Leave No One Behind

In 1995, during the inception of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all 193 UN member states made a significant pledge to ensure that ‘no one will be left behind’. As we enter into the 5th year of the implementation period of the 2030 Agenda, have we clarified what Leave No One Behind really means?

First things first. We need a plan. ‘A calendar for bringing Leave No One Behind to life is crucial’, says the Brookings Institution. ‘At the time of this writing (2019), it is not yet clear whether any country in the world has yet internalized the relevant practical questions for action.’ 

Secondly, we reflect on the axiom, ‘what gets measured, gets done’.  Almost every SDG expert will bemoan the data gaps, especially for our most fragile populations.  There is also an enormous funding shortfall for evaluation, statistics, and governance in the countries where the farthest behind reside. 

And thirdly, is this incredible idea of intersectionality that has proven its point so well in 2020. In the face of the inextricable, compounding challenges we face, we hear beautiful strategies like ‘a holistic response’- even from our most pragmatic of colleagues. And yet holistic is hard.

‘How the Wealthy World has Failed Poor Countries During the Pandemic’- NY Times

And perhaps most heartbreakingly, as questioned by Paul O’Brian, is it being ‘Left Behind, or Pushed Back?’ How do we truly get at the heart of social inequities, without some major ‘coming to Jesus’ moments with ourselves and our institutions?

For us, as community engagers, it is about returning to the drawing board and identifying what we do not know.  Along with collaborators of Making Voices Heard and Count, this entails the development of community-driven data initiatives to give voice and agency to those left behind. Let’s make the invisible visible. Only then will we have a chance of designing an informed plan- the holistic and inclusive one that is at the heart of the SDGs.