SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 7 September 2016: ChildFund Australia is one of twenty organisations which have pledged their commitment to implementing the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) in Australia, supporting the SDGs in our region, and championing the Goals around the world.
In a Civil Society Statement launched at the Australian SDGs Summit today, the signatory organisations stated: “The SDGs are ambitious and ‘business as usual’ will not be enough. Achieving the goals will require all stakeholders to play their part — governments, civil society and business — and to collaborate as never before.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has committed Australia’s support to the SDGs, which include new targets to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and fix climate change.
In order to achieve the targets in Australia, the undersigned organisations have called for the SDGs to be embedded in all relevant policies, programs and service delivery work, with the establishment of targets and monitoring procedures to enable Australia to report on its progress between now and 2030.
At a global level, the organisations have agreed to uphold and advocate for the guiding principles that inform the SDGs. Nigel Spence, CEO of ChildFund Australia, said: “This includes ensuring that we leave no one behind, by focusing on the poorest and most marginalised members of society. As a child-focused development agency, we understand too well that often the most vulnerable members of society are children.”
“Children’s rights, in many parts of the globe, continue to be unrealised, so we welcome the SDGs for addressing a range of child protection issues through targets on violence, education, child labour, gender equality and birth registration.”
The statement also emphasises the important contribution Australia can make in achieving the targets, both at home and within our region: “We as Civil Society recognise the positive efforts being undertaken towards sustainable development, and our responsibility to play a leadership role. It is our collective aim that Australia is seen as a global leader on Sustainable Development.”