UNITED NATIONS (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - World leaders on Friday adopted the most sweeping agenda ever of global goals to combat poverty, inequality and climate change, described by the United Nations secretary-general as "a to-do list for people and planet."
Adopted in the
shadow of the worst refugee crisis since World War II, the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals, or SDGs, call for shared peace and prosperity and cap three
years of debate and discussions.
The ambitious
agenda addressing issues from education to the environment is to be implemented
over the next 15 years with a big push globally to win public support for the
goals.
The 193 U.N.
member nations formally adopted the goals after an address to the United
Nations by Pope Francis, who called the adoption "an important sign of
hope."
"Solemn
commitments, however, are not enough, even though they are a necessary step
toward solutions," said the Pope as the Vatican flag flew for the first
time outside the United Nations where security was heightened for his visit.
He said world
leaders must follow through with "a will which is effective, practical,
constant, with concrete steps and immediate measures" to protect the
environment and end social and economic exclusion.
"The simplest
and best measure and indicator of the implementation of the new Agenda for
development will be effective, practical and immediate access, on the part of
all, to essential material and spiritual goods," he said.
The objectives
replace the previous U.N. action plan, the Millennium Development Goals, that
were adopted in 2000.
Supporters say the
SDGs go much further by addressing root causes of issues such as poverty and
looking at means as well as ends. They also are intended to be universal, not
just for the developing world.
"They are a
to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success," said U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after an opening ceremony with performances by
Colombian singer Shakira and Benin's Angelique Kidjo, U.N. goodwill ambassadors.
Nobel peace
laureate Malala Yousafzai, representing youth at the United Nations, urged the
gathering of world leaders to "keep your commitments and invest in our
future."
"Promise
peace and prosperity," said the teen, a prominent activist for girls'
education who was shot on a school bus in Pakistan
in 2012 by the Taliban for advocating girls' rights.
Supporters say
the hefty task that lies beyond the three-day SDG summit that concludes on
Sunday is implementing the 17 goals and their 169 accompanying targets into
programs, policies and parliaments in member nations.
Such
implementation, requiring trillions of dollars in investment, will be monitored
and reviewed using a set of global indicators to be agreed by March 2016.
While critics
have described the SDGs as too broad and ambitious, supporters argue the
agreement is a positive step as a shared vision to improve lives globally.
"There is a
huge gap between the world we live in and the world we want. These goals
represent people's aspirations and rights and they must and can be
realized," said Salil Shetty, secretary-general of Amnesty International.
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