In Council conclusions adopted on Tuesday 22 June, the EU reaffirms its strong commitment to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ‘build back better’, as the World Economic Forum puts it.
The EU Council underlines that, “the 2030 Agenda is the shared blueprint for ensuring a sustainable recovery that is equitable, inclusive, socially just, resilient and green”.
It recognises that the Covid-19 pandemic threatens progress towards the SDGs both within the EU and globally (see EUROPE 12741/9, 12740/6), and that its socio-economic consequences have a disproportionate impact on women and girls.
It therefore calls for enhanced dialogue and concrete operational action to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.
It invites the Commission to propose such actions in connection with the realisation of the ambitions of the ‘European Green Deal’. The Commission is also called on to engage in regular dialogue with the EU Council, to continue to promote an integrated, strategic, ambitious and comprehensive approach to the implementation of the SDGs.
The Commission and EU Member States are invited to run communication and awareness-raising campaigns on the 2030 Agenda, with a view to increasing ownership by citizens, the private sector and other stakeholders.
See the Council conclusions: https://bit.ly/3xEaKZ4 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)