Mainstreaming of the three dimensions of sustainable development throughout the United Nations system
At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the United Nations system was requested to mainstream the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development throughout its work. The four progress reports submitted since then highlighted that mainstreaming sustainable development requires a commitment to integrated approaches to development, breaking down silos and enhancing coordination across sectors, both within and between organizations.
The present report explores the issue of mainstreaming sustainable development in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a transformative and universal agenda that has become the overarching framework for United Nations system efforts to advance sustainable development to eradicate poverty and leave no one behind. The Sustainable Development Goals, at the heart of the 2030 Agenda, are interlinked and indivisible, so that progress in one goal will be made only with simultaneous progress in all goals. United Nations system organizations are acknowledging the importance of this integrated and holistic nature and are shaping their priorities, strategic plans and programmes accordingly. Links between sustainable development efforts and progress in the realms of humanitarian affairs and peace and security are also noted.
The report provides an update on work that United Nations system organizations are undertaking to integrate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into their programmes, including through the strategic planning process, the creation of updated guidelines and toolkits for use by United Nations country teams, support to Member States’ voluntary reporting on the progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, regional and global forums and analytical reports, among others. The report also addresses the ways that the United Nations system is working to make its own facilities and management operations more sustainable.