UN incorporate animal protection into 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Let’s take a quick step back in time to the year 2000 when the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were introduced. This 15 year timeframe set by world leaders aimed to reduce extreme poverty.

Now that those 15 years have passed, the focus is on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which will take us up to 2030. The SDGs aim to simultaneously promote economic prosperity, social inclusion and protection of the environment and are to be achieved in all countries in the world.

Giving animals a global voice

The SDG Political Declaration includes substantial reference to the importance of animal protection across agriculture, disaster, diseases, and wildlife. In its vision for 2030, all world leaders declare:

“We envisage a world in which every country enjoys sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all. One in which humanity lives in harmony with nature and in which wildlife and other living species are protected.”

We have been actively engaged in the process of defining the SDGs since the Rio+20 conference and have been very successful in influencing several of the targets. We now have a strong mandate to engage with all governments around the world on behalf on animals.

We’ve opened the door to animal protection being an integral element of the world’s vision for 2030.

And after this huge positive step for animals, we will ensure that animal welfare is included as a relevant and credible part of the Agenda at all levels along the 15 year timeline and beyond.