On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Over the next fifteen years, with these new Goals that universally apply to all, countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.
The SDGs, also known as Global Goals, build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. The new Goals are unique in that they call for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and addresses a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks for the achievement of the 17 Goals. Countries have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review of the progress made in implementing the Goals, which will require quality, accessible and timely data collection. Regional follow-up and review will be based on national-level analyses and contribute to follow-up and review at the global level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related videos
Video celebrating UN Day, with SDG Advocate Forest Whitaker
A video for UN Day about the importance of the SDGs and how we can achieve them, featuring a message from SDG Advocate Forest Whitaker and a video produced by SDG Advocate Richard Curtis.
UN Secretary-General’s Welcome Message to UNGA 73
Watch UN Secretary-General António Guterres' welcome message to participants of the UN General Assembly, 2018.
United Nations, Thomas & Friends Launch SDG Collaboration
New Thomas & Friends™ TV season to explore SDG-related themes, from Gender Equality to Responsible Consumption, inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals
‘Embed the essence of 2030 Agenda into everything,’ UN chief urges at close of Global Goals forum
As the eight-day High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) drew to a close on Wednesday, the United Nations chief called on everyone to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for “prosperity and peace on [...]
News
UN urges bold action for world to recover from COVID-19 and build a better future for all
New York, 18 September 2020 – Amidst a crisis unlike any other in our lifetimes, with COVID-19 destroying lives and livelihoods across the globe, the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly will open with a special high-level event underscoring anew the urgency of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a pathway to a healthier, more equitable and more peaceful world.
SG Speech: A New Social Contract for a New Era, 18 July
On Nelson Mandela International Day, 18 July, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will deliver the 18th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture. In his speech “Tackling the Inequality Pandemic: A New Social Contract for a New Era”, the Secretary-General will take aim at the various layers of inequality that are being exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UN report finds COVID-19 is reversing decades of progress on poverty, healthcare and education
PRESS RELEASE The effects of the pandemic have devastated the most vulnerable and left them further behind New York, 7 July—The 15-year global effort to improve the lives of people everywhere through the achievement [...]
United Nations SDG Media Compact hits 100-member mark
Growing alliance of news and entertainment companies brings focus on socio-economic impact of COVID-19 crisis to its two-billion-strong audience.
PRESS RELEASE: UNECE launches Dashboard to track regional progress on SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals’ globally-agreed framework of 232 indicators allows everyone— governments, researchers, civil society, business and beyond—to keep track of how our countries are progressing towards environmental, social and economic sustainability. A new [...]
UN Secretary-General announces new Climate Action Summit jobs initiative; urges countries to join
New York, 18 September—United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced a new initiative aimed at ensuring that decent job creation and protecting livelihoods are at the center of countries’ efforts to boost climate action, and [...]