Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2015. At its heart are the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, to be achieved by 2030.
The Seventeen Goals
The SDGs are: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice and strong institutions; and partnerships for the goals.
Leave No One Behind
The Agenda's central promise is to leave no one behind and to reach the furthest behind first. Unlike the earlier Millennium Development Goals, the SDGs apply to all countries, developed and developing alike, and integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development.
Goal 16: Law and Institutions
Goal 16 is of particular importance to lawyers. Its targets include significantly reducing all forms of violence; ending abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children; promoting the rule of law and ensuring equal access to justice for all; substantially reducing corruption and bribery; developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions; ensuring responsive, inclusive and participatory decision-making; providing legal identity for all, including birth registration; and ensuring public access to information.
Legal Status
The 2030 Agenda is a political commitment rather than a treaty. Progress is reviewed through Voluntary National Reviews at the UN High-Level Political Forum.
In Indonesia
Indonesia integrated the SDGs into national planning through Presidential Regulation No. 59 of 2017, later replaced by Presidential Regulation No. 111 of 2022 on the Implementation of the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The goals inform national and regional development plans, budgeting, and partnerships with business, universities and civil society.