Upholding Our Values: Putting Victims at the Centre

Assistant Secretary-General Jane Connors (third from left) concluded a five-day visit to South Sudan in Juba on 7 December 2017. ©UN Photo/Isaac Billy

I advocate within the United Nations system and among Member States, civil society and a broad range of other stakeholders to support an integrated response to victim assistance, so that it is rapidly and sensitively delivered; victims are respected, heard and listened to; their cases are taken seriously; and perpetrators are appropriately sanctioned.

Participation, Consultation and Engagement: Critical Elements for an Effective Implementation of the 2030 Agenda

Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed addresses the High-level SDG Action Event on Innovation, held by the General Assembly on 17 May 2017.  © UN Photo/Evan Schneider

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at their core are a groundbreaking, inclusive global initiative to eradicate poverty and achieve a better future for all on a healthy planet.

Foreword

Given the changing world of media and global communications, we are reflecting on how best to serve the purposes for which this flagship publication was created more than 70 years ago.

Advancing Disarmament within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, briefs the Security Council as it considers the situation in the Middle East. 5 February 2018. © UN Photo/Manuel Elias

The 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a unique opportunity to revisit the historical relationship between disarmament and development. While SDG 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies, justice and strong institutions recognizes that durable peace and lasting conditions for security are necessary for long-term development, we need to better understand the diverse areas in which achieving disarmament objectives can contribute to the implementation of the SDGs.

Strengthening the Rule of Law and Protection of Civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Leila Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, arrives in Fataki, Ituri Province, following deadly attacks on the populace by armed elements. 1 April 2018. © MONUSCO/Michael Ali

From its original focus on the military criminal justice chain, MONUSCO support is increasingly shifting to the civilian justice system. Our work has demonstrated how political engagement matched with technical and logistical support can contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, enforcing laws that uphold justice and develop strong institutions for sustainable peace.

Promoting Sustainable Human Settlements: Its Relevance to the 2030 Agenda

UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif at Kalobeyei Settlement in Turkana, Kenya, during a visit to UN-Habitat projects with ambassadors and UN-Habitat representatives from several Member States. 4 April 2018. © Julius Mwelu/UN-Habitat

UN-Habitat supports the achievement of SDGs in urban areas. The road map for doing so, the New Urban Agenda—UN-Habitat's framework for the realization of the transformative role of cities in sustainable development—was adopted at the Habitat III Conference in Quito, Ecuador, in 2016.

Ensuring That Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Are Not Left Behind in the Sustainable Development Agenda

Pramila Patten, addresses the Security Council’s open debate on women, peace and security on the topic: “Preventing sexual violence in conflict through empowerment, gender equality and access to justice”. April 2018. © UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Today, the SDGs provide a comprehensive blueprint for addressing violence against women and enhancing peace and shared prosperity. The international community has set its sights on the year 2030 as the expiry date for gender-based inequality and violence in all its forms.

The Africa We Want: Facilitating the Coordination of International Support for Africa's Development, Peace and Security

Bience Gawanas, Special Adviser on Africa, on Africa Day, 25 May 2018, New York. © UPF International

The global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals were largely influenced by the Common African Position on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, through which African Member States negotiated in solidarity to ensure a comprehensive global agenda focused on structural economic transformation, inclusive growth, people-centred development and durable peace and security.

What the SDGs Mean

Performance by the New York-based group Cobu, whose motto, “Dance Like Drumming, Drum Like Dancing”.  Alison Smale (left) takes part in the event. 13 November 2017. © UN Photo/Manuel Elias

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define the world we want. They apply to all nations and mean, quite simply, to ensure that no one is left behind.

Losing 25,000 to Hunger Every Day

During the past two decades, population growth, improvement in incomes and diversification of diets have steadily increased the demand for food. Prior to 2000, food prices were in decline, largely through record harvests. At the same time, however, public and private investment in agriculture, especially in the production of staple food, decreased, which led to stagnant or declining crop yields in most developing countries.