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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

What is the United Nations?

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The United Nations is an international organization created in 1945 following World War II. 

 

It is meant to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations. 

 

Currently, 193 nations in the world are a part of the United Nations. Each nation sends delegates from their country to the General Assembly, which is the main policy-making organ of the organization.

 

The main parts of the United Nations were created upon its founding. This includes the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. 

 

However, the United Nations is also part of the United Nations System. This is made up of the United Nations, programs, funds, and specialized agencies. These entities all work together in cooperation to achieve humanitarian goals. 

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What are the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

 

The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.”

 

They were created in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are meant to be achieved by 2030. Now, they can be found in a resolution written by the General Assembly called the 2030 Agenda.

 

The Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the intersections between environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainable development.

 

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals: 

  1. No Poverty

  2. Zero Hunger

  3. Good Health and Well-Being

  4. Quality Education

  5. Gender Equality

  6. Clean Water and Sanitation

  7. Affordable and Clean Energy

  8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

  9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  10. Reduced Inequalities

  11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

  12. Responsible Consumption and Production

  13. Climate Action

  14. Life Below Water

  15. Life on Land

  16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

  17. Partnership for the Goals

 

The progress toward these goals are monitored by the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. That is a forum that falls under the United Nations Economic and Social Council. 

 

Each year, the UN Secretary General, who is the governing leader of the United Nations, presents an annual Sustainable Development Goal Progress Report. This is based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems. 

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Unfortunately, there hasn’t been system-wide coherence because many nations have their own political interests, along with varying abilities to implement goals. 

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