The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development corresponds to a set of programs, actions and policies that will guide the work of the United Nations and its member countries towards sustainable development.
On August 2015, the conclusion of negotiations on the 2030 Agenda culminated in an ambitious outcome document which proposes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets, resulting from the consensus reached by the delegates of the UN Member States. The SDGs are the core of the 2030 Agenda, and their implementation will take place within the 2016-2030 period. Click here for the full version of the 2030 Agenda.
The Rio+20 Conference, held in Brazil in 2012, established a clear mandate for UN Member States to collectively build a set of goals and targets, expanding the successful experience of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). One of the novelties of the SDGs and their targets is that they apply to all UN Member States. This reflects the recognition that all countries – developed and developing – face challenges concerning the promotion of sustainable development in its three dimensions: social, economic and environmental. In addition, Brazil has highlighted the huge opportunity that world poverty may be eradicated within the mandate of the new Agenda.
The elements of the 2030 Agenda are not only limited to the SDGs, but also refer to the means of implementation that will enable the achievement of the SDGs and their targets. This debate encompasses issues of a systemic scope, such as financing for development, technology transfer, technical training and international trade. It also provides for mechanisms to monitor SDGs and their targets, to assist countries in communicating their successes and identifying their challenges, as well as to outline strategies and advance their commitments to sustainable development. Check out the United Nations virtual platform on Sustainable Development .
At the global level, the main follow-up mechanism is the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), created at the Rio + 20 to succeed the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. The HLPF offers the international community a global platform to provide policy leadership, guidance and recommendations to follow the implementation of SDGs. The Forum meets annually at the ministerial level under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Every four years, the SDG Summit at the level of Heads of State is held in September, under the auspices of the General Assembly (UNGA), to review the implementation of all SDGs.
The HLPF seeks to highlight initiatives that have positive results, in compliance with the 2030 Agenda, and guides actions that must be improved, with a focus on eradicating poverty, economic growth and the sustainability of the planet. It also plays a key role in monitoring the SDGs worldwide, through two main mechanisms: (i) general debates on annual themes; "and (ii) follow-up of national implementation strategies through the presentation of "Voluntary National Reviews"(VNRs).
Presentations of the Reviews started in 2016 and will continue over the 15 years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda, when countries are encouraged to submit their national report at least once. Since the entry into force of the 2030 Agenda, over 120 countries have submitted their contributions, showing their commitment to addressing the major global challenges to the sustainable development of the planet. Brazil presented its first RNV in 2017, which focused on the institutional structures put into operation to incorporate the Sustainable Development Objectives into public policies. Check out the Voluntary Report on the Sustainable Development Objectives presented by Brazil to the United Nations in 2017.
