2020 marked the beginning of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The 17 goals, adopted by all countries in 2015, are our shared vision to end poverty, safeguard the environment and build a peaceful world. With less than 10 years left to achieve the Goals, there is an urgent need to step up action.
Remarkable progress has been made - extreme poverty and child mortality rates are falling, and access to energy, education and to decent work is improving. However, hunger is still on the rise, greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb, and the world’s most vulnerable continue to be disproportionately affected by conflict, inequality, injustice and climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on all 17 SDGs has shown that what began as a health crisis has quickly become a human and socio-economic crisis. While the crisis imperils progress towards the SDGs, it also makes their achievement more urgent and necessary. The remaining 9 years is a chance to transform our world.