According to the official website of the United Nations “The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030”.
The 17 goals are:
- No Poverty
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well-being
- Quality Education
- Gender Equality
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- Reducing Inequality
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Responsible Consumption and Production
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life On Land
- Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- Partnerships for the Goals
The 17 targets include 169 sub-targets which were adopted in the context of the 70th General Assembly of United Nations in 2015 and they were descendant of the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
All around the globe, institutions, authorities, Universities, organizations, groups of people, associations, and individuals implement activities to enhance the impact of the SDGs and reach the targets. Furthermore, more and more Universities and Schools from elementary to high school integrate into their curricula the teaching of SDGs by involving innovative educational techniques, like learning by doing, in order to sensitize youngsters and gain new approaches to reach the targets.
Greece recognizes the significant contribution of Sustainable Development Goals to promoting, inter alia, social well-being, poverty eradication, and equitable and inclusive development. The Office of Coordination, Institutional, International and European Affairs of the General Secretariat of the Government is the central governmental authority responsible for coordinating and monitoring progress towards the implementation of the SDGs at national level.
In iED through various projects that we implement, we, also, try to contribute to the diffusion of the goals. For example, currently, EIIE: Empower – Learn – Lead – Expand: YOUth4SDGs changing the rules transforming our world” by focusing mainly on goals 1,2,4,5,8,10,11,13 and 16 aims among others to:
- Motivate the youngsters to get active and thus empower them to turn their ideas into real social activities –
- Build capacity through exchange of ideas, information, experiences & good
- Raise awareness, promote an active dialogue and strengthen cross-sectorial cooperation among young people & stakeholders allowing for greater synergies across all fields of actions concerning the SDGs
- Develop a new holistic (participative, collaborative, inclusive and accessible) youth empowerment model of implementing SDGs and strengthen young people’s sense of initiative
- Increase and exploit European cooperation in promoting & implementing SDGs through empowered young people.
