17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and boost economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve the environment.
The 2030 Agenda, together with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, provides the global framework for international cooperation on sustainable development and its economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions.
Cooperation with partner countries, Member States and public authorities at different levels, civil society and private sector, as well as active participation in high-level international fora, including the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, is crucial to advancing the EU’s commitment to and leadership in sustainable development. This is key, as sustainable development is a core principle of the Treaty on European Union and a priority objective for the EU's internal and external policies.