Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Chapter 29: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) have been set by the United Nations with the consent of all member countries. There are 17 Goals ranging from No Poverty to Partnerships for Achieving the Goals. The SDGs are a successor to the Millennium Development Goals. The latter covered the period from 2000 to 2015 while the former is for 2015 to 2030. The MDGs and the SDGs both focus on achievement of a relatively high rate of economic and inclusive growth by individual countries. The objectives are to eliminate poverty and hunger, achieve good health, quality education, gender equality and so on. Most of these objectives are to be met by Provincial Governments after the 18 th Amendment. The co­ordination role is with the Federal Government. Performance by countries on the MDGs was mixed. Many of the targets were not met at the global level. One of the big reasons for lack of success in meeting various targets was that the global partnership for development was not very effective. Developed countries had made a commitment for providing assistance of 0.7 percent of their GDP to developing countries to support the attainment of the MDGs but the actual flow was only 0.3 percent of the GDP. Pakistan has made a commitment to achieving the SDGs. The Planning Commission has been made the national focal point for monitoring progress on the SDGs. A High-Level Parliamentary Committee in the National Assembly has been established on the SDGs. At the Provincial level, SDG units have been set up create a database on the targets and indicators and monitor progress. 29.1. The SDG Goals and Targets The 17 SDGs and the key targets with each SDG are identified below, out of the total of 169 targets, 25 have been identified as key targets. The Criteria used for selection of the sub­set of targets is, first, the target is essential for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth; second, is already embedded as a target in national planning; third, there is greater scope for achievement of the target with co-operation from multilateral agencies; fourth, where regular data on trends is available and where achievement of the target has popular appeal. The targets chosen are identified below. 303