Why 2025 Must Be the Year of Leaving No One Behind

This article was originally published in IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub.

The central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs is to “leave no one behind” (LNOB). It requires an unequivocal commitment by UN Member States to not only eradicate poverty, but to end discrimination and exclusion along the lines of race, gender, and other layers of identity. It also includes a commitment to mitigate inequalities that leave people behind and ultimately undermine the future of sustainable development. But federal states across the US and countries worldwide have, in general, ignored the LNOB practices recommended by experts. And according to the 2024 Sustainable Development Report, only 16% of all SDG targets are on track to be met globally by 2030.

It’s clear that we need to refocus and reaffirm our efforts to leave no one behind, a principle that is fundamental to the achievement of sustainable development.

Rising inequities at home and abroad

Racism and intolerance have fostered disparities, inequities in human development, and a loss of life and rights in the US and globally. The report, ‘In the Red: The US Failure to Deliver on a Promise of Racial Equality,’ developed by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network USA (SDSN USA) to measure SDG achievement based on implementation in communities of least-served racial groups, found that in the US, states’ SDG implementation is, on average, highly unequal. White communities receive resources, services, and opportunities three times higher than non-white communities. Therefore, it’s not surprising that in the US, Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at rates higher than Hispanic and White women. Globally, in a 2022 report, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance, E. Tendayi Achiume, found that many Member States lagged in their commitments to the LNOB principle. As a result, women and children tend to be the most vulnerable across country contexts, even well-resourced ones.

Despite noting the weakness of the SDGs in addressing racial equality, Achiume acknowledged that the 2030 Agenda presents an untapped opportunity to address racialized barriers to achieving sustainable development. Likewise, in April 2024, the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent recently called on countries and stakeholders to address systemic racism, reparatory justice, and their impact on sustainable development.

With five years left in the 2030 Agenda, renewing national and global commitment to LNOB is critical. Regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, language, disability, caste, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and migrant or Indigenous status, all must be included in development efforts.

Identifying who is being left behind, to what degree, and why is the first step.

Prioritizing the most vulnerable

You can’t monitor and improve what you don’t track. So, disaggregated data is the first step to inclusion. But many SDG indicators do not require disaggregated data on race and ethnicity. Moreover, in the US, racially disaggregated data are often unavailable at the federal state level for important topics, such as food insecurity, maternal mortality, contaminated drinking water, clean energy, and renewable consumption.

Recognizing this gap globally, the UN Special Rapporteur’s 2023 report called for the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators to include racially disaggregated indicators in its global SDG Indicator Framework and facilitate discussions on how governments and other actors might use them. And the call to collect disaggregated data was included in the mandate for the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. While this is a promising step forward, more can be done.

Capacity building to operationalize LNOB

Determining who is left behind and to what degree requires advanced statistical and research capabilities, which many cities, states, and countries do not possess. Therefore, they must invest in skilled experts, while also integrating the knowledge and expertise of local and Indigenous communities. Identifying the immediate, underlying, and root causes of why people are left behind also necessitates historical and cultural understanding. Furthermore, an intersectional lens is needed to fully understand how compounding levels of disadvantage work together and to emphasize and include the experiences of women and girls of color.

In addition to building technical capacity, it is equally important to strengthen the ability to promote inclusion and accountability among federal states and other stakeholders. Minority-serving institutions, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) can serve as centers of capacity building through research, innovation, and engagements with historically marginalized communities throughout the US and the world.

Localizing LNOB

While the SDGs are global, they cannot be achieved without the active engagement of local citizens and governments. Localization takes into account the specific needs and contexts of various cities and regions. In effect, leveraging local action is critical to leaving no one behind.

By 2050, two out of every three people will live in a city. Cities are, therefore, uniquely positioned to help those who are the furthest behind. Local governments provide essential goods and services, such as education, housing, public transport, clean water, clean air, and affordable energy, that enable communities to grow and thrive. They tend to be more aware and sensitive to the priorities of the communities they serve and more adept at translating them into tight budgets and development projects.

Localization also enhances the participation of communities in decision making and partnerships. And few know the needs, aspirations, and necessary investments of an underserved community better than local community members and leaders.

Education is key to LNOB

A society where no one is left behind is a society that invests in education and human potential. Quality education is the single most important investment governments can make to create societies that are more inclusive and sustainable. Yet, not everyone has equal access to education. The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent found high dropout rates among Indigenous populations and people of African descent. Additionally, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uncovered that while women tend to outperform men in educational achievement, they remain disadvantaged in the labor force. Committing more resources to eliminate barriers and expanding access to education is crucial to leaving no one behind.

Achieving the SDGs requires more than aspiration. It demands action rooted in equity, driven by data, and powered by the collective will of governments, communities, institutions, and individuals alike.