Heads of State, Government leaders, UN High Level Representatives and civil society  met in September 2015, at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These represent a universal, ambitious, sustainable development agenda, an agenda “of the people, by the people and for the people,” crafted with UNESCO’s active involvement.

UNESCO will contribute to the implementation of the SDGs trhough its work on:

Education

UNESCO actively helped to frame the Education 2030 agenda which is encapsulated in SDG 4. The Incheon Declaration, adopted at the World Education Forum in Korea in May 2015, entrusted UNESCO to lead and coordinate Education 2030 through guidance and technical support within the overall SDG agenda.  

Natural Sciences

The new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development represents a significant step forward in the recognition of the contribution of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to sustainable development.

Social and Human Sciences

UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Programme aims to firmly entrench universal values and principles, such as global solidarity, inclusion, anti-discrimination, gender equality and accountability, in the implementation of the SDGs.

Culture

Placing culture at the heart of development policies constitutes an essential investment in the world's future and a pre-condition to successful globalization processes that take into account the principle of cultural diversity.

Communication and Information

UNESCO advocates the recognition of the vital role that freedom of expression and access to information and knowledge play in sustainable societies.