Accelerate the pace of the implementation of Agenda 2030 at half-way to its finishing line, Prof. Allam Ahmed
Professor Allam Ahmed
Founding President, World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD)
Queen Mary University of London, The QMB Innovation Centre, 5 Walden St, London E1 2EF
United Kingdom
DOI: 10.47556/B.OUTLOOK2024.22.1
RECEIVED: 27 July 2024 / REVISED: 14 August 2024 / ACCEPTED: 20 August 2024 / PUBLISHED: 30 October 2024
Abstract
This introductory chapter of Outlook 2024 aims to discuss the key question (practical and theoretical) of how to accelerate the pace of the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (SD) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at half-way to the finishing line and achieve SD across the world. In doing so, the chapter will provide a summary of the key recommendations from the World Association for Sustainable Development’s (WASD) 22nd Annual International Sustainability Conference held for the second time at the UN Headquarters, Palais des Nations in Geneva, 22-25 July 2024. It also discusses the official launch of WASD’s major Sustainable Development Goals Universities Initiative (SDGsUNi) and Sustainable Development Goals Experts Directory Initiative (SDGsWho’sWho) interactive and smart digital platforms.
The chapter will explore the analysis of the results and findings of selected countries’ Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) from the UN high-level political forum (HLPF) database. The research aims to provide an overview of the status of implementation of national commitments by learning lessons from what is presented in countries’ VNRs, and identify targeted areas for improvement and resource allocation. More importantly, the chapter will outline the global challenges facing many countries across the world and the need to support national agendas to accelerate progress towards the UN Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs.
Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the public strategic and policy implications of these findings and provides practical recommendations to accelerate the pace of Agenda 2030 and the implementation of its 17 SDGs across the world.
KEYWORDS: Sustainable Development; United Nations; Agenda 2030; Sustainable Development Goals; Implementation; Accelerate; Universities; Strategy; Public Policy; SDGs; Voluntary National Reviews; VNRs.
CITATION: Ahmed, A. (2024): Accelerate the Pace of the Implementation of Agenda 2030 at Half-Way to its Finishing Line. In Ahmed, A. (Ed.): World Sustainable Development Outlook 2024, Vol. 20, pp.1–16. WASD: London, United Kingdom.
