How the UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit aims to transform the world

The SDG Summit aims to adopt a forward-looking political declaration that reaffirms commitment to the central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind. Over the course of two days, they will agree on the best way forward.

Here are five things you need to know:

A young girl stands outside a child-friendly space created to help children cope with the trauma they experienced after the June 2022 earthquake in Afghanistan.

1. Why is the Sustainable Development Goals Summit important?

The global race to protect people and planet began in 2015 with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Together they represent a blueprint for accelerating economic prosperity and social well-being while protecting people and the environment.

Time is of the essence. Halfway towards the 2030 deadline, the Sustainable Development Goals are in deep trouble. Progress has stalled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis has worsened, and goals on hunger, health, biodiversity, strong institutions, pollution, and peaceful societies are off track.

The SDG Summit aims to find solutions to change the current negative trajectory.

Participation of young women in outdoor sports in Afghanistan has become more complicated since the Taliban became the de facto ruler of the country. (file)

2. What is at stake?

Only 12% of the approximately 140 sustainable development goals are on track. Nearly half were moderately or severely off track, and about 30 percent either saw no movement or fell below the 2015 starting line.

For example, on the current trajectory, it will take 286 years to close gender gaps in legal protection and eliminate discriminatory laws (Goal 5). The global report on education is no less serious. The impact of years of underinvestment and learning losses means that by 2030, around 84 million children will be out of school, and 300 million school-going children or young people will be unable to read or write (Goal 4).

The lack of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals is global, but developing countries and the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people bear the brunt of the planet’s collective failure.

Under current trends, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030, and only a third of countries will achieve the goal of halving national poverty levels (Goal 1).

A community in Thailand works to preserve a mangrove forest.

3. What is the plan to reverse current trends?

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “There is no alternate planet.”

That’s why world leaders are coming together for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit. With the aim of galvanizing the global drive towards progress, they agreed that it is time for countries and partners to turn words into action to enhance results on the ground.

This includes inviting all countries, key stakeholders, local authorities, the private sector, foundations, philanthropic organizations and civil society.

Digital technologies can be a powerful driver of development especially in countries like Mauritania (pictured).

4. What is the ultimate goal of the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals Summit?

The heads of state and government attending the summit are expected to adopt a political declaration. In the lead-up to this event, countries have already identified challenges and ways forward in a draft declaration.

“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is at risk; halfway through the 2030 Agenda, we are concerned that only 12 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track and that 30 percent of them remain unchanged or below the 2015 baseline,” the draft states. “.

“We remain optimistic, because our world, its people and the United Nations have a history of resilience and overcoming challenges.”

Circle of Supporters of Sustainable Development Goals.

Leaders will commit to stepping up efforts – from eliminating plastic pollution to closing the digital divide and harnessing the benefits of artificial intelligence.

“Our actions must be proportionate to the scale and scope of the crises affecting our world,” the leaders said in the draft declaration. “This situation calls on the world to redouble our efforts and achieve a breakthrough to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”

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5. What can you do?

Every person on Earth can contribute to accelerating change and progress.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals Weekend on 16-17 September at UN Headquarters in New York saw participants focus on what works best and what needs to be done to get results.

Visit the SDG Media Zone from September 18-22 to catch up on the latest events, connect with experts, or meet some of the SDG advocates who are already making changes on the ground.

Look out for the circle of SDG supporters, from royalty to superheroes, who will issue a rallying cry to their communities on how they can help rally support for the world’s needs.

Learn some everyday tips from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the Ocean through four levels of action.

Every September, the UN Campaign for Action on the Sustainable Development Goals and its partners mobilize millions of people to take action during Global #Act4SDGs Week. The goal: 1 billion procedures by 2030. In 2022, there were 142 million procedures alone, the largest global week yet. Record your own actions on our global map to change the rules of the game.

The UN Secretary-General said: “Today, only 15% of the goals are on track, and many are going in the opposite direction.”

“Monday’s SDG Summit will be the moment for governments to come to the table with concrete plans and proposals to accelerate progress,” he said, stressing that everyone needs to step up efforts to help revive the goals and ensure a better life for people and planet. .