DEVELOPMENT
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
BAN KI-MOON
Director-General
United Nations
62
Together, we have embarked on a
monumental and historic journey.
In recent months, I have listened
to many people, including refugees,
youth and children, indigenous people,
persons with disabilities, and women
entrepreneurs.
I heard the common message: the
SDGs represent their hope for a better
future. They are an action plan for
people, planet, peace and prosperity.
We live in an inter-connected world.
That is why the SDGs are universal
and indivisible.
Today, I am launching the fi rst
SDG report. It is based on offi cial data
provided on the indicators developed
by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group
on SDG Indicators and agreed by
Member States.
The Sustainable Development Goals
report 2016 will provide a key benchmark
throughout the implementation period of
the 2030 Agenda.
It provides an accurate evaluation of
where the world stands on the 17 Goals,
using data currently available to highlight
the most signifi cant gaps and challenges.
The latest data show that about
one person in eight still lives in
extreme poverty:
• Nearly 800 million people suff er
from hunger.
• The births of nearly a quarter of
children under 5 have not been
recorded.
• 1.1 billion people are living without
electricity, and water scarcity aff ects
more than 2 billion.
The data also underscore the
imperative of targeted action in
support of the furthest behind.
For the agenda to be fully
implemented, those who are the
furthest behind will have to be
reached fi rst.
This will not be possible without data
and indicators on all groups, especially
those that are often unaccounted.
Coordinated eff orts worldwide
will be indispensable to supply reliable
and timely data for systematic follow-up
and progress reviews. The SDGs address
the critical challenges of our time.
One challenge that calls for immediate
action is climate change. Every day, the
headlines speak of more climate-related
disasters – mass coral bleaching on the
Great Barrier Reef; soaring temperatures
in the Arctic; wildfi res, multi-year
droughts and fl oods.