WHAT’S MISSING IN THE SDGS AND WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

BACKGROUND ON SDGs
These will replace the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), which
come to an end at the close of 2015.
The MDGs were agreed in 2000 and
played an important role in focusing
attention, resources and money on
global development.
However, we learned a lot about how to do the
next set of goals better, particularly when it comes
to implementing what has been agreed. There
is a lot of unfinished business from the MDGs,
particularly in relation to youth sexual health and
rights: comprehensive sexuality and youth friendly
health services were not included at all.
The SDGs will shape efforts to ensure sustainable
development over the next 15 years and beyond.
The UN Secretary General wants to ensure that noone
is left behind in this agenda. Now is the time
to use our skills, energy and ideas to make sure
that this is realized. Governments will form national
level plans for the implementation of the goals,
targets and indicators. We want these plans to
be much more progressive about young people’s
sexual health, rights and services.
QUICK GUIDE TO THE SDGS,
2015-2030
There are 17 Sustainable Development
Goals and 169 targets.
We are particularly focusing on:
GOAL 3
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being
for all at all ages
GOAL 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote life-long learning
opportunities for all
GOAL 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all
women and girls
Governments, the international development
community and the United Nations have
negotiated a new set of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) also known as the
2030 agenda. The final text of the SDGs to be
adopted in September is at bit.ly/undoc15
WHAT HAPPENED AT FfD?
The third Financing for Development (FfD)
conference took place in July 2015, resulting
in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
This conference influences many issues relating
to development, and significant partnerships
were launched at the event such as: the Global
Financing Facility in support of the Every Woman
Every Child strategy, which brings together
countries, donors and the private sector; the Addis
Tax Initiative, which will support strengthening
domestic tax systems; and the Commission on
Financing Global Education. However the Action
Agenda doesn’t say where the money will come
from to pay for this bold new agenda.
There were hardly any new pledges made other
than the launch of Global Financing Facility by
the World Bank. The agreement also fails to
recognize women and girls’ entitlement to human
rights.Finally, there is no strong commitment to
member countries’ obligations to transparency
and accountability. Youth advocates will need
to pose important questions at national level
to make sure there are sufficient funds for the
SDGs to really happen.
haveyouseenmyrights.org 5