According to abbreviationfinder, SDGs stands for Sustainable Development Goals. Also known as Global Goals, they were adopted by all Member States in 2015 as a universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. They have been designed to bring several life-changing “zeros” to the world, including zero poverty, zero hunger, zero AIDS, and zero discrimination against women and girls. Everyone is needed to achieve these ambitious goals. The creativity, knowledge, technology and financial resources of the whole society are needed to achieve the SDGs in each context.
Background
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The purpose was to create a set of global goals related to the environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world.
The SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which launched a global initiative in 2000 to address the indignity of poverty. The MDGs were universally agreed measurable goals to tackle extreme poverty and hunger, prevent deadly diseases and expand primary education to all children, among other development priorities.
For 15 years, the MDGs drove progress in several important areas: reducing income poverty, providing access to much-needed water and sanitation, lowering child mortality, and significantly improving maternal health. They also started a global movement for universal primary education, inspiring countries to invest in their future generations. The MDGs made huge strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other treatable diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis.
The legacy and achievements of the MDGs have given us valuable lessons and experiences to start working towards the new Goals. However, for millions of people around the world, the work is not over. We must make a last effort to end hunger, achieve full gender equality, improve health services and get all children into education beyond primary school. The SDGs are also an urgent call for the world to transition to a more sustainable path.
The SDGs are a bold commitment to finish what we have started and address the most urgent problems facing the world today. The 17 Goals are interlinked, meaning the success of one affects the success of others. Responding to the threat of climate change impacts how we manage our fragile natural resources. Achieving gender equality or improving health helps eradicate poverty; and fostering peace and inclusive societies will reduce inequalities and help economies prosper. In short, it is an unparalleled opportunity to benefit the lives of future generations.
The SDGs coincided with another historic agreement concluded in 2015, the Paris Agreement approved at the Conference on Climate Change (COP21). Together with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, signed in Japan in March 2015, these agreements provide a set of common standards and actionable targets for reducing carbon emissions, managing climate change risks and disasters. natural, and rebuild after a crisis.
The SDGs are special in that they cover issues that affect us all. They reaffirm our international commitment to end poverty permanently everywhere. They are ambitious, because their goal is to leave no one behind. Most importantly, they invite us all to create a more sustainable, safe and prosperous planet for humanity.
The 17 SDGs
The 17 SDGs are integrated as they recognize that interventions in one area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance environmental, economic and social sustainability.
- End Poverty:End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- Zero Hunger:End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- Health and well-being:Guarantee a healthy life and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- Quality education: Ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Gender Equality:Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls
- Clean water and sanitation:Ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- Affordable and clean energy:Guarantee access to affordable, safe, sustainable and modern energy for all.
- Decent work and economic growth:Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
- Industry, innovation and infrastructure:Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
- Reducing inequalities:Reduce inequality within and between countries.
- Sustainable cities and communities:Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
- Responsible production and consumption:Guarantee sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- Climate action:Adopt urgent measures to combat climate change and its effects (taking note of the agreements reached in the forum of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
- Life below water:Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
- Life on Terrestrial Ecosystems:Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt the loss of biological diversity.
- 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.
- Partnerships for the Goals:Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
Agenda 2030
In 2015, after the deadline for the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the States agreed on a new development agenda.
The 2030 Development Agenda is an action plan for people, the planet and prosperity. It is also intended to strengthen universal peace within a broader concept of freedom. The approval of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represents a historic opportunity to unite countries and people around the world and embark on new paths towards the future. The SDGs are formulated to eradicate poverty, promote prosperity and well-being for all, protect the environment and tackle climate change globally.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 targets are integrated and indivisible, global in scope and universally applicable, taking into account the different realities, capacities and levels of development of each country and respecting their national policies and priorities.
While the targets express global aspirations, each government will set its own national targets, guided by the ambitious overall aspiration but taking into account country circumstances.
Each government will also decide how to incorporate these global goals and aspirations into national strategies, policies and planning processes.
It is important to recognize the link between sustainable development and other relevant processes taking place in the economic, social and environmental spheres.
Key data
- More than 1 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty (since 1990).
- Infant mortality has been reduced by more than half (since 1990).
- The number of children who do not attend school has decreased by more than half (since 1990).
- HIV/AIDS infections have been reduced by almost 40% (since 2000).
