Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development: A powerful global framework

The 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015 by all nations (of the United Nations) is a powerful universal framework for action to end extreme poverty, fight inequality, foster peace and justice, and protect our planet. The Agenda’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets provide the roadmap to get there. The Agenda emphasizes the roles not only of governments but also of citizens, businesses, civil society organizations, and others as stakeholders in solving our common and globally interrelated challenges. The 2030 Agenda explicitly calls on “all businesses to apply their creativity and innovation to solving sustainable development challenges and meet societies’ most pressing problems.” It also seeks to strengthen the science–policy interface as an evidencebased instrument to support policy makers in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) welcomes the SDGs. Unlike the Millennium Development Goals, they address the root causes of poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and conflicts by addressing economic, social, and environmental issues in an integratedway. Given the interlinkages among them, UNCTAD contributes to all SDGs but has specific mandated programs on SDGs 17 (partnerships for the Goals and means of implementation—trade, capacity building, finance, systemic issues, and data), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and 10 (Reduced Inequalities Within and Between Countries).