UNITED NATIONS' SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The Sustainable Development Goals

● were developed at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
2012.

● In 2015, the UN chose through a vote 17 objectives applicable to transform the world and has promoted them as
global goals sustainable development period.

● It replaces the Millennium Development Goal

The purpose was to create a set of global goals, related with the environmental, political and economic challenges
that we face as humanity.

Aim of SDG

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to transform our world. They are a call to action to end poverty and
inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. It is critical that no one
is left behind.

The SDGs are a commitment that seeks to address the most urgent problems of the world and they are all interrelated.
They are a universal call to action to respond sustainably against the threat of climate change, having a positive impact in
the way we manage our fragile natural resources, promoting peace and inclusive societies, to reduce inequalities and
contribute to the prosperity of economies.

1. No Poverty
End extreme poverty in all forms by 2030

● More than 700 million people still live in extreme poverty and are struggling to fulfil basic needs like health,
education, and access to water and sanitation.
● By 2030 167 million children will live in extreme poverty if the world doesn’t take action to improve health and
education.

70 percent of the global total of extremely poor people live in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Poverty has many dimensions, but it causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and high vulnerability of certain
populations to disaster, diseases and other phenomena which prevent them from being productive.

2. Zero Hunger
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
● Extreme hunger and malnutrition remains a barrier to sustainable development and creates trap from which
people cannot escape easily.

Hunger and malnutrition mean less productive individuals, who are more prone to disease and thus often unable to earn
more and improve their livelihoods.

3. Good health and Well-being

In the 25 years before the SDGs, we made big strides—preventable child deaths dropped by more than half, and
maternal mortality went down by almost as much. And yet some other numbers remain tragically high, like the fact that
6 million children die every year before their fifth birthday, or that AIDS is the leading cause of death for adolescents in
sub-Saharan Africa. We have the means to turn that around and make good health more than just a wish

● Its goal is to make sure everyone has health coverage and access to safe and effective medicines and vaccines

4. Quality Education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

● Education for all has always been an integral part of sustainable agenda.

First, the bad news on education. Poverty, armed conflict and other emergencies keep many, many kids around the world
out of school.

● But in fact, kids from the poorest households are four times more likely to be out of school than those of the
richest households.

Now for some good news. Since 2000, there has been enormous progress on the goal to provide primary education to all
children worldwide: the total enrolment rate in developing regions has reached 91%. By measures in any school, that’s a
good grade. Now, let’s get an even better grade for all kids, and achieve the goal of universal primary and secondary
education, affordable vocational training, access to higher education and more.

5. Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

● aim to build on these achievements to ensure that there is an end to discrimination against women and girls
everywhere

We can celebrate the great progress the world has made in becoming more prosperous and fair. But there’s a
shadow to the celebration. In just about every way, women and girls lag behind. There are still gross inequalities in
work and wages, lots of unpaid “women’s work” such as child care and domestic work, and discrimination in public
decisionmaking. But there are grounds for hope. More girls are in school now compared to in 2000. Most regions
have reached gender parity in primary education. The percentage of women getting paid for their work is on the rise.

6. Clean water and Sanitation.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

● Everyone on earth should have access to safe and affordable drinking water.

That’s the goal for 2030. While many people take clean drinking water and sanitation for granted, many others don’t.

Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people around the world, and that number is projected to go even higher
as a result of climate change.

If we continue the path we’re on, by 2050 at least one in four people are likely to be affected by recurring water
shortages.

● Through more international cooperation, protecting wetlands and rivers, sharing water treatment technologies
will lead to accomplishing this goal.

7. Affordable and energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

● Energy lies at the heart of both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on
Climate Change.
Between 1990 and 2010, the number of people with access to electricity increased by 1.7 billion. That’s progress to be
proud of. And yet as the world’s population continues to rise, still more people will need cheap energy to light their
homes and streets, use phones and computers, and do their everyday business.

We get that energy from the fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that are making drastic changes in the climate
leading to big problems in every continent

● People should become more energy efficient and invest in clean energy sources such as solar and wind.

Through that, we will meet electricity needs and protect the environment as well.

Achieving SDG7 will open a new world of opportunities for millions of people through new economic opportunities and
jobs, empowered women, children and youth, better education and health, more sustainable, equitable and inclusive
communities, and greater protections from, and resilience to, climate change.

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

An important part of economic growth is that people have jobs that pay enough to support themselves and their
families.

● The middle class is growing worldwide where almost tripling in size in developing countries in the last 25 years.

But today, job growth is not keeping pace with the growing labour force.

● Promote policies that encourage entrepreneurship and job creation.

We can eradicate forced labour, slavery and human trafficking. And in the end we can achieve the goal of decent work for
all women and men by 2030

9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

The world is becoming ever more interconnected and prosperous because of the internet. The more connected we are,
the more everyone can benefit.

● Technological progress helps us address big global challenges such as creating jobs and becoming more energy
efficient.

● Bridging the digital divide, promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation
are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.

The more we invest in innovation and infrastructure, the better off we’ll all be

10. Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

● the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer

The divide has never been starker. We can and must adopt policies that create opportunity for everyone, regardless of
who they are or where they come from.

● Income inequality is a global problem that requires global solutions.

That means improving the regulation of financial markets and institutions, sending development aid where it is most
needed and helping people migrate safely so they can pursue opportunities. Together, we can now change the direction
of the old story of inequality.

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
At present, more than half the world’s population now lives in cities, and that figure will go to about two-thirds of
humanity by the year 2050.

Cities are getting bigger

● A lot of people love cities; because they believe that these are centers of culture and business and life.

The thing is, they’re also often centers of extreme poverty

● To make cities sustainable for all, we can create a good affordable public housing, upgrade slum settlements.

We can invest in public transport, create green spaces, and get a broader range of people involved in urban planning
decisions. That way, we can keep the things we love about cities, and change the things we don’t.

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

● Some people use a lot of stuff, and some people use very little.

But in fact, a big share of the world population is consuming too little to meet even their basic needs. Instead, we can
have a world where everybody gets what they need to survive and thrive.

● Consume in a way that preserves our natural resources.

● Help countries that have typically not consumed a lot to move towards more responsible consumption patterns

Through that, our children can enjoy them and their children and their children after that

13. Climate Action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact

● Our climate is heating rapidly.

Every country in the world is seeing the drastic effects of climate change.

The world annual lost from earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones and flooding count in the hundreds of billions of
dollars.

● Climate change is caused by human activities and is threatening the way we live and the future of our planet.

Helping the more vulnerable regions to become resilient will reduce the loss of life and property.

It is still possible, with the political will and technological measures, to limit the increase in global mean temperature to
two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels— and thus avoid the worst effects of climate change. The Sustainable
Development Goals lay out a way for countries to work together to meet this urgent challenge.

By addressing climate change, we can build a sustainable world for everyone.

14. Life below water

Conserve and sustainability use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

The oceans make human life possible. Their temperature, their chemistry, their currents, their life forms.

● More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal diversity for the livelihoods.

● Oceans absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide that humans produce

But today we are seeing nearly a third of the world’s fish stocks overexploited. That’s not a sustainable way of life. Even
people who live nowhere near the ocean can’t live without it

15. Life on Land

● Humans and other animals rely on other forms of life on land for food, clean air, clean water, and as a means of
combatting climate change.

Plant life makes up 80% of the human diet. Forests, which cover 30% of the Earth’s surface, help keep the air and water
clean and the Earth’s climate in balance. That’s not to mention they’re home to millions of animal species. But the land
and life on it are in trouble. Arable land is disappearing 30 to 35 times faster than it has historically. Deserts are
spreading. Animal breeds are going extinct. We can turn these trends around. Fortunately, the Sustainable Development
Goals aim to conserve and restore the use of terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, drylands and mountains by
2030.

16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Some parts of the world enjoy relative peace and justice, and may come to take it for granted. Other parts seem to be
plagued by armed conflict, crime, torture and exploitation, all of which hinders their development.

The goal of peace and justice is one for all countries to strive towards.

● The goal of peace and justice is one for all countries to strive towards.

● The Sustainable Development Goals aim to reduce all forms of violence and propose that governments and
communities find lasting solutions to conflict and insecurity.

That means strengthening the rule of law, reducing the flow of illicit arms, and bringing developing countries more into
the center of institutions of global governance

17. Partnership for the Goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

● The world is more interconnected today than ever before, because of the internet, travel and global institutions.

● The final goal lays out a way for nations to work together to achieve all the other Goals.

There’s a growing consensus about the need to work together to stop climate change. And the Sustainable
Development Goals are no small matter either. 193 countries agreed on these goals.

What is different about the Sustainable Development Goals?

The 2030 Agenda and its Goals offer a comprehensive vision for sustainable development that:

 is global, rather than limited to “developing” countries

 is based on values such as equity and respect for human rights;

 relies on approaches such as sustainable financing, scientific research and innovation, and monitoring and
evaluation;

 requires a new way of working, involving intersectoral action by multiple stakeholders;

 aims to strengthen health systems towards universal health coverage (UHC).

 six reasons to keep pushing to achieve the promise of the SDGs of a fair future for people and planet.

 1. More children are surviving: Child deaths declined by nearly 50% from 2000-2017. The world mobilized to
get more vaccines and health services to millions of children who previously weren’t protected from preventable
diseases. Thanks to these efforts, child deaths have significantly dropped from 9.8 million deaths to 5.4 million in
2015. We can’t stop until we reach every child with basic services and needs, including nutrition, health care,
clean water, and education.
  2. We can end poverty. In fact, extreme poverty has dropped to just 10% of the world’s population. Extreme
poverty declined from nearly 36% of humankind to just 10% between 1990-2015. We need to step up action
though because progress is slowing and still more than 700 million live on less than $1.90 — a statistic that
shouldn’t exist in a world with so much wealth.

 3. Hunger is on the rise. Children are going to bed without the food they need. And that is not ok. The data on
global hunger is troubling for two reasons: 1) Because approximately 1 in 9 people in the world aren’t getting the
nourishment they need, and 2) because hunger is on the rise for the third year in a row after a period of major
decline thanks to the impacts of climate change and conflict. Now is the time to turn things around: We have
enough food to feed the world; we need to address the barriers that prevent people from getting it.

 4. Nearly 9 in 10 people now have access to electricity to power their futures. Let’s finish the job. Most people
in the world now have access to power in order to study at night, cook food, and run their businesses. While
we’re making progress, we need to accelerate action to reach the 840 million people without access to electricity
and the close to 3 billion people who still cook with inefficient, polluting, and often unsafe systems.

 5. Climate change is running faster than we are. But it’s still a race we can win, as UN Secretary-General
António Guterres says. Greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high in 2017 and are now 146% higher than
pre-industrial levels. Climate change is having devastating impacts and threatens to roll back the gains we’ve
made on poverty, health, and more. Now is the time to step up urgency and ambition to act on climate, which is
why the Secretary-General is organizing a climate summit in September for world leaders to come with plans,
instead of talk.

 6. Everyone, everywhere deserves equal rights. But right now, no country is on track to achieve gender
equality by 2030. Let’s change that. We can’t accept a status quo that denies girls and women equal rights. As
the SDG report notes, girls and women continue to face high levels of violence, spend more time on unpaid care
work, and are underrepresented in leadership positions. Each of us can advocate for changes to policies and
social norms that discriminate against women, so we can be the generation to achieve equality.

Latest Report as of 10 July 2023 with Regards to SDG

According to the report, the impacts of the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, a weak global economy, and the
lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed weaknesses and hindered progress towards the Goals. The
report further warns that while lack of progress is universal, it is the world’s poorest and most vulnerable who are
experiencing the worst effects of these unprecedented global challenges. It also points out areas that need urgent action
to rescue the SDGs and deliver meaningful progress for people and the planet by 2030.

10 July 2023: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition provides a powerful call to action,
presenting a candid assessment of the SDGs based on the latest data and estimates. While highlighting the existing gaps
and urging the world to redouble its efforts, the report also emphasizes the immense potential for success through
strong political will and the utilization of available technologies, resources, and knowledge. Together, the global
community can reignite progress towards achieving the SDGs and create a brighter future for all.