Understanding the dimensions of sustainable development
By endorsing Agenda 2030 and its seventeen goals.
the world community has reaffirmed
its commitment to sustainable development
to ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth,
social inclusion and environmental protection,
and to do so in partnership and peace.
Agenda 2030 is universal, transformative and rights-based.
It's an ambitious plan of action for countries, the UN system
and all other development actors.
The Agenda inspires us to think creatively
about the sustainability challenges of today
so we can develop the right partnerships and take the right actions.
At the heart of the Agenda are five critical components:
people, prosperity, peace, partnership, planet.
These, in turn, underpin the seventeen sustainable development goals
and are applicable in all countries.
Agenda 2030 and the SDGs are not simply items on a checklist.
They represent a holistic approach to understanding and tackling problems
by guiding us to ask the right questions at the right time.
To achieve this, we need to consider several challenges
in order to work out how they connect with
and impact upon each other.
Finding these interdependences
helps us to address the root causes of problems
and to create long-term solutions.
So, how does this work?
Sustainable development is usually viewed through a lense of three core elements:
economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection.
But it's important to remember that these are not just categories or boxes.
They are connected and have aspects in common.
For example, a health challenge, like tuberculosis
is not only determined by an unhealthy lifestyle,
it could also be influenced by other factors,
such as poverty or air quality.
To develop this approach a step further,
two critical dimensions that will drive Agenda 2030
were adopted by member states:
partnership and peace.
Partnerships strengthen the capacities of all stakeholders to work together.
Peace, justice and strong institutions
are essential for improvements in the three core areas.
Genuine sustainability sits at the center,
and it would be important to consider each of the SDGs
through the lense of these five dimensions.
Of course, we can't consider
every possible angle of a single challenge.
That's why it's crucial to build partnerships
to share knowledge and expertiece
to learn how we can jointly address challenges.
This requires new ways of working together
focused on co-creation.