World leaders assembled at the UN Sustainable Development Summit from September 25-27 at UN headquarters in New York to formally adopt an ambitious new sustainable development agenda. This momentous agenda will serve as the launch pad for action by the international community and by national governments to promote shared prosperity and well-being for all over the next 15 years.
193 world leaders commit to 17 goals to achieve 3 extraordinary things in the next 15 years. End extreme poverty. Fight inequality & injustice. Fix climate change. The Global Goals for sustainable development could get these things done. In all countries. For all people.
The fundamental ‘Outcome Document‘ defining exact wording of SDGs states:
‘’This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. ‘’
We welcome that the issue of antimicrobial resistance is now featured in the document. Collective action should follow this recognition:
‘’We are committed to ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education. We will equally accelerate the pace of progress made in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, Ebola and other communicable diseases and epidemics, including by addressing growing anti-microbial resistance and the problem of unattended diseases affecting developing countries. ‘’
If not considered a priority, the issue of antimicrobial resistance could mean the undoing of all the progress made under the Millenium Development Goals. We therefore commend the international community for committing to the comprehensive and visionary list of SDGs.
Importantly, next steps towards the implementation of SDGs will elucidate the status of world’s preparedness in tackling global threats collectively. The cross-sectoral action with harmonized measurable indicators of progress, including those on antimicrobial resistance, will pave the way towards sustainable development.
