The SDG Fund is operationally closed. This site is alive for knowledge and dissemination purposes.
Warning: This website is closed. Be aware of phishing or social engineering fraudulent requests of payments or certificates. Explore our programme areas.
Please visit jointsdgfund.org
Millennium Development Goals
In September 2000, leaders of 189 countries gathered at the United Nations headquarters and signed the historic Millennium Declaration, in which they committed to achieving a set of eight measurable goals that range from halving extreme poverty and hunger to promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality, by the target date of 2015.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) | |
Goal 1 | Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger |
Goal 2 | Achieve universal primary education |
Goal 3 | Promote gender equality and empower women |
Goal 4 | Reduce child mortality |
Goal 5 | Improve maternal health |
Goal 6 | Combating HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases |
Goal 7 | Ensure environmental sustainability |
Goal 8 | Develop a global partnership for development |
The MDGs were revolutionary in providing a common language to reach global agreement. The 8 goals were realistic and easy to communicate, with a clear measurement/monitoring mechanism.
Substantial progress has been made regarding the MDGs. The world has already realized the first MDG of halving the extreme poverty rate by 2015. However, the achievements have been uneven. The MDGs are set to expire in 2015 and the discussion of a post-2015 agenda continues. The focus is now on building a sustainable world where environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic development are equally valued.
The MDG Fund contributed directly and indirectly to the achievement of the MDGs. It adopted an inclusive and comprehensive approach to the MDGs. The approach was guided by the Millennium Declaration and its emphasis on development as a right, with targeted attention directed towards traditionally marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities, indigenous groups, and women.
The Global Consultation of Sustainable Development Goals
The Rio+20 conference (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) in Rio de Janeiro, June 2012, galvanized a process to develop a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which will carry on the momentum generated by the MDGs and fit into a global development framework beyond 2015.
In the interest of creating a new, people-centered, development agenda, a global consultation was conducted online and offline. Civil society organizations, citizens, scientists, academics, and the private sector from around the world were all actively engaged in the process. Activities included thematic and national consultations, and the My World survey led by the United Nations Development Group. Specialized panels were also held and provided ground to facilitate intergovernmental discussions. The UN Secretary General presented a synthesis of the results of these consultation processes.
In July 2014, the UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) proposed a document containing 17 goals to be put forward for the General Assembly’s approval in September 2015. This document set the ground for the new SDGs and the global development agenda spanning from 2015-2030.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as proposed by the OWG | |
End poverty in all its forms everywhere | |
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture | |
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages | |
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all | |
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls | |
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all | |
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all | |
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all | |
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation | |
Reduce inequality within and among countries | |
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable | |
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns | |
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts | |
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development | |
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss | |
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels | |
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development | |
The SDG Fund and the SDGs
The SDG Fund is the first cooperation mechanism specifically designed to achieve the future SDGs. Building upon the experience and lessons learned of the previous MDG Achievement Fund (2007-2013), the SDG Fund intends to act as a bridge in the transition from MDGs to SDGs, providing concrete experiences on how to achieve a sustainable and inclusive world post-2015 through its integrated and multidimensional joint programmes.
