The 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, are aimed at everyone: states, civil society, business, science and each and every individual.
The corona pandemic, Russia's illegal attack on Ukraine and the ongoing ecological triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution have thrown back the international community in achieving the global development goals. The increasing debt burden of many countries is also slowing down sustainable development.

The annual SDG progress report by the UN Secretary-General on the global implementation of the 2030 Agenda was published in May 2023. The mid-term review paints a worrying picture: the global community must immediately accelerate its efforts in order to successfully implement the 2030 Agenda. It is now important to act together and resolutely and to recommit to the 2030 Agenda in order to initiate a turnaround. We can't leave anyone behind.

In his progress report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for a significant increase in efforts to reduce poverty, hunger and inequality. For the first time, the report contains concrete recommendations for action for the UN member states.

In many of the areas mentioned, Germany is already making extensive contributions to sustainable development. The development policy priorities of the BMZ - such as a feminist development policy, the reduction of inequalities and just transition(call up the lexicon entry for the term) - contribute across sectors to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

The 2030 Agenda stands for a new global understanding of prosperity that goes beyond the narrow consideration of per capita income. It is about transforming economies towards sustainable development, for example through responsible consumption and production patterns and clean and affordable energy. Climate policy, sustainable development and poverty reduction are inextricably linked.

The joint implementation of the 2030 Agenda with the Paris Climate Agreement offers a great opportunity to create the change towards sustainable and low-emission ways of living and doing business worldwide - i.e. to make our behavior "suitable for our grandchildren". The 2030 Agenda expressly calls for the focus to be on the weakest and most vulnerable and to leave no one behind.

But any plan is only as good as its implementation. The goals of the 2030 Agenda can only be achieved through intensive cooperation in a global partnership. All countries are therefore called upon to report on their efforts and progress - not only at national level, but also in the form of voluntary national reports (Voluntary National Reviews, VNR) at the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

The preamble to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development names five core messages that precede the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as guiding principles: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership ("5 Ps").

The policy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is based on these core messages. The implementation takes place together with the partner countries according to the principle of a global partnership to which everyone contributes. With this development policy commitment, Germany is assuming responsibility for global sustainable development.

Article translated from BMZ press release