From Agreement to Action: Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals

In September 2015, world leaders came together at the United Nations (UN) to agree to a groundbreaking new set of commitments that aim to end poverty and secure the future of our planet within a generation. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a set of 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets that together form a plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The Agenda signals a firm commitment from all countries that no one will be left behind, and that those furthest behind will be reached first. 

This report draws on an international literature review and on evidence from Save the Children’s work, with inputs from 12 countries. It aims to guide governments and other stakeholders as they develop their implementation plans. It identifies five areas of action – national plans, governance and institutions, realising the commitment to leave no one behind, democratising data, and improving accountability – and presents ten recommendations to deliver the 2030 Agenda. In order to build a more just and inclusive society in the future, we must learn lessons from the development frameworks of the past. Lessons are drawn from the Millennium Declaration and the world’s experience in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the focus of this report is broad, it hones in on some of the core promises to children in the new agenda.