UN agrees 17 sustainable development goals

UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon

                           
                            SUMMARY
The goals aim, by 2030, is to eradicate extreme poverty, promote prosperity  and
people's well-being, while protecting the environment.

     Late last night, the United Nations concluded its negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. Member States agreed a framework for 17 universal sustainable development goals, which will be adopted by Heads of State at a summit in September.


       According to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the document “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” encompasses a universal,
transformative and integrated agenda that heralds an historic turning point for our world. This agreement results from a truly

open, inclusive and transparent process.”

      The global development agenda had taken two years to negotiate, attracting the unprecedented participation of civil society
 and the 193 UN Member States.

        “This is the People's Agenda,” stated Mr. Ban. He added that it is “a plan of action for ending poverty in all its dimensions,
irreversibly, everywhere, and leaving no one behind. It seeks to ensure peace and prosperity, and forge partnerships with

people and planet at the core.”

        He also said the plan is integrated, interlinked and indivisible.

    More than 150 world leaders are expected to attend the Sustainable Development Summit at the UN Head-
quarters in New York, from 25 to 27 September, to formally adopt the outcome document agreed last weekend. “I look forward to joining Heads of States and Government, civil society, faith and business leaders, and peoples around the world for the adoption of this new agenda in the historic Summit in New York, added the UN chief.

     Secretary-General from the Global Alliance of Civil Society Organisations, CIVICUS, Dr. Danny Sriskandarajah, has this to say about the Agenda:

    “Many in civil society are relieved that governments have managed to agree a final SDG text. The challenge now will be
to transform these warm words into meaningful action.
   Without firm commitments by Heads of State in September, this global roadmap may yet end up being nothing more than
the MDGs+, instead of a truly transformati-ve plan to end poverty, inequality and environmental destruction.

        “As we head to the final Summit in New York in September, millions of people around the world will be mobilising through the action/2015 campaign to put pressure on world leaders to demonstrate their commitment to make this `supremely

ambitious and transformational vision' a reality.

     “After September, civil society will continue to mobilise to let governments in rich and poor countries know that there will be a political price to pay for not meeting the goals.”