The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the reference document on development priorities at the international level. It was adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, by 193 countries and builds on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000-2015), which aimed to reduce extreme poverty.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the reference document on development priorities at the international level. It was adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, by 193 countries and builds on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000-2015), which aimed to reduce extreme poverty.
The 2030 Agenda contains a set of shared objectives, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which all countries have committed. 17 SDGs cover issues highly relevant to the work of trade unions, including the promotion of decent work, the fight against poverty, inequalities and climate change; and recognise the need for greater gender equality, free quality education and stronger institutions.
Trade unions are heavily involved in the SDG process at global, regional and national level. Through their everyday work in upholding freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, and in promoting decent work and the rights of working people, trade unions are essential to achieving these development objectives. Through social dialogue, they further enhance the democratic ownership of the drive for development; put the focus on the real impact on the ground; and boost the accountability of other actors involved, such as the private sector.
Trade unions aim to increase the recognition of their contribution to fulfilling the SDGs and advocate for policies that enhance this contribution. The Trade Union Development Cooperation Network (TUDCN) is the focal point of trade unions’ contribution to development policy-making discourses.
