Sustainable Development Goals

At VSO Ireland, we are passionate about sustainable development - it's what all our programmes are about and what our volunteers, who share their skills with overseas colleagues, are working towards. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that we're massive advocates of the Sustainable Development Goals, 17 Goals set in place by the UN to tackle injustice between now and 2030. These Goals are about making the world a fairer place, and cover everything from gender equality and environmental sustainability to hunger and quality education.

Improving the lives of marginalised people in the low-income countries where we work is our main goal at VSO Ireland. We're also keen to increase awareness of the issues that lead to poverty and inequality, both at home and abroad, and the positive impact volunteering can have in allievating this. Check out the blog posts linked below to increase your own knowledge and take heed of the simple everyday to be a little more sustainable in your everyday life.

If you have any questions about the SDGs or recommendations for what you'd like to learn more about in our blog, please email annette.osullivan@vso.ie.

so what are the sdgs?

ireland and the sdgs

Reporting on our progress

The SDGs are for all countries, not just those in the Global South. Ireland will also report on its progress at the next High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York this July. This is the main UN platform on sustainable development, the theme of this year’s event being ‘transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’.

Although Ireland is globally recognised as an advocate for poverty reduction, equality and justice, the SDGs still pose challenges. Issues to be tackled include homelessness, gender inequality, health issues and unemployment. A national SDG implementation plan is currently being put in place, which will be reported on at the HLPF. We look forward to sharing updates with you then!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HLPF

learn more about the sdgs

Resolutions for a more sustainable 2018

2018 is here and with it comes boundless possibilities for a happier, healthier self – and planet too. Living by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is something we pride ourselves on here at VSO, so what better time to look at our current habits and see how we can become a little more sustainable in our everyday lives.

Overview of the SDGs

At VSO Ireland, we see how small changes and actions lead to create positive impact every day. While the SDGs are aimed at countries, we can all take guidance from them to make small changes in our own lives that will better the communities, country and world we live in.

Spotlight on… Goal 1: No Poverty

Eradicating poverty remains one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today and the primary focus of VSO’s work. But what does ‘no poverty’ really mean? We delve into Sustainable Development Goal 1...

Spotlight on Goal 3…Good Health and Well-Being

The old saying goes, “health is wealth” and that’s exactly what Goal 3 endorses. We look at improvements in healthcare systems in recent years and the areas we urgently need to focus on to achieve Goal 3's targets.

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