Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Our Common Agenda urges stronger global frameworks to achieve universal social protection coverage (in line with SDG 1.3), build resilience to shocks and disasters (SDG 1.5), and for financial support for developing States (SDG 1.a). These recommendations are being taken forward under the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection for a Just Transition in support of SDG 1. The World Social Summit in 2025 is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation on these and other measures to achieve this goal.

In addition to better mechanisms to respond to global shocks and crises through an Emergency Platform, Our Common Agenda calls for the transformation of food systems, building on the outcomes of the 2021 Food Systems Summit. Our Common Agenda stresses the need for food systems that provide all people with access to healthy diets that contribute to the restoration of nature and address climate change (SDG 2.1, 2.4). It contains recommendations for a fairer and more resilient multilateral trading system, which also applies to food and agricultural markets. Action in support of SDG 2 will be taken forward as part of the follow-up to the Food Systems Summit, led by the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.

Our Common Agenda calls for better governance of global public health in support of SDG 3, including through a strengthened World Health Organization, stepped-up global health security and preparedness, product development and access to health technologies for low- and middle-income countries, and universal health coverage. These recommendations are being taken forward through the World Health Assembly, the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, and the negotiations on the pandemic preparedness and response treaty to bolster progress towards the targets of SDG 3.

Transforming education and steps towards a formal recognition of a universal entitlement to lifelong learning and reskilling are key pillars of Our Common Agenda. The Transforming Education Summit in September 2022 was a critical milestone, mobilizing national and global mechanisms to achieve all SDG 4 targets, involving 115 national consultations and commitments by Heads of State and government with follow-up and monitoring of implementation.

Our Common Agenda puts the active and equal participation of women and girls at the centre of any meaningful social contract, promoting transformative measures to achieve SDG 5. The report proposes valuing care work in measuring what matters as part of metrics to move Beyond GDP, and efforts to address gender disparities in the digital divide. It advances the need to promote equal pay and gender parity, including through quotas and special measures, as well as within the UN system by 2028.

Our Common Agenda lends its support to ongoing work to achieve the full set of targets under SDG 6. The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, recognized by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, in line with Our Common Agenda, is a vital step forward towards the achievement of SDG 6.

Our Common Agenda puts the shift towards sustainable energy at the heart of actions to ensure a healthy planet for its people, calling for Member States and others to deliver on “concrete policies and actions” aligned with a net zero future, including shifting fossil fuel subsidies to renewable energy.

Our Common Agenda calls for a global effort to create decent work and quality jobs as a key enabler for climate action and ambition as part of a just transition. Central to the renewed social contract, it urges a “floor of rights and protections for all workers” as well as roadmaps to integrate informal workers into formal economies and to benefit from women’s full participation in the workforce (SDG 8.5, 8.8). It proposes youth labour guarantees drawing on the NEET indicator (SDG 8.6), a recovery barometer to track career paths and labour market outcomes for youth, and a high-ambition coalition to promote job creation in the green and digital economy, which is being taken forward by the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection. The proposal related to Beyond GDP metrics is also key to the achievement of SDG 8.4.

A key recommendation in Our Common Agenda is to reinforce universal access to the internet as a human right, which will be taken forward as part of discussions on the proposed Global Digital Compact. In addition, the report draws attention to the need to shore up our infrastructure to be resilient to climate change, with a particular need for increased adaptation support for developing countries (SDG 9.5, 9.b). It urges product development and access to health technologies to be accelerated in low- and middle-income countries (SDG 9.5) and for more flexible research and development incentives to foster innovation and trade (SDG 9.5).

Steps to improve the governance of the global financial architecture are central in Our Common Agenda (SDG 10.5), as is ensuring enhanced representation and voice for developing counties in decision-making (SDG 10.6). The report urges implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees (SDG10.7) as well as a fairer and more resilient multilateral trading system (SDG 10.a). The call for a renewed social contract was grounded in growing inequality within many countries and regions, heightened by COVID-19. Our Common Agenda urges the adoption of comprehensive laws against discrimination (SDG 10.3) and promotes social protection policies to progressively achieve greater equality (SDG 10.4).

Our Common Agenda draws attention to the advancement of the human right to adequate housing (SDG 11.1) and for consideration of the needs and interests of future generations in relation to urbanization and sustainable urban planning (SDGs 11.6, 11.7, 11.a and 11.b). The creation of an Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments to support the Secretary-General is also recommended in support of the SDGs.

The proposal for metrics Beyond GDP, taking into account human well-being, planetary sustainability, and non-market services and care, is fully in support of SDG 12. This is bolstered by recommendations relating to the sustainable management of food systems (SDG 12.3), recommendations to the private sector, including to prioritize reducing absolute emissions and negative biodiversity impacts across their entire value chain (SDG 12.6) and calls to shift fossil fuel subsidies to renewable energy (SDG 12.c).

The need for urgent improvements in international cooperation to address the triple planetary crisis features throughout Our Common Agenda. In line with SDG 13 and the Paris Agreement, it calls for vital action to strengthen adaptation and resilience to the negative effects of climate change (SDG 13.1), including through a credible solidarity package of support to developing countries, allocating 50 per cent of climate finance for adaptation and resilience, as well as the provision of technological support and capacity-building (SDG 13.a).

Our Common Agenda takes a broad approach to the steps needed to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. It draws attention to the increasing risk of pollution in the sea, particularly due to plastic waste (SDG 14.1). In line with the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, Our Common Agenda also calls for the progressive development of international law, such as the proposed treaty against plastic pollution (SDG 14.c) and the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources. Achieving SDG 14 is also a critical step in upholding the right to a healthy environment, recognized by the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.

Our Common Agenda calls for an increase in investments to promote resilience to the impacts of and combat ecosystem and biodiversity loss, including a strong post-2020 biodiversity framework to provide sufficient financing to reverse the catastrophic biodiversity loss the planet is experiencing (SDG 15.4. 15.5, 15.9, and 15.a). Our Common Agenda emphasizes the interconnection between people, animals, and plants and their shared environment through concepts such as One Health (SDG 15.c).

Our Common Agenda calls for a renewed social contract including national listening consultations and the meaningful participation of youth and women (SDG 16.7) as well as more inclusive and networked multilateralism. The report proposes a New Agenda for Peace, which would include reshaping effort to reduce all forms of violence worldwide including against women and girls (SDG 16.1) and a new vision for the rule of law within the UN (SDG 16.3). It contains concrete recommendations to reduce illicit financial flows (SDG 16.4) and to tackle corruption and tax evasion (SDG 16.5). Steps to provide legal identity for all (SDG 16.9) and public access to reliable information through a code of conduct on integrity in public information (SDG 16.10) are also recommended. As part of the Secretary-General’s call for a new global deal, it urges broadening of the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance (SDG 16.8).

Our Common Agenda contains many proposals to turbocharge partnerships for the SDGs. There are important recommendations on multi-stakeholder dialogues to promote the peaceful, secure and sustainable use of outer space, reform of taxation (SDG 17.1), urging all donors to meet the official development assistance targets (SDG 17.2), and for the mobilization of financial resources from diverse sources, including the private sector for sustainable development (SDG 17.3). Improved access to and transfer of science, technology and innovation for developing countries are suggested (SDG 17.6 and 17.7). A fairer and more resilient multilateral trading system is called for as part of the governance of the global economy (SDG 17.10). Better governance of the global economy in general (SDG 17.13, 17.14 and 17.16) and Beyond GDP metrics (SDG 17.17) are proposed, while public-private partnerships are particularly promoted (SDG 17.17). Better data collection and use of foresight by the UN as part of UN 2.0 key aspect of the agenda (SDG 17.18).