What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by 193 member states attending the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York in 2015. The Goals are part of the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals comprise a total of 169 targets, which seek to tackle a wide range of issues facing both developed and developing countries. These issues include poverty, inequality, climate change, inclusive societies and access to health and education.
What is the Voluntary National Review?
All 193 member states are expected, at least once, to review national progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and present the report to the United Nations High Level Political Forum. This process is called a Voluntary National Review and is part of Agenda 2030. In 2018, 47 countries presented a Voluntary National Review including Canada and Spain. The UK will be presenting its Voluntary National Review in July 2019 at the High Level Political Forum alongside 50 other countries.
Why is the Voluntary National Review important?
The Voluntary National Review will be our opportunity to use evidence from across the UK (government, civil society and the private sector) together with data on the global indicators to assess UK progress on all 17 Goals. It is a stepping stone towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
What information will be in the Voluntary National Review?
The Voluntary National Review will cover all 17 Goals. It will demonstrate the UK’s domestic and international activity and will be underpinned by data. The United Nations has set five focus Goals for 2019. Our report is expected to go into more depth on these Goals. The Goals are – 4 (education), 8 (work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities), 13 (climate action) and 16 (peace and justice).
How can I contribute to the Voluntary National Review?
The Government is committed to ensuring the Voluntary National Review is inclusive and transparent. The Sustainable Development Goals are for everybody and we want to hear from a wide range of stakeholders either through our Voluntary National Review website or directly through a variety of events that will take place across the country. The Government encourages any group, organisation, or individual contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK to share what they are doing.
Who is leading the Voluntary National Review?
The Department for International Development (DFID) is leading co-ordination and the overall drafting process for the Voluntary National Review. DFID is being supported by the Cabinet Office and other UK Government Departments to prepare for the Voluntary National Review. DFID is also working closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure the Voluntary National Review reflects activity across the whole of the UK.
What are the key dates associated with the Voluntary National Review?
Below is a list of key activities and deadlines for the UK’s Voluntary National Review:
- Ongoing engagement to inform initial drafting between October and December.
- Sharing case studies of how people and organisations are contributing to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through the Voluntary National Review website, if possible by 11 January 2019.
- Roundtable events with different groups of stakeholders on emerging messages and key findings in the new year (precise timing to be confirmed).
- Submission of a main messages document to the United Nations by 17 May 2019.
- Submission of the full Voluntary National Review to the United Nations by 14 June 2019.
- Presentation of the Voluntary National Review at the ministerial meeting of the United Nations High Level Political Forum from 16-18 July 2019.
- The first Head of Government-level review of the Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019.
Who can be contacted for more information on the Voluntary National Review?
If you have a have a query, please get in touch at SDGs@dfid.gov.uk.
How has the UK Government implemented the Sustainable Development Goals?
All UK Government Departments are responsible for delivering the Goals in those policy areas for which they have responsibility. Departments have highlighted how their priority programmes and activities will contribute to delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals in their Single Departmental Plans which provide the basis for the Government’s planning and performance framework.
High level summaries of Single Departmental Plans were published on 23 May this year, together with examples of how Government policies are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.
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