I am currently studying International Relations in Mexico. Not a lot of people in Mexico can understand English very well so what I tried to do was to simplify the information regarding the sustainable development goals. My target audience for this document is students who have basic knowledge of the international system. I added some maps that include some important statistics regarding these goals so people can understand why the SDGs are important to achieve. I also added their background, what they are, how they could be achieved among other things . I tried to keep it as simple and understandable as posible without leaving important details.

1. www.globalopportunitynetwork.org
By Melissa Angela Johnson Navarro from Mexico

2. Before we determine what are the sustainable development goals it is important to know what is
development and what is sustainable development.
When measuring development in countries, we have to keep in mind that development is not only the
wealth of a nation; recent United Nations documents emphasize that “human development” is
measured by life expectancy, adult literacy, access to all three levels of education, as well as people’s
average income which is a necessary condition of their freedom of choice. Human development
incorporates all aspects of individuals’ well-being, from their health status to their economic and
political freedom.”
Gross Domestic Product and Gross National Product have to be divided by the country’s population
in order to judge a country’s level of economic development. GDP per capita and GNP per capita are
able to show the approximate amount of goods and services that each person in a country would be
able to buy in a year if incomes were divided equally.
The classical definition given by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and
Development in 1987, development can be sustainable if it “meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
http://www.sustainableni.org/sustainable-development/sustainability-principles/index.php
Five principles of sustainable development outlined in the UK Framework for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations created the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and they are more ambitious
than their predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The SDGs are universal,
focusing on five key elements: people, planet, peace, prosperity, and partnership. They are universal
set of goals, targets and indicators that United Nation member states will be expected to use to frame
their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years.
The eight MDGs were the following: reduce poverty and hunger; achieve universal education;
promote gender equality; reduce child and maternal deaths; combat HIV, malaria and other diseases;
ensure environmental sustainability; develop global partnerships. They failed to consider the root

3. causes of some of these problems, they didn’t mention human rights and they also did not specifically
address economic development.
The 17 SDGs are:
1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere
http://data.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/wdi15-sec1-map-wld41450.pdf
2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
3) Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
http://data.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/wdi15-sec2-map-wld41451.pdf

4. 4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment,
and decent work for all
http://data.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/wdi15-sec4-map-wld41453.pdf
9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster
innovation
10) Reduce inequality within and among countries
11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (taking note of agreements made by
the UNFCCC forum)
14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development
15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss

5. http://data.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/wdi15-sec3-map-wld41452.pdf
16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable
development
The UN conducted a large consultation program to measure the opinion on what the SDGs should
include, the final wording of the goals and targets were agreed in August 2015.
The majority of governments seem to be happy with the goals but some member states, including the
UK and Japan, aren’t so keen since they feel that 17 goals are too many to implement or sell to the
public.
The indicators on how these goals will be measured are still being determined by an expert group.
Each indicator is being assessed for its feasibility, suitability and relevance, and roughly two for each
target are expected. The indicators are due to be finalized in March 2016.
Public finance and aid is central to support the implementation of the SDGs, money generated from
the private sector, through tax reforms, and through a crackdown on illicit financial flows and
corruption, is also vital.
There is a SDG Fund and it is the first cooperation mechanism specifically designed to achieve the
future SDGs. This fund intends to act as a bridge in the transition from MDGs to SDGs by providing
concrete experiences on how to achieve a sustainable and inclusive world post-2015 through its
integrated and multidimensional joint programs.
The SDGs are connected to United Nation Development Program’s (UNDP) Strategic Plan focus
areas: sustainable development, democratic governance and peacebuilding, and climate and disaster
resilience.
The International Monetary Fund will support its member countries in crucial ways as they pursue the
SDGs by providing a wider safety net for developing countries; by enhancing support for developing

6. countries in building capacity in tax policy and administration, including on international tax issues; by
undertaking policy-oriented research on a number of development issues, among other things.
The SDGs will become applicable from January 2016 and the deadline for these goals is 2030.
Other sources consulted
https://d396qusza40orc.cloudfront.net/fin4devmooc/pdf/begbw_7_15.pdf
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-united-
nations
https://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/sdg.htm
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview/post-2015-development-agenda.html
http://www.sdgfund.org/mdgs-sdgs