Bolivia
Plurinational State of Bolivia
PREAMBLE
Peoples, indigenous peoples and local communities
We want to ensure that all human beings, considering their rights to development and their rights to and adequate standard of living, can fulfil their potential. We want to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions; end hunger and malnutrition; achieve food security; promote human dignity; combat inequalities in and between countries; achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; ensure quality education; water and sanitation and a healthy life for all; ensure equal access to natural resources, a healthy environment and well-being for all; and secure the participation of all people and groups, including children, persons with disabilities, migrants and indigenous peoples, in the realization of the Goals and targets.
Planet earth and Mother Earth
We reaffirm that planet Earth and its ecosystems are our home and that “Mother Earth” is a common expression in a number of countries and regions. It was noted that some countries recognize the rights of nature in the context of the promotion of sustainable development. The conviction was affirmed that, in order to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature. The natural and cultural diversity of the world was acknowledged, and it was recognized that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to sustainable development.
Prosperity and Living-Well
We want all human beings, together with all living-beings, to enjoy the fruits of economic, social and technological progress and live productive and fulfilling lives. We want to ensure sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, considering the relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it, and that nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves. In this context, we recognize the need to promote decent work and employment for all; strengthen productive capacities, foster innovation, shared prosperity and sustainable patterns of consumption and production; promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production; promote sustainable industrialization, agriculture and infrastructure in harmony with nature; and ensure access to affordable, reliable and sustainable modern energy services.
Cooperation and partnership
We want to revitalise an effective Global Partnership for Sustainable Development embracing all countries and stakeholders. The Global Partnership will mobilize the means required for implementation of the Agenda, acting in a spirit of strengthened global solidarity and supporting, in particular, the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable by focussing on a people-centred approach to development. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen international cooperation to address the persistent challenges related to sustainable development for all, in particular in developing countries.
Introduction
2. On behalf of the peoples we serve, we have adopted a historic decision on a comprehensive, people-centered and far-reaching set of universal and transformative Goals and targets TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ERRADICATION, IN HARMONY WITH NATURE AND MOTHER EARTH. We commit ourselves to working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030. Realizing our ambitions will change for the better the world in which we all live.
3. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We are committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner. We will also build upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seek to address their unfinished business. We resolve, between now and 2030, to end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and between countries; to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality; to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources; to promote holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide humanity to live in harmony with Mother Earth; and to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and capacities.
5. This is an Agenda of unprecedented scope and significance. It is accepted by all countries and is applicable to all, taking into account different national circumstances, principles and priorities, and different visions, approaches and tools to achieve sustainable development. These are universal goals and targets which involve the entire world, rich and poor countries alike. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental.
Our vision
8. In these Goals and targets, we are supremely ambitious to achieve the post 2015 development agenda, considering that there are different approaches, visions, models and tools available to each country, in accordance with its national circumstances and priorities, to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions, which is our overarching goal. Poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions is the overarching priority and central imperative of the Agenda. We envisage a world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want, where all life can thrive. We envisage a world free of fear and violence. A world with equitable and universal access to quality education at all levels and to health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well-being are assured. A world where the human right of access to water and sanitation is universally realized right to have access to safe and affordable drinking water is universally realized; where food is sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious; where there is adequate and accessible sanitation. A world where human habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable and where there is universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
Our shared principles and commitments
1. The new Agenda is guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including full respect for international law. It is grounded also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Millennium Declaration, the 2005 World Summit Outcome document, United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, international human rights treaties and other instruments such as the Declaration on the Right to Development.
2. We recall the outcomes of all major UN conferences and summits which have laid a solid foundation for sustainable development and have helped to shape the new Agenda. These include the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; the World Summit on Sustainable Development; the World Summit for Social Development; the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their respective review conferences; and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (“Rio+ 20”) and its follow-up, including the outcomes of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States; the second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries and the Sendai Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
3. We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof.
4. The challenges and commitments contained in these major conferences and summits are interrelated and call for integrated solutions. To address them effectively, a new approach is needed. Sustainable development recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, combatting inequality, protecting the ecological integrity of Mother Earth, preserving the planet and creating sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth are linked to each other and are interdependent.
Our world today
5. We are meeting at a time of immense challenges to sustainable development. We are facing a time of multiple crisis, such as those related to financial, climatic, food security and environmental crisis. Billions of our citizens continue to live in poverty and are denied a life of dignity. There are rising inequalities within and between states. There are enormous disparities of opportunity, wealth and power. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is a major concern. Global health threats, natural disasters, spiralling conflict, violent extremism, humanitarian crises and forced displacement of persons threaten to reverse much of the development progress made in recent decades. Natural resource depletion and adverse impacts of environmental degradation, including desertification, drought, land degradation and ocean acidification, add to and exacerbate the list of challenges which humanity faces. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and its negative impacts undermine the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development. The survival of many societies, and of the biological support systems of the planet, are at risk.
6. It is also, however, a time of immense opportunity. Significant progress has been made in meeting many development challenges. Within the past generation, hundreds of millions of people have emerged from extreme poverty. Access to education has greatly increased for both boys and girls. The spread of ICT and global interconnectedness has great potential to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital divide and to develop knowledge societies, as does scientific and technological innovation across areas as diverse as medicine and energy.
7. Almost fifteen years ago, the Millennium Development Goals were agreed. These provided an important framework for development and significant progress has been made in a number of areas. But the progress has been uneven, particularly in Africa, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing States, and some of the MDGs remain off-track, in particular those related to maternal, newborn and child health and to reproductive health. We recommit ourselves to the full realization of all the MDGs, including the off-track MDGs, in particular by providing focussed and scaled-up assistance to least developed countries. The new Agenda builds on the Millennium Development Goals and seeks to complete what these did not achieve, particularly in reaching the most vulnerable.
8. In its scope, however, the framework agenda we are announcing today goes far beyond the MDGs. Alongside continuing development priorities such as poverty eradication, health, education and food security and nutrition, it sets out a wide range of economic, social and environmental objectives. It also promises more peaceful and inclusive societies. It also, crucially, defines means of implementation. Reflecting the integrated approach that we have decided on, there are deep interconnections and many cross-cutting elements across the new Goals and targets.
The new Agenda
9. We are announcing today 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 associated targets which are integrated and indivisible. Never before have world leaders pledged common action and endeavour across such a broad and universal policy agenda. We are setting out together on the path towards sustainable development, devoting ourselves collectively to the pursuit of global development and of “win-win” international cooperation which can bring huge gains to all countries and all parts of the world. We reiterate that every state has, and shall freely exercise, full permanent sovereignty over its wealth and natural resources. We will implement the Agenda for the full benefit of all, for today’s generation and for future generations. In doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to international law and emphasize that the Agenda is to be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the rights and obligations of states under international law, taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and priorities.
10. This is an Agenda which seeks to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights. It will work to ensure that human rights and fundamental freedoms are enjoyed by all without discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, colour, sex, age, language, religion, culture, migration status, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic situation, birth, disability or other status. Also, we commit for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.
11. Realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution to progress across all the Goals and targets. The achievement of full human potential and of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities. Women and girls must enjoy equal access to quality education, economic resources and political participation as well as equal opportunities with men and boys for employment, leadership and decision-making at all levels. We will work for a significant increase in investments to close the gender gap and strengthen support for institutions in relation to gender equality and the empowerment of women at the global, regional and national levels. All forms of gender-based discrimination and violence against women and children will be eliminated, including through the engagement of men and boys. The systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the implementation of the Agenda is crucial.
12. The new Goals and targets will come into effect on 1 January 2016 and will guide the decisions we take over the next fifteen years. All of us will work to implement the Agenda within our own countries and at the regional and global levels. We will at the same time take into account different national realities, including capacities and levels of development, and cultures worldwide. We will respect national policies and priorities and policy space for economic growth, in particular for developing states, while remaining consistent with relevant international rules and commitments. We acknowledge also the importance of the regional and sub-regional dimensions, regional economic integration and interconnectivity in sustainable development. Regional and sub-regional frameworks can facilitate the effective translation of sustainable development policies into concrete action at national level.
13. Each country faces specific challenges in its pursuit of sustainable development. The most vulnerable countries and, in particular, African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states deserve special attention, as do countries in situations of conflict and post-conflict countries. There are also serious challenges within many middle-income countries.
14. Sections of the population who are vulnerable and must be empowered, and whose needs are reflected in the goals and targets, include children, youth, persons with disabilities (of whom more than 80% live in poverty), older persons, indigenous peoples, migrants regardless of migration status, refugees and internally displaced persons. People living in areas affected by conflict, terrorism and humanitarian emergencies are also experiencing severe challenges.
15. We are committed to ending poverty in all its forms, including extreme poverty, by 2030. All people must enjoy a basic standard of living, including through social protection systems. We are also determined to end hunger and malnutrition and to achieve food security as a matter of priority. We will devote resources to developing rural areas and supporting small farmers, especially women farmers, herders and fishers.
16. We commit to providing inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels – early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, technical and vocational training. All people, irrespective of gender, age, race, ethnicity, or migration status, and including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, children and youth in vulnerable situations, should have access to life-long learning opportunities that help them acquire the knowledge and skills needed to exploit opportunities and to participate fully in society. We will strive to provide children and youth with a nurturing environment for the full realization of their rights and capabilities, turning a ‘youth bulge’ into a ‘youth dividend’, including through supportive and strong families, schools and communities, all of which contribute to sustainable development.
17. To promote physical health and well-being and to extend life expectancy for all, we must achieve universal health coverage and access to quality health care. No one must be left behind, which means that all economic and social sectors, regions, countries, and communities should be provided with the necessary means of implementation in order to achieve with the proposed targets. We commit to accelerating the progress made to date in reducing newborn, child and maternal mortality by ending all such preventable deaths before 2030. We are committed to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including for family planning, information and education. We will equally accelerate the pace of progress made in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, Ebola and other communicable diseases and epidemics, including by addressing growing anti-microbial resistance and the problem of unattended diseases affecting developing countries. We are committed to devoting greater efforts to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, including behavioural and developmental disorders, which constitute a major challenge for sustainable development.
18. We will seek to build strong economic foundations for all our countries. Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth is essential for achieving the common good in the worldprosperity. This will only be possible if wealth is shared and income inequality is addressed. We will work to build dynamic, sustainable, innovative and people-centred economies, promoting youth employment and women’s economic empowerment, in particular, and decent work for all. We will eradicate forced labour and human trafficking and eliminate all the worst forms of child labour. All countries stand to benefit from having a healthy and well-educated workforce with the knowledge and skills needed for productive and fulfilling work and full participation in society. We will adopt policies which increase productive capacities, productivity and productive employment; financial inclusion; sustainable agriculture, pastoralist and fisheries development; sustainable industrial development in harmony with nature; universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy services; sustainable transport systems; and resilient infrastructure.
19. We commit to making fundamental changes in the way that our societies produce and consume goods and services. Governments, international organizations, the business sector and other non-state actors and individuals must contribute to changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns. We encourage the implementation of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production. All countries take action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries. This should be done through the mobilization, from all sources, of financial and technical assistance to strengthen developing countries’ scientific, technological and innovative capacities to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
20. States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.
21. We will address decisively the threat posed by climate change and environmental degradation. The global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible international cooperation aimed at holding the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by accelerating the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions. Noting the ongoing UNFCCC negotiations, and looking ahead to the COP21 conference in Paris in December, we call on all States to work for a comprehensive and ambitious climate agreement. [For consideration: We recall that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides that parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.]
22. We recognise that social and economic development depends on the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources and on the integrity of Mother Earth. We are therefore determined to conserve and sustainably use oceans and seas, as well as mountains and dry-lands and to protect biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. We are also determined to promote sustainable tourism, tackle water scarcity, desertification, land degradation and drought and to promote resilience and disaster risk reduction. We will achieve this by promoting sustainable development and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.
23. We recognize that sustainable urban development and management are crucial to the quality of life of our people. We will work with local authorities and communities to renew and plan our cities and human settlements so as to foster community cohesion and personal security and to stimulate innovation and employment. We will reduce the negative impacts of urban activities and of chemicals which are hazardous for human health and the environment, including through the environmentally sound management and safe use of chemicals, the reduction and recycling of waste and more efficient use of water and energy. And we will work to minimize the impact of cities on the global climate system. We will also take account of population trends and projections in our national, rural and urban development strategies and policies.
24. Sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security; and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development. The new Agenda recognizes the need to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies that provide equal access to justice and that are based on respect for human rights (including the right to development), on effective rule of law and on transparent, effective and accountable institutions. Factors which give rise to violence, insecurity and injustice, such as inequality, corruption, poor governance and illicit financial and arms flows, are addressed in the Agenda. We must redouble our efforts to resolve or prevent conflict and to support post-conflict countries, including through ensuring that women have a role in peace-building and state-building. In accordance with relevant UN resolutions, we commit to remove the obstacles to the full realization of the right of self-determination of peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation, which continue to adversely affect their economic and social development as well as their environment.
25. We recognize that international migration is a multi-dimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination, and that coherent and comprehensive responses are required. We will cooperate internationally to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration involving full respect for human rights and the humane treatment of migrants (regardless of migration status), of refugees and of displaced persons. Such cooperation should also strengthen the resilience of communities hosting refugees, particularly in developing countries. We commit to protect our citizens living abroad and to re-integrate retired migrant workers who return to their countries of origin.
26. We pledge to foster inter-cultural understanding, tolerance, mutual respect and an ethic of global citizenship and shared responsibility. We acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity of the world and recognize that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to, and are crucial enablers of, sustainable development.
27. Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to gender empowerment and that of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives.
Means of Implementation
28. We recognize that each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development. The new Agenda deals with the means required for implementation of the Goals and targets. We recognize that these will involve the mobilization of financial resources as well as capacity-building, the transfer of technologies as mutually agreed and a wide range of other supportive policies and measures on favourable terms, including preferential terms for developing countries. Public finance, both domestic and international, will play a vital role in providing essential services and public goods and in catalyzing other sources of finance. We acknowledge the role of the diverse private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives to multinationals, and that of civil society organizations and philanthropic organizations in the implementation of the new Agenda.
29. The scale and ambition of the new Agenda requires a revitalized Global Partnership to ensure its implementation. We fully commit to this. This Partnership will work in a spirit of global international cooperation and solidarity, in particular solidarity with the poorest and with people in vulnerable situations from developing countries. It will facilitate an intensive global engagement in support of implementation of all the Goals and targets, bringing together Governments, the private sector, civil society, the United Nations system and other actors and mobilizing all available resources.
30. We welcome the outcome document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa from 13-16 July 2015. We recognise the important interlinkages between the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the realization of the SDGs and targets.
31. Official development assistance remains a primary means of supporting the sustainable development needs of countries and regions, in particular African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states and a number of middle-income countries. Developed countries should commit to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. We will accelerate full implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, the Vienna Programme of Action for Land-Locked Developing Countries, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), all of which are integral to the new Agenda.
32. We recognize the crucial role that science, technology and innovation play in the promotion of sustainable development in all countries. We recognize the power of communications technologies, technical cooperation and capacity-building for sustainable development. Also, we recognize the need to promote a interscientific dialogue between traditional and local knowledge from indigenous peoples and local communities and modern science. We welcome the establishment of a Technology Facilitation Mechanism in order to support the implementation of the Agenda. We commit to strengthen the role of the science-policy interface in sustainable development.
33. We are committed to an open, well-functioning, non-discriminatory, equitable and rules-based multilateral trading system for the realization of the new Agenda. We resolve to work together to enhance macro-economic and financial stability through improved policy coordination and coherence. We call on all WTO members to conclude promptly the Doha Development Round of trade negotiations. We attach great importance to providing trade-related capacity-building for African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states and middle-income countries, including for the promotion of regional economic integration and interconnectivity.
34. We recognize the role of the familIES AND COMMUNITIES y as a contributor to sustainable development; one measure of success of the Agenda will be its ability to strengthen and protect all families and the strengthening of social organizations, including those from indigenous peoples and local communities.
35. We acknowledge the need for international financial institutions to respect the policy space of each country, in particular developing countries. We agree to work to increase the voice and participation of developing countries – in particular African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small-island developing states and middle income countries – in international economic decision-making, norm-setting and global economic governance.
36. Many countries remain vulnerable to debt crises and some are in the midst of crises, including least developed countries, small island developing States and some developed countries. We recognize the need to assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief, debt restructuring and sound debt management, as appropriate. We will support the maintenance of debt sustainability of those countries that have received debt relief and achieved sustainable debt levels.
37. We emphasise the critical importance of engaging all relevant stakeholders in the implementation and follow-up and review of the Agenda. In particular, we acknowledge the essential role of political leadership national parliaments in sustainable development through their enactment of legislation and adoption of budgets and their role in ensuring accountability for the effective implementation of our commitments. Governments and public institutions will also work closely on implementation with regional and local authorities, sub-regional institutions, international institutions, academia, philanthropic organizations, volunteer groups and others in accordance with national laws and regulations and in conformity with international obligations.
38. We underline the important role and comparative advantage of an adequately resourced, relevant, coherent, efficient and effective UN system in supporting the achievement of the SDGs and sustainable development. We express our support for the ongoing process on the longer-term positioning of the UN development system in the context of this Agenda.
Follow-up and review
39. Our Governments have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review, at the national, regional and global levels, in relation to the progress made in implementing the Goals and targets over the coming fifteen years. We will provide for systematic follow-up and review at the various levels of accountability, including as set out in this Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The High Level Political Forum will be responsible for the global follow-up and review processes.
40. Indicators are being developed to assist this work. Quality, accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data will be needed to help with the measurement of progress and to ensure that no one is left behind. Such data is key to decision-making. Data and information from existing reporting mechanisms should be used where possible. We also recognize the need for broader measures of progress to complement gross domestic product (GDP). We agree to intensify our efforts to strengthen statistical capacities in developing countries, particularly African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states and middle-income countries.
A call for action to change our world
41. Seventy years ago, an earlier generation of world leaders came together to create the United Nations. From the ashes of war and division they fashioned this Organization and the values of peace, dialogue and international cooperation which underpin it. The supreme embodiment of those values is the Charter of the United Nations.
42. Today we are also taking a decision of great historic significance. We resolve to build a better future for all people, including the millions who have been denied the chance to lead decent, dignified and rewarding lives and to achieve their full human potential. We can be the first generation to succeed in ending poverty; just as we are the last to have a chance of saving the planet. The world will be a better place in 2030 if we succeed in our objectives.
43. What we are announcing today – an Agenda for global action for the next fifteen years – is a charter for people and planet in the twenty-first century. Children and young women and men will find in the new Goals a platform to enable them to become positive agents for change and to channel their infinite capacities for activism into the creation of a better world.
44. “We the Peoples” are the celebrated opening words of the UN Charter. It is “We the Peoples” who are embarking today on the road to 2030. Our journey will involve Governments as well as Parliaments, the UN system and other international institutions, local authorities, business and the private sector, the scientific and academic community, civil society – and all people. Millions have already engaged with, and will own, this Agenda. It is an Agenda of the people, by the people and for the people – and this, we believe, will ensure its success.
45. The future of humanity and of our planet lies in our hands. It lies also in the hands of today’s younger generation who will pass the torch to future generations. We have mapped the road to sustainable development; it will be for all of us to ensure that the journey is successful and its gains irreversible.
PREAMBLE
Peoples, indigenous peoples and local communities
We want to ensure that all human beings, considering their rights to development and their rights to and adequate standard of living, can fulfil their potential. We want to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions; end hunger and malnutrition; achieve food security; promote human dignity; combat inequalities in and between countries; achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; ensure quality education; water and sanitation and a healthy life for all; ensure equal access to natural resources, a healthy environment and well-being for all; and secure the participation of all people and groups, including children, persons with disabilities, migrants and indigenous peoples, in the realization of the Goals and targets.
Planet earth and Mother Earth
We reaffirm that planet Earth and its ecosystems are our home and that “Mother Earth” is a common expression in a number of countries and regions. It was noted that some countries recognize the rights of nature in the context of the promotion of sustainable development. The conviction was affirmed that, in order to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature. The natural and cultural diversity of the world was acknowledged, and it was recognized that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to sustainable development.
Prosperity and Living-Well
We want all human beings, together with all living-beings, to enjoy the fruits of economic, social and technological progress and live productive and fulfilling lives. We want to ensure sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, considering the relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it, and that nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves. In this context, we recognize the need to promote decent work and employment for all; strengthen productive capacities, foster innovation, shared prosperity and sustainable patterns of consumption and production; promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production; promote sustainable industrialization, agriculture and infrastructure in harmony with nature; and ensure access to affordable, reliable and sustainable modern energy services.
Cooperation and partnership
We want to revitalise an effective Global Partnership for Sustainable Development embracing all countries and stakeholders. The Global Partnership will mobilize the means required for implementation of the Agenda, acting in a spirit of strengthened global solidarity and supporting, in particular, the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable by focussing on a people-centred approach to development. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthen international cooperation to address the persistent challenges related to sustainable development for all, in particular in developing countries.
Introduction
2. On behalf of the peoples we serve, we have adopted a historic decision on a comprehensive, people-centered and far-reaching set of universal and transformative Goals and targets TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ERRADICATION, IN HARMONY WITH NATURE AND MOTHER EARTH. We commit ourselves to working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030. Realizing our ambitions will change for the better the world in which we all live.
3. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We are committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner. We will also build upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seek to address their unfinished business. We resolve, between now and 2030, to end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and between countries; to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality; to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources; to promote holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development that will guide humanity to live in harmony with Mother Earth; and to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and capacities.
5. This is an Agenda of unprecedented scope and significance. It is accepted by all countries and is applicable to all, taking into account different national circumstances, principles and priorities, and different visions, approaches and tools to achieve sustainable development. These are universal goals and targets which involve the entire world, rich and poor countries alike. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental.
Our vision
8. In these Goals and targets, we are supremely ambitious to achieve the post 2015 development agenda, considering that there are different approaches, visions, models and tools available to each country, in accordance with its national circumstances and priorities, to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions, which is our overarching goal. Poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions is the overarching priority and central imperative of the Agenda. We envisage a world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want, where all life can thrive. We envisage a world free of fear and violence. A world with equitable and universal access to quality education at all levels and to health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well-being are assured. A world where the human right of access to water and sanitation is universally realized right to have access to safe and affordable drinking water is universally realized; where food is sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious; where there is adequate and accessible sanitation. A world where human habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable and where there is universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
Our shared principles and commitments
1. The new Agenda is guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including full respect for international law. It is grounded also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Millennium Declaration, the 2005 World Summit Outcome document, United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, international human rights treaties and other instruments such as the Declaration on the Right to Development.
2. We recall the outcomes of all major UN conferences and summits which have laid a solid foundation for sustainable development and have helped to shape the new Agenda. These include the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; the World Summit on Sustainable Development; the World Summit for Social Development; the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their respective review conferences; and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (“Rio+ 20”) and its follow-up, including the outcomes of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States; the second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries and the Sendai Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
3. We reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as set out in principle 7 thereof.
4. The challenges and commitments contained in these major conferences and summits are interrelated and call for integrated solutions. To address them effectively, a new approach is needed. Sustainable development recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, combatting inequality, protecting the ecological integrity of Mother Earth, preserving the planet and creating sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth are linked to each other and are interdependent.
Our world today
5. We are meeting at a time of immense challenges to sustainable development. We are facing a time of multiple crisis, such as those related to financial, climatic, food security and environmental crisis. Billions of our citizens continue to live in poverty and are denied a life of dignity. There are rising inequalities within and between states. There are enormous disparities of opportunity, wealth and power. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is a major concern. Global health threats, natural disasters, spiralling conflict, violent extremism, humanitarian crises and forced displacement of persons threaten to reverse much of the development progress made in recent decades. Natural resource depletion and adverse impacts of environmental degradation, including desertification, drought, land degradation and ocean acidification, add to and exacerbate the list of challenges which humanity faces. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and its negative impacts undermine the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development. The survival of many societies, and of the biological support systems of the planet, are at risk.
6. It is also, however, a time of immense opportunity. Significant progress has been made in meeting many development challenges. Within the past generation, hundreds of millions of people have emerged from extreme poverty. Access to education has greatly increased for both boys and girls. The spread of ICT and global interconnectedness has great potential to accelerate human progress, to bridge the digital divide and to develop knowledge societies, as does scientific and technological innovation across areas as diverse as medicine and energy.
7. Almost fifteen years ago, the Millennium Development Goals were agreed. These provided an important framework for development and significant progress has been made in a number of areas. But the progress has been uneven, particularly in Africa, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing States, and some of the MDGs remain off-track, in particular those related to maternal, newborn and child health and to reproductive health. We recommit ourselves to the full realization of all the MDGs, including the off-track MDGs, in particular by providing focussed and scaled-up assistance to least developed countries. The new Agenda builds on the Millennium Development Goals and seeks to complete what these did not achieve, particularly in reaching the most vulnerable.
8. In its scope, however, the framework agenda we are announcing today goes far beyond the MDGs. Alongside continuing development priorities such as poverty eradication, health, education and food security and nutrition, it sets out a wide range of economic, social and environmental objectives. It also promises more peaceful and inclusive societies. It also, crucially, defines means of implementation. Reflecting the integrated approach that we have decided on, there are deep interconnections and many cross-cutting elements across the new Goals and targets.
The new Agenda
9. We are announcing today 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 associated targets which are integrated and indivisible. Never before have world leaders pledged common action and endeavour across such a broad and universal policy agenda. We are setting out together on the path towards sustainable development, devoting ourselves collectively to the pursuit of global development and of “win-win” international cooperation which can bring huge gains to all countries and all parts of the world. We reiterate that every state has, and shall freely exercise, full permanent sovereignty over its wealth and natural resources. We will implement the Agenda for the full benefit of all, for today’s generation and for future generations. In doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to international law and emphasize that the Agenda is to be implemented in a manner that is consistent with the rights and obligations of states under international law, taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and priorities.
10. This is an Agenda which seeks to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights. It will work to ensure that human rights and fundamental freedoms are enjoyed by all without discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, colour, sex, age, language, religion, culture, migration status, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic situation, birth, disability or other status. Also, we commit for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.
11. Realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution to progress across all the Goals and targets. The achievement of full human potential and of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities. Women and girls must enjoy equal access to quality education, economic resources and political participation as well as equal opportunities with men and boys for employment, leadership and decision-making at all levels. We will work for a significant increase in investments to close the gender gap and strengthen support for institutions in relation to gender equality and the empowerment of women at the global, regional and national levels. All forms of gender-based discrimination and violence against women and children will be eliminated, including through the engagement of men and boys. The systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the implementation of the Agenda is crucial.
12. The new Goals and targets will come into effect on 1 January 2016 and will guide the decisions we take over the next fifteen years. All of us will work to implement the Agenda within our own countries and at the regional and global levels. We will at the same time take into account different national realities, including capacities and levels of development, and cultures worldwide. We will respect national policies and priorities and policy space for economic growth, in particular for developing states, while remaining consistent with relevant international rules and commitments. We acknowledge also the importance of the regional and sub-regional dimensions, regional economic integration and interconnectivity in sustainable development. Regional and sub-regional frameworks can facilitate the effective translation of sustainable development policies into concrete action at national level.
13. Each country faces specific challenges in its pursuit of sustainable development. The most vulnerable countries and, in particular, African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states deserve special attention, as do countries in situations of conflict and post-conflict countries. There are also serious challenges within many middle-income countries.
14. Sections of the population who are vulnerable and must be empowered, and whose needs are reflected in the goals and targets, include children, youth, persons with disabilities (of whom more than 80% live in poverty), older persons, indigenous peoples, migrants regardless of migration status, refugees and internally displaced persons. People living in areas affected by conflict, terrorism and humanitarian emergencies are also experiencing severe challenges.
15. We are committed to ending poverty in all its forms, including extreme poverty, by 2030. All people must enjoy a basic standard of living, including through social protection systems. We are also determined to end hunger and malnutrition and to achieve food security as a matter of priority. We will devote resources to developing rural areas and supporting small farmers, especially women farmers, herders and fishers.
16. We commit to providing inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels – early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, technical and vocational training. All people, irrespective of gender, age, race, ethnicity, or migration status, and including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, children and youth in vulnerable situations, should have access to life-long learning opportunities that help them acquire the knowledge and skills needed to exploit opportunities and to participate fully in society. We will strive to provide children and youth with a nurturing environment for the full realization of their rights and capabilities, turning a ‘youth bulge’ into a ‘youth dividend’, including through supportive and strong families, schools and communities, all of which contribute to sustainable development.
17. To promote physical health and well-being and to extend life expectancy for all, we must achieve universal health coverage and access to quality health care. No one must be left behind, which means that all economic and social sectors, regions, countries, and communities should be provided with the necessary means of implementation in order to achieve with the proposed targets. We commit to accelerating the progress made to date in reducing newborn, child and maternal mortality by ending all such preventable deaths before 2030. We are committed to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including for family planning, information and education. We will equally accelerate the pace of progress made in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, Ebola and other communicable diseases and epidemics, including by addressing growing anti-microbial resistance and the problem of unattended diseases affecting developing countries. We are committed to devoting greater efforts to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, including behavioural and developmental disorders, which constitute a major challenge for sustainable development.
18. We will seek to build strong economic foundations for all our countries. Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth is essential for achieving the common good in the worldprosperity. This will only be possible if wealth is shared and income inequality is addressed. We will work to build dynamic, sustainable, innovative and people-centred economies, promoting youth employment and women’s economic empowerment, in particular, and decent work for all. We will eradicate forced labour and human trafficking and eliminate all the worst forms of child labour. All countries stand to benefit from having a healthy and well-educated workforce with the knowledge and skills needed for productive and fulfilling work and full participation in society. We will adopt policies which increase productive capacities, productivity and productive employment; financial inclusion; sustainable agriculture, pastoralist and fisheries development; sustainable industrial development in harmony with nature; universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy services; sustainable transport systems; and resilient infrastructure.
19. We commit to making fundamental changes in the way that our societies produce and consume goods and services. Governments, international organizations, the business sector and other non-state actors and individuals must contribute to changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns. We encourage the implementation of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production. All countries take action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries. This should be done through the mobilization, from all sources, of financial and technical assistance to strengthen developing countries’ scientific, technological and innovative capacities to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
20. States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.
21. We will address decisively the threat posed by climate change and environmental degradation. The global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible international cooperation aimed at holding the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees or 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by accelerating the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions. Noting the ongoing UNFCCC negotiations, and looking ahead to the COP21 conference in Paris in December, we call on all States to work for a comprehensive and ambitious climate agreement. [For consideration: We recall that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides that parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.]
22. We recognise that social and economic development depends on the sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources and on the integrity of Mother Earth. We are therefore determined to conserve and sustainably use oceans and seas, as well as mountains and dry-lands and to protect biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife. We are also determined to promote sustainable tourism, tackle water scarcity, desertification, land degradation and drought and to promote resilience and disaster risk reduction. We will achieve this by promoting sustainable development and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.
23. We recognize that sustainable urban development and management are crucial to the quality of life of our people. We will work with local authorities and communities to renew and plan our cities and human settlements so as to foster community cohesion and personal security and to stimulate innovation and employment. We will reduce the negative impacts of urban activities and of chemicals which are hazardous for human health and the environment, including through the environmentally sound management and safe use of chemicals, the reduction and recycling of waste and more efficient use of water and energy. And we will work to minimize the impact of cities on the global climate system. We will also take account of population trends and projections in our national, rural and urban development strategies and policies.
24. Sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security; and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development. The new Agenda recognizes the need to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies that provide equal access to justice and that are based on respect for human rights (including the right to development), on effective rule of law and on transparent, effective and accountable institutions. Factors which give rise to violence, insecurity and injustice, such as inequality, corruption, poor governance and illicit financial and arms flows, are addressed in the Agenda. We must redouble our efforts to resolve or prevent conflict and to support post-conflict countries, including through ensuring that women have a role in peace-building and state-building. In accordance with relevant UN resolutions, we commit to remove the obstacles to the full realization of the right of self-determination of peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation, which continue to adversely affect their economic and social development as well as their environment.
25. We recognize that international migration is a multi-dimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination, and that coherent and comprehensive responses are required. We will cooperate internationally to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration involving full respect for human rights and the humane treatment of migrants (regardless of migration status), of refugees and of displaced persons. Such cooperation should also strengthen the resilience of communities hosting refugees, particularly in developing countries. We commit to protect our citizens living abroad and to re-integrate retired migrant workers who return to their countries of origin.
26. We pledge to foster inter-cultural understanding, tolerance, mutual respect and an ethic of global citizenship and shared responsibility. We acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity of the world and recognize that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to, and are crucial enablers of, sustainable development.
27. Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to gender empowerment and that of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives.
Means of Implementation
28. We recognize that each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development. The new Agenda deals with the means required for implementation of the Goals and targets. We recognize that these will involve the mobilization of financial resources as well as capacity-building, the transfer of technologies as mutually agreed and a wide range of other supportive policies and measures on favourable terms, including preferential terms for developing countries. Public finance, both domestic and international, will play a vital role in providing essential services and public goods and in catalyzing other sources of finance. We acknowledge the role of the diverse private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives to multinationals, and that of civil society organizations and philanthropic organizations in the implementation of the new Agenda.
29. The scale and ambition of the new Agenda requires a revitalized Global Partnership to ensure its implementation. We fully commit to this. This Partnership will work in a spirit of global international cooperation and solidarity, in particular solidarity with the poorest and with people in vulnerable situations from developing countries. It will facilitate an intensive global engagement in support of implementation of all the Goals and targets, bringing together Governments, the private sector, civil society, the United Nations system and other actors and mobilizing all available resources.
30. We welcome the outcome document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa from 13-16 July 2015. We recognise the important interlinkages between the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the realization of the SDGs and targets.
31. Official development assistance remains a primary means of supporting the sustainable development needs of countries and regions, in particular African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states and a number of middle-income countries. Developed countries should commit to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. We will accelerate full implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, the Vienna Programme of Action for Land-Locked Developing Countries, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), all of which are integral to the new Agenda.
32. We recognize the crucial role that science, technology and innovation play in the promotion of sustainable development in all countries. We recognize the power of communications technologies, technical cooperation and capacity-building for sustainable development. Also, we recognize the need to promote a interscientific dialogue between traditional and local knowledge from indigenous peoples and local communities and modern science. We welcome the establishment of a Technology Facilitation Mechanism in order to support the implementation of the Agenda. We commit to strengthen the role of the science-policy interface in sustainable development.
33. We are committed to an open, well-functioning, non-discriminatory, equitable and rules-based multilateral trading system for the realization of the new Agenda. We resolve to work together to enhance macro-economic and financial stability through improved policy coordination and coherence. We call on all WTO members to conclude promptly the Doha Development Round of trade negotiations. We attach great importance to providing trade-related capacity-building for African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states and middle-income countries, including for the promotion of regional economic integration and interconnectivity.
34. We recognize the role of the familIES AND COMMUNITIES y as a contributor to sustainable development; one measure of success of the Agenda will be its ability to strengthen and protect all families and the strengthening of social organizations, including those from indigenous peoples and local communities.
35. We acknowledge the need for international financial institutions to respect the policy space of each country, in particular developing countries. We agree to work to increase the voice and participation of developing countries – in particular African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small-island developing states and middle income countries – in international economic decision-making, norm-setting and global economic governance.
36. Many countries remain vulnerable to debt crises and some are in the midst of crises, including least developed countries, small island developing States and some developed countries. We recognize the need to assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief, debt restructuring and sound debt management, as appropriate. We will support the maintenance of debt sustainability of those countries that have received debt relief and achieved sustainable debt levels.
37. We emphasise the critical importance of engaging all relevant stakeholders in the implementation and follow-up and review of the Agenda. In particular, we acknowledge the essential role of political leadership national parliaments in sustainable development through their enactment of legislation and adoption of budgets and their role in ensuring accountability for the effective implementation of our commitments. Governments and public institutions will also work closely on implementation with regional and local authorities, sub-regional institutions, international institutions, academia, philanthropic organizations, volunteer groups and others in accordance with national laws and regulations and in conformity with international obligations.
38. We underline the important role and comparative advantage of an adequately resourced, relevant, coherent, efficient and effective UN system in supporting the achievement of the SDGs and sustainable development. We express our support for the ongoing process on the longer-term positioning of the UN development system in the context of this Agenda.
Follow-up and review
39. Our Governments have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review, at the national, regional and global levels, in relation to the progress made in implementing the Goals and targets over the coming fifteen years. We will provide for systematic follow-up and review at the various levels of accountability, including as set out in this Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The High Level Political Forum will be responsible for the global follow-up and review processes.
40. Indicators are being developed to assist this work. Quality, accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data will be needed to help with the measurement of progress and to ensure that no one is left behind. Such data is key to decision-making. Data and information from existing reporting mechanisms should be used where possible. We also recognize the need for broader measures of progress to complement gross domestic product (GDP). We agree to intensify our efforts to strengthen statistical capacities in developing countries, particularly African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states and middle-income countries.
A call for action to change our world
41. Seventy years ago, an earlier generation of world leaders came together to create the United Nations. From the ashes of war and division they fashioned this Organization and the values of peace, dialogue and international cooperation which underpin it. The supreme embodiment of those values is the Charter of the United Nations.
42. Today we are also taking a decision of great historic significance. We resolve to build a better future for all people, including the millions who have been denied the chance to lead decent, dignified and rewarding lives and to achieve their full human potential. We can be the first generation to succeed in ending poverty; just as we are the last to have a chance of saving the planet. The world will be a better place in 2030 if we succeed in our objectives.
43. What we are announcing today – an Agenda for global action for the next fifteen years – is a charter for people and planet in the twenty-first century. Children and young women and men will find in the new Goals a platform to enable them to become positive agents for change and to channel their infinite capacities for activism into the creation of a better world.
44. “We the Peoples” are the celebrated opening words of the UN Charter. It is “We the Peoples” who are embarking today on the road to 2030. Our journey will involve Governments as well as Parliaments, the UN system and other international institutions, local authorities, business and the private sector, the scientific and academic community, civil society – and all people. Millions have already engaged with, and will own, this Agenda. It is an Agenda of the people, by the people and for the people – and this, we believe, will ensure its success.
45. The future of humanity and of our planet lies in our hands. It lies also in the hands of today’s younger generation who will pass the torch to future generations. We have mapped the road to sustainable development; it will be for all of us to ensure that the journey is successful and its gains irreversible.
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