaign

Initial campaign on the SDGs

Continuing campaign on the SDGs

Women and the SDGs (from UNWomen.org)

Last edited 3 days ago by Kjerish

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