Today, the United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 Global Goals that could end extreme poverty and improve the lives of BILLIONS of people around the world.
Here are the Global Goals to change the world:
Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
You’ve seen the news, the global financial crisis, the global warming, the civil wars. HOW can we be anywhere near achieving this?! Well, did you know: since 1990 we’ve more than halved the number of people living in extreme poverty? Now we need to step up efforts to completely end it by 2030.
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
The hunger/poverty cycle is a difficult one to break, but that is necessary if we want to live in a world where everyone has the ability to fulfil their potential. Did you know there are over 870 million people who are hungry in the world at this exact moment? The kind of hunger that stops a body being able to work the hours that it needs to, that stops a brain being able to concentrate in class, that stops a person living in poverty being able to lift themselves out of it. This goal will not only make sure everyone has enough food, but that we can make sure it is nutritious and sustainable to grow.
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
To quote Martin Luther King Jr: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” That’s why access to healthcare and medicine is a top priority. Where you live should not be a barrier to the quality of healthcare you receive. Goal number 3 will also focus on drug rehabilitation and alcoholism as a way to tackle early mortality rates in developing countries.
Children at Mwangaza Tumaini School in Mukuru, Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Morgana Wingard/ONE.
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Education is key to driving progress in development, from agriculture to child mortality – for example, a mother who had completed primary education reduced the risk of stunting by 22 per cent in Bangladesh and 26 per cent in Indonesia. As part of our Poverty is Sexist campaign ONE has called for girls and women to be put at the heart of the development agenda, which is why we welcome the goal of gender parity for not only primary and secondary education, and equal access to vocational and university education.
Girls at school in Ghana. Photo: Morgana Wingard/ONE
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
As President Barack Obama said on his recent trip to Kenya; “Any nation that fails to educate its girls or employ its women and allow them to maximize their potential is doomed to fall behind the global economy”. We couldn’t agree more. It’s been shown in a recent paper that female-headed households have seen faster poverty reduction than male-headed households, as they are more likely to re-invest their money in the family. This goal will ensure that we take everyone forward in our fight against extreme poverty.
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
1 in 9 people lack access to safe water. More people have a mobile phone than a toilet. In 2015, it doesn’t seem like this should be the case. That’s why, by 2030, this goal will work to get access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. It will also work to provide access to sanitation and hygiene for everyone, specifically looking at the needs of women and girls. This could be amazing.
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
600 million people in Africa don’t have access to reliable sources of energy. Achieving this would mean families don’t have to cook over open fires, moms don’t have to give birth in the dark and kids don’t have to try to do their homework beside a kerosene lamp. It won’t be an easy task, but through expanded infrastructure and upgraded technology, we can reach it. This goal will also encourage sustainable and efficient energy sources, contributing to a better world for everyone.
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
This doesn’t just mean continued growth, but also full work for women and men, for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. It also means taking immediate and effective measures to get rid of forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and, by 2025, end child labour for good. That’s HUGE.
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
We’ve shared a lot of stories about innovators around the world who are changing our lives for the better. Sustainable infrastructure will support economic development and overall human well-being, including for small businesses. By 2030, more industries will be more sustainable by adopting clean and environmentally-friendly tools and processes. And the best part? This means better financial, technological and technical support to African countries, including access to the Internet.
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
Together we’re stronger – with men and women, and all countries working together, we can make this world a better place. This goal helps emphasize that hope. It covers everything from income growth to equal opportunities and inclusion of all – and it should lead to better representation of developing countries in the global conversation. It also encourages directing official development assistance to the people and places that need it the most: that’s a big deal.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Makes sense that people should be safe, right?! This goal will make sure people everywhere have access to safe and affordable housing and basic services, safe roads and transportation systems. It will also make sure people are protected in disasters and that cities are paying attention to their environmental impact.
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
To achieve a better world, we have to take better care of our resources. This means more responsible and sustainable practices that will reduce our world’s waste by 2030. Pretty crazy, but it will take all of us to inform ourselves and those around us about the best way to take care of our earth.
Melting sea ice. Photo Credit: www.nasa.gov
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
If the point of these 17 goals is to get us to a better world, then we can’t forget the planet we call home. We have to be more aware of what is damaging our environment and have better responses.
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Seventy per cent of our planet is covered by water, so it’s important to add oceans to the list. We have to work to reduce marine pollution and make sure we’re preventing future problems. It also requires us to protect and conserve marine life, so oceans continue to be healthy and productive.
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Want more nature adventures? Then this one’s for you. We have to make sure we are taking care of our forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands responsibly, which means no more reckless tearing down of forests. And we can’t forget the other species that we share this earth with – we have to make sure protected species are safe from harm.
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
This is super important. We can’t live in a world where people’s lives are at risk or where institutions are dishonest. This goal makes sure there is equal access to justice for everyone, everywhere – and will work to make sure people are safe from abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence. If that wasn’t enough, it also calls for transparency from governments and other institutions to reduce corruption.
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development Finance
This goal is making sure developed and developing countries are working together and that official development assistance targets are being met. You’ve helped us campaign on a lot of this before – telling world leaders to #DoWhatsRight and making sure our aid goes to those who need it. That’s what we need world leaders to continue to do, so that all countries can reach their potential.