Series - 2022-2023: Getting back on track with the UN SDGs

These activists say the UN’s ‘Leave No One Behind’ pledge promotes colonialism — here’s why

Author Neha Chollangi
As inequalities continue to rise in the last two years on a global scale, where does the UN’s commitment to uplifting marginalized communities fall short? And what needs to change?

Why It Matters

While the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are seen as a guiding framework for civil society, businesses, and governments alike, the rigidity around the goals may pose a barrier to helping those most in need of equity, experts say. There’s a great need to engage in critical analysis of global frameworks to seek existing gaps.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"These activists say the UN\u2019s \u2018Leave No One Behind\u2019 pledge promotes colonialism \u2014 here\u2019s why. This journalism is made possible by a partnership with Together\u23f8\u2587Ensemble. See our editorial ethics and standards here. Stitched into the fabric of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the promise, and a pledge to \u2018Leave No One Behind\u2019 (LNOB) \u2014\u00a0to ensure that everyone everywhere benefits from the transformations the SDGs call for.\u00a0 But some global development professionals have criticized the language of the pledge, arguing it\u2019s problematic that the pledge assumes some people are ahead of others. They say it assumes groups who are \u2018ahead,\u2019\u00a0socioeconomically spe

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