The House of Commons International Development Committee held an inquiry on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ahead of their adoption at the UN General Assembly. The UN SDGs due to be agreed in September 2015 are globally applicable and represent a major policy commitment by the UK government. The Committee is well-placed to determine whether the SDGs are being implemented and monitored coherently within the UK across government.
This submission highlights that:
- The International Development Committee should take an active role in championing a holistic view of the SDGs within the UK and internationally, encouraging implementation in a joined-up way, rather than treating each goal in isolation;
- There are major gains to be achieved by bringing together actions in support of the SDGs with this year’s other international agreements on climate change and disaster risk reduction;
- There is a need for the SDGs to be closely monitored, using the best-available locally relevant, accessible, and timely data, disaggregated where and when this is relevant; and
- Action to meet the SDGs should be evidence-based, including drawing on the best available science.