1st LD: UN readies historic plan for well-being of people, planet

Negotiators from 193 UN member states agreed Sunday on a draft blueprint for sustainable development that will last through 2030, and the agreement will redefine how the global community works together to tackle poverty and improve living standards while protecting the environment.

The plan, known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, called on countries and their citizens to respect and safeguard the planet, and recognizes that sound management of natural resources is the foundation of economic and social development.

The draft document outlines 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ranging from issues of poverty, gender equality and economic development to climate change and ocean resource protection.

The SDGs are universal goals that will commit all countries to take action both within their own borders and in support of wider international efforts. Individual national commitments must add up to a worldwide result that helps all people and ensures a healthy environment.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement, saying "This is the People's Agenda, a plan of action for ending poverty in all its dimensions, irreversibly, everywhere, and leaving no one behind." Endite