The UN Sustainable Development Goals explained in easy terms

13 December 2016 – Many people talk about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, or so-called SDGs but few know exactly what these are. To help Namibians better understand the development goals and the reason why they have been adopted by all 193 member states of the United Nations, a booklet was published this week, explaining the goals in simple language, and listing actions to be taken in Namibia to attain the SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 broad goals encapsulating 169 specific development targets to end poverty and hunger, make health services accessible to all, improve education, ensure the viability of cities, reduce the impact of climate change, and protect the oceans and the forests. The goals’ intention is to radically change the world for the better by 2030.

The convergence with the targets and strategies of the Harambee Prosperity Plan, is obvious.

The Hans Seidel Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), First National Bank Holdings, the Economic Association of Namibia and Namibia Media Holdings, published the booklet explaining the SDGs in easy layman’s terms, and describing what must be done to achieve them. The booklet was launched at a function in Windhoek on Wednesday.

The booklet informs readers what the development goals are, offering constructive suggestions how these can be achieved.

The goals were accepted by the UN as global civil society goals in September 2015.