The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which came into effect in January 2016, are a new, universal set of economic, social and environmental goals and targets that United Nations (UN) member states are expected to achieve by 2030. The SDGs build and expand on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by focusing on critical dimensions of sustainable development in both developing and developed countries, including human rights obligations, good governance, social justice, equity within countries, sustainability (particularly environmental sustainability), vulnerability and the exclusion of marginal populations and the poorest of the poor. Like the MDGs, the SDGs will not be legally binding; they represent a political commitment to development by all UN member states. Ultimately, these universal goals are expected to create a benchmark that ensures the balancing of economic development and global environmental goals with poverty reduction objectives.
Until now, the debates surrounding the SDGs have mainly concerned the setting of goals and indicators. Less attention has been paid to discussing the roles and responsibilities that different stakeholders should take in achieving these goals – in particular, how to best implement this universal framework at the local level. Given the scope and ambition of the SDGs, it is clear that governments alone cannot achieve the agenda. They must also facilitate participation of all sectors of society, including civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector and the general public at the local level. This “localization” calls for an inclusive approach that utilizes local knowledge to tailor the ambitious global-development agenda to specific local circumstances.
