At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, a large number of world leaders at the United Nations (UN) adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a number of time bound targets, with a deadline of 2015 known as Millennium Development  Goals (MDGs) namely (a) Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty (b) Achieve universal primary education (c) Promote gender equality and empower women (d) Reduce child mortality (e) Improve maternal health (f) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (g) Ensure environmental sustainability and (h) Develop global partnership for development.

The General Assembly Resolution 69/244 of December 29, 2014 decided inter alia that the United Nations Summit for Adoption of Post-2015 Development Agenda will be held from September 24-27, 2015 in New York and convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly. 

Further, the decision 69/555 deliberated on the modalities for the process of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda contained in a document titled ‘Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ agreed by consensus at the informal meeting on August 2, 2015. It was also agreed to transmit the outcome of this document, which was annexed to present resolution, to the General Assembly at its 70th session for action during the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda held from September 25-27, 2015 by governments of 193 member countries.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has 17 new goals based on 169 targets and will come into effect on January 1, 2016 and guide the major decisions of the member countries of the United Nations will take over the next 15 years. 


Background to 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development  
The integration of environment and development concerns and greater attention to them lead to fulfilment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer and more prosperous future. It was realized that no nation can achieve these development goals without a global partnership.

Accordingly, the General Assembly resolution 44/228 of December 22, 1989 was adopted as the nations of the world called for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and stressed the need to take a balanced and integrated approach to environment and development issues.
The UNCED was held from June 3-14, 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the governments of the United Nations adopted Agenda 21 - Programme of Action for Sustainable Development - also known as the Rio Declaration and a blueprint for action to global sustainable development into the 21st century. The proclamation had 27 Principles and dealt with four Sections namely (a) Social and Economic Dimensions (b) Conservation and Management of Resources for Development (c) Strengthening the Role of Major Groups and (d) Means of Implementation. 

Agenda 21 also contained an unbinding statement of forest principles. 

There were 40 chapters related to the four sections and each chapter contained an introduction, programme areas, objectives and activities for each programme area.


Rio +20 Conference
Further, the member states of the United Nations decided to launch a more focused process to agree to a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Rio +20 Conference held in Rio from June 20-22 2012. The member states also agreed to develop a set of 17 SDGs that will converge with the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Groundbreaking guidelines on green economic policies were also adopted and a decision was taken on a high-level political forum on sustainable development.


New Post-Sustainable Development Agenda 2016-2030
The 17 SDGs and the 169 associated targets are integrated and indivisible. It is unique that never before had the world leaders pledged common support and action to a universal policy that would eventually lead to sustainable development.
The 17 SDGs are: 
1.    End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
2.    End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
3.    Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.
4.    Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5.    Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6.    Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
7.    Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
8.    Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive environment and decent work for all.
9.    Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
10.    Reduce inequality within and among countries.
11.    Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
12.    Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
13.    Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts - acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
14.    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
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. 
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.
17.    Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Each goal has targets varying from eight to 12 comprising a total of 169. The timeframe for achieving the above goals are identified as 2020 and 2030, respectively.


A call for action to change the world
The value of peace, dialogue and international cooperation which underpin the values of the Charter of the United Nations evolved 70 years ago after the Second World War was realized by all its members including those founder members of the Security Council.

The Agenda for Global Action for the next 15 years embodied in the Post-Sustainable Development Agenda 2016-2030 is a charter for people and planet earth in the 21st century. To this end, children, young women and men are critical agents of such change and the new goals will be a conduit to channel their capacities for action to create a better world.

The world leaders and members representing 193-member countries have embarked on a path to sustainable development involving governments as well as parliaments, the United Nations System and other international institutions, local authorities, indigenous peoples, civil society, business and the private sector, the scientific and academic community –and all people. Millions have already engaged with and will own this agenda, which is of the people, and for the people and will lead to success.


Sri Lanka and Sustainable Development Agenda 2016-2030 
President Maithripala Sirisena in his address to the General Assembly on the post-2015 Development Agenda stated that Sri Lanka supported the new initiative that “would act as a pioneer of the eco –sensitive civilization”, which was emerging in the 21st century. Emphasizing the protection of natural resources, Sri Lanka would formulate a state policy on resource consumption (renewable and non- renewable) based on environmental sustainability. It would also pay special attention to environmental good governance, ensuring the participation, not only by the state but also civil society and the business community.

The President also stated that Sri Lanka is fully committed to Goal 13 (Climate Change) and will strive to minimize risks possible due to natural calamities. To this end, an effective study was required to ascertain how climate change has hampered Sri Lanka’s contemporary development agenda such as poverty, food security, an aging population and natural disasters.

Since Sri Lanka is aspiring to be a middle-income country, it will focus on the new MDGs related to poverty alleviation, food security, renewable and non-renewable energy, education, income disparity and urban development.


UNFCCC and Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030
It must be stressed that the successful implementation of the 17 SDGs with the 169 targets will be dependent upon UNFCCC, which will have a profound and overarching effect on the new development   agenda. This intergovernmental forum will negotiate the global response to climate change. The countries are determined to address decisively the proven threat posed by climate change and environmental degradation. To this end, it calls for effective and maximum international cooperation targeting the acceleration of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and   focusing on adaptation to negative impacts of climate change.

Countries also were  of  immediate  concern to the  widening gap between parties mitigating  release of greenhouse gases  by 2020  and the total annual  emissions  which will be a challenge in holding average increase in temperatures below 2 or 1.5 degrees C above pre industrial levels. Member countries have been urged that at the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris this December to underscore its commitments to strive for an ambitious universal   agreement. Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s commitment to Goal 13 is of great significance.


Proposed action plan for Sri Lanka to achieve SDGs by 2030
The Government of Sri Lanka is committed to focus on a 15-year master plan to achieve SDGs by 2030. To this end, the following measures will be required:
Review the long-term plans of all ministries which will fall into the 17 goals and formulate effective implementation targets that will be in harmony with each goal.

Work out the requirements of personnel, finances and implementing mechanisms with inter-ministerial coordination.

Suggest that each ministry to have a separate unit or agency responsible for implementing the appropriate targets under each goal and identify cross-cutting goals and targets.

Suggest that the National Planning Council Act No 40 of 1956 and 55 of 1957, or any other recent legislation be amended with the main objective of effectively achieving SDGs by 2030.

The revitalized National Planning Council should be under the President who will seek advice from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers as well as the parliament for effective implementation of the MDGs.

The implementation of each goal with targets should be a continuous rolling plan and should not be affected by change of government.

It must be stated that some of the baseline data for achieving the different targets of the 17 MDGs are not available in Sri Lanka and focus on increased support for collection of such data is recommended. To this end, a compilation of a research monograph titled ‘The State of Environment and Sustainable Development 2015’ be attempted incorporating all 17 goals and the status of the 169 associated targets. Foreign assistance from multi-lateral agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and bilateral assistance from donor countries may be explored.

To prioritize the MDGs Sri Lanka should pay immediate attention to Goals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Special attention is drawn to Goal 16 that stresses the need to “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 goal is of paramount importance due to local human rights concerns and the breakdown of law and order during the past.


International assistance for implementing new MDGs
The members of the United Nations have drawn attention to international public finance to sustain the ambitious MDGs to compliment the developing countries and other vulnerable countries striving to mobilize resources domestically. Accordingly, an Official Development Assistance (ODA) provider is to catalyse additional resources mobilization from other sources, public and private. ODA providers mainly developed countries have reaffirmed their respective commitment to achieve the target of 0.7 percent of gross national income (ODA/GNI) to developing countries and 0.15 percent to 0.2 percent of ODI/GNI to least developed countries.


Means of implementation and Global Partnership
The revitalized Global Partnership will assist in an effective global engagement by extensively supporting implementation of all the goals and targets, bringing together governments, civil society, the private sector, the United Nations system and other partners by mobilizing all available resources.
The various modalities or targets are effectively spelt out in Goal 17, which deals with finance, technology, capacity building, trade and systemic issues.


Technology facilitation mechanism
The outcome of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa from July 13 to 16, 2015 was endorsed by the General Assembly as the ‘Addis Ababa Action Agenda’, which is critical for realization of SDGs and targets.

Accordingly, a Technology Facilitation Mechanism in line with the above agenda was established in July 2015 based on a multi-stakeholder mechanism between member states, civil society and the private sector, the scientific community, United Nations entities and other stakeholders. This mechanism   includes a United Nations inter-agency task team on science, technology and innovation for the SDGs and will be an effective forum   for an online platform. 
The United Nations inter-agency task team will promote coordination, coherence and cooperation with the United Nations system on science, technology and innovation-related matters enhancing synergy and efficiency, in particular capacity building initiatives. The task team will draw on resources and will closely work with 10 representatives from civil society the private sector and the international scientific community to prepare meetings of the multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation related to SDGs.  

The task team will further identify operational modalities for the online platform, including proposals for the relevant subjects for the forum. These representatives will be appointed by the Secretary General for periods of two years. This forum will be convened every year for a period of two days to discuss matters related to the above as effecting SDGs by the President of the Economic and Social Council. The recommendations and deliberations of the meetings will be presented to the high-level political forum representing member countries, which is the main decision-making body for implementing MDGs.


Follow-up and review of MDGs 2016-2030
It has been realized that a systematic follow-up and review of the implementation of the new agenda over 15 years require a robust, voluntary, effective, participatory, transparent and integrated mechanism, which will facilitate countries to achieve the proposed time-bound MDGs with the 169 associated targets. Accordingly, guidelines have been identified based on appropriate principles at national, regional and global levels.

At national level, member states are encouraged to develop as soon as practicable ambitious national responses to the overall implementation of the new MDGs. The integration of these new initiatives to the existing planning instruments such as national development and sustainable development strategies   is recommended.

 At regional level, inclusive processes will draw on national level reviews and contribute to follow-up and review at the global level, including the high-level forum on sustainable development. Member states are also requested to identify the most suitable regional forum. United Nations regional commissions are encouraged to support member states in this regard. Sri Lanka should identify SACEP (South Asia Co-Operative Environmental Programme) and interact with ESCAP to implement the MDGs.

At global level the proposed high-level political forum will have a pivotal role in overseeing an effective network of follow-up mechanisms and review progress, working in close coordination with the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other relevant organs and forums. It will catalyse sharing of experiences including successes, challenges and provide political leadership guidance and recommendations for follow-up. 

The political forum will be informed by an annual progress report on the SDGs prepared by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in cooperation with the United Nations system. The high-level political forum will also be informed by the Global Sustainable Development Report, which aims to strengthen the science – policy interface that would provide a strong evidenced-based instrument to support national and regional policymakers in poverty eradication and sustainable development.

This forum, in collaboration with the Economic and Social Council, shall carry out regular reviews in line with General Assembly resolution 67/290 of 12 July 2013 (format and organisational aspects of the high-level political forum on sustainable development). The forum will meet every four years under the auspices of the General Assembly and provide high-level political guidance on the agenda and its implementation and mobilize further actions to accelerate implementation. The next forum will be held under the auspices of the General Assembly in 2019 with the comprehensive four-year policy review process.


Conclusions
I have attempted to highlight the salient features by summarizing the 35-page document A/69/L.85 presented at the 69th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on August 12, 2015 under agenda items 13 (a) and 115 titled ‘Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow–up to the outcomes of major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields’ and a follow-up to the outcome of Millennium Summit.

The above document adopted at the 69th session was presented at the 70th session of the General Assembly for adoption of the post-development agenda and constituted an annex to the resolution on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development approved during the high-level plenary meeting from September 25-27, 2015. The UN Secretary General described the 2030 agenda as “universal, transformative and integrated”.

In implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, Sri Lanka will have to strive untiringly to   harness cooperation and active participation of all stakeholders including the various agencies of the government, local government entities such as provincial councils, municipalities, private sector civil society, NGOs, etc. 

Above all there should be a strong political will in implementing the SDGs and it is of paramount importance that all political parties represented in Parliament including the Opposition should cooperate with the coalition government in launching the new SDGs by January 2016. 

It must be stressed that if some party leaders who are hell bent in obstructing any progressive policies of the government, they should change their attitude and cooperate with the coalition government in implementing the Sustainable Development Agenda 2016-2030, which is by the people and for the people. 
To this end, the Prime Minister’s vision of the whole Parliament acting as the government is very appropriate and will be a good precedent in successfully implementing the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

(Dulip Jayawardena, a retired Economic Affairs Officer attached to the Environment and Natural Resources Development Division of the United Nations ESCAP, can be reached at [email protected])