“Sustainable Development Goals” (SDG) has been, as it could not be otherwise, the most repeated phrase during the two weeks of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on the 2030 SDGs that has been developed at the United Nations in New York on the 9th. to July 19, 2018. And there has been another word that has constantly been repeated over and over again in each intervention: “Leaving no one behind.” Whoever says that this 2030 Agenda is merely a set of 17 unattainable technical goals, is wrong. Talking about the 2030 Agenda or SDG 2030 is talking about Human Rights, that is why this phrase defines our soul like no other: no one can be forgotten!; No nations, no peoples, no groups, no people can be forgotten!
193 countries signed in January 2016 the commitment to the 2030 Agenda; 47 of them wanted to present their progress this year with respect to 6 SDGs. Few ?: Changing the way this world works is not easy and this is what the SDGs intend. We must change the focus: we want to look at each country within a global perspective; we are all citizens of the same world; We are all part of a humanity that has preceded us and that will continue. We are realizing that each one of us is part of a whole that is called to be one solidary HUMANITY. If Human Rights were a milestone in the recognition of the rights of each person, the SDGs represent the recognition of the rights and responsibilities we have towards each other; we are a family made up of peoples, histories and relationships. The Earth, the common home that we are mistreating and over-exploiting, has been one of the causes that we have realized the mutual dependence and relationship that human beings have: Laudato si!
The 17 objectives and their 169 goals represent a network of improvement projects that are related to and involve a complex network that requires the collaboration of all; the SDGs are the ecosystem where we have to learn to live; again, nature teaches us how to do things. Civil society, companies, universities and governments we have to start to build a new world from a new perspective: “Do not leave anyone behind.”
During the past two weeks it has been possible to see how governments have tried to convince us that their commitments are doing them well or very well. We have seen how the most advanced countries in compliance with the SDGs are, curiously, the richest; we have missed the presentation of economic commitments to promote the 2030 agenda; many of the analyzes and projects suffered from being made from the West and not from other realities; The drums of Trump’s commercial war came from outside. It is true, we have seen all this, but we have also heard the desire to move forward, the tectology with a willingness to help, the committed reflection of the University, the expression of life in lament and protest of the NGOs, regional cooperation with stamp 2030 and, above all, it has been possible to feel the energy of hope.
Miguel Ángel Velasco cmf
