Issues | SDGs
Background
In September 2015 the UN approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A significant part of this 2030 Agenda consists of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. These establish an agenda for sustainable development for the period to 2030 in every country worldwide.
The SDGs are the successors to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which expired in 2015. They are broader in intent and are also universal. Hence they apply to every country, including Belgium.
The intention is that the SDGs should now be addressed at all policy levels (federal, regional, European and even local).
There are 17 SDGs. Each of them is represented by a series of targets (169 in total), and by a number of indicators. In our country it is now up to the different policy-making levels, acting within their remit, to devise a plan for their implementation. The Interministerial Conference on Sustainable Development will coordinate the execution of these plans at the varying levels. Meanwhile, a start has been made with a National Strategy for Sustainable Development which brings together some common initiatives. A number of initiatives have also been agreed at the federal level. The most recent plans can be found in the 2018 policy documents released by Ministers Marghem and De Croo.
The 2030 Agenda includes provision for all countries to submit voluntary interim reports to the United Nations on the progress they have made towards the SDGs. Belgium did so in 2017, presenting a Voluntary National Review to the High-Level Political Forum, the UN body responsible for monitoring national implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The intention is that the SDGs will play a significant role across a wide range of policy areas. This means that development cooperation policy will take extensive account of the SDGs.
The response of the Federal Council for Sustainable Development (FDRO)
- (2017) Opinion on the Belgian report for the Voluntary National Review 2017
- (2016) Opinion on the framework text of the national sustainable development strategy (NL)
- Opinion on the implementation of the SDGs
- Opinion on the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights (NL)
- (2015) Opinion on the least developed countries and the post-2015 agenda
- (2013) Opinion on climate and development cooperation (NL)
- (2013) Second opinion on the follow-up to Rio+20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda
- (2013) Opinion on the follow-up to Rio+20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda
- UPDATE, with news on the SDGs
Background information
- SDGs.be
- Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform
- SDG Knowledge Hub
- Gap analysis on implementation of SDGs at federal level
- EU Council Conclusions June 2017
- SDG Index
- OECD report (2017), Measuring distance to the SDGs