5 May 2016

This year we embarked on a great collective journey - implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We now have the opportunity to show our strong commitment to transform the world for the better. A world in which every single person can thrive, wherever he/ she is born and regardless of the section of society he/she lives in.

At the core of this Agenda is a simple message: “Leaving no one behind“. The 2030 Agenda tells us that the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets should be met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society; and it highlights the endeavour to reach the furthest behind first.

If this is to be the case, “Ensuring that no one is left behind” has to be a fundamental guiding principle underpinning all implementation initiatives.

The 2030 Agenda outlines a number of specific actions that all aim to leaving no country and no group of society behind. Yet, we are all aware that taking the principle of leaving no one behind seriously will imply a change of paradigm in the way development is conducted.

We know some of the ingredients for this. We will have to focus on inequalities of outcomes, to reach those left furthest behind.

Equally important, we will have to address inequalities of opportunities, so that everyone has fair chances at living decent lives – with dignity. And we will have to change institutions so that they empower every individual, and all nations.

Beyond these general ideas, we urgently need to share good experiences and successes in leaving no one behind. What strategies have worked in different SDG areas, and across SDGs? Which of these strategies are in fact reaching those furthest behind first? In which areas can we assess that strategies that leave no one behind would be different from currently used strategies, and hence the most difficult to implement?

This blog is an invitation to contribute to this reflection. The discussion will enrich the deliberations of policy-makers, practitioners and stakeholders from all nations, as they meet in New York in July at the high-level political forum on sustainable development for the first review of the 2030 Agenda.

Thank you for your contribution.