The Sustainable Development Agenda: From Inspiration to Action (Beyond 2015 Brief No.6)

The SDGs stand a chance of hitting the ground running. Even before they are put before the UN General Assembly, politicians, policy makers, civil society, business and the media have been reacting positively to the new sustainable development agenda.

The agenda is indeed to be welcomed. It responds to the exploding social, economic, political and ecological inequities and the destructive forces of climate change that we face today. It acknowledges the urgent need to invest far more holistically, strategically and comprehensively in the social sector to overcome immense poverty, hunger and social exclusion challenges. It could usher in eco-social policies—bringing together socioeconomic and environmental policies—to deliver genuinely transformative results in terms of human well-being and rights-based, inclusive development.

What needs to happen now to enable this agenda to deliver on its "transformative" promise? Which policies would lead to social, economic and ecological justice? How can all human rights— promised since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—be realized rapidly and for all? UNRISD, drawing on a large body of research providing critical analysis of diverse country experiences and policy alternatives, identifies 10 areas for urgent and coordinated action.

This brief was prepared by Katja Hujo and Gabriele Koehler.

UNRISD’s "Beyond 2015" Briefs contribute research-based insight and analysis to the dialogue around the post– MDG development agenda. They highlight key information in a concise format, with references to further in-depth reading, useful to policy makers, activists and academics alike.