A new vehicle to accelerate the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

A new vehicle to accelerate the UN Sustainable Development GoalsThe UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are unquestionably visionary. But with only a decade left until 2030, the UN Secretary General has announced that we are at a crossroads in the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, 1 and member states have released a political declaration to demand accelerated implementation. 2 Yet delivering 169 targets across 17 interconnected goals is a major challenge for any government. For low-resource and humanitarian settings, the challenge is even more acute. Additionally, clear mechanisms for delivering solutions that can address an integrated agenda do not exist.This crisis in delivery could have severe consequences for the next generation. Africa's adolescents (aged 11-18 years) are the fastest growing population group in the world, estimated to reach half a billion by 2050. This population group represents huge potential and future capacity but is among those most left behind by the SDGs-as such it is an excellent case for investment. Achieving a range of global goals for adolescents in Africa would have widespread effects, but a new vehicle is needed to implement these goals. Use of development accelerators might be this fundamental change in approach. Promoted by the UNDP, accelerators are conceptualised as pragmatic actions that have a simultaneous cumulative effect across a range of goals. 3 Emerging evidence shows that accelerators can be a reality for adolescents-for example, in South Africa,

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