The United Nations’ post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals

29 september 2015,

The United Nations has launched the new goals for man’s wellbeing to be achieved by 2030. There are 17 goals: the Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Nations’ post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of targets launched by the United Nations (UN) as post-2015 development agenda during the Sustainable Development Summit held from 25 to 27 September 2015 in New York. The SDGs will follow on from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), expiring at the end of the year, which characterized the first 15 years of the third millennium. The SDGs were first formally discussed at the first Earth Summit United held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012 (Rio+20).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GjLa5kfDfA

Compared to the previous goals, the SDGs doubled: 16 plus one that urges the cooperation among countries. For this reason, they are more specific in defining the fields where concrete results have to be achieved. For example, MDGs asked to halve hunger and poverty, whilst SDGs aim to end them, in line with the Zero Hunger campaign, which highlights the possibility of end hunger in a lifespan: ours.

The 17 objectives have been approved by world leaders, and can be divided into 3 macro areas: end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and combat climate change, especially in view of the fundamental climate conference to be held in Paris in December.

In order to avoid this to be something abstract, like a prerogative for the bunch of people ruling the world, the United Nations has decided to launch a campaign on social networks in order to inform more and more people about the #globalgoals. The campaign has been shared by celebrities all over the world, as well as by one of the world’s most important photo agencies, Getty Images, which helped in realising images and contents suitable for being shared on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Here are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

No poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtJ6tau1RMQ

Zero hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Good health and wellbeing

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Quality education

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

Gender equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Clean water and sanitation

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Affordable and clean energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, 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

Reduced inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Sustainable cities and communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Life below water

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

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

Peace and justice 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