I am 23 years old and extremely passionate about Sustainable Development Goals. Can you please tell me how I can contribute towards achieving these goals?

Hi Friend, I would like to suggest you look at this free downloadable handbook, “UN and SDGs: A Handbook for Youth,” this will surely help you a lot in achieving your goals today. This handbook seeks to bridge the gap between young people and SDGs and ultimately provide comprehensive knowledge about the UN and its regional arm, ESCAP, in connection with the Goals.

As young leaders of tomorrow, it is pivotal that youth are informed and engaged with the global vision for the future. Over the next fifteen years, youth will not only directly experience the outcome of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and plans, but will also be the key driver for their successful implementation. For this reason, it is vital to raise awareness about the recently adopted 17 SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development among youth, build a platform for discussion, and create the conditions for active engagement.

UN and SDGs: A Handbook for Youth explores SDGs and the 2030 Agenda from a youth perspective. In the first chapter, it introduces the concept of sustainable development and outlines its historical development through the transition from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to SDGs. The second chapter discusses how youth can be harnessed as a major agent of change in achieving sustainable development, focusing on several pertinent youth issues in Asia and the Pacific. The final chapter introduces the UN system and its regional arm, ESCAP, explaining their role in the successful implementation of SDGs.

This Handbook is an outcome of their Office’s internship program that brings students closer to the work of the United Nations as well as to the achievement of the ambitious set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Structure

• Chapter 1. Sustainable Development and SDGs
  • Sustainable Development
    • History
  • SDGs
    • From MDGs to SDGs
    • Post-2015 Development Agenda
    • SDGs at a Glance
    • Next Steps toward SDGs
• Chapter 2. Youth and SDGs
  • Youth and Sustainable Development
    • Importance of Youth
    • Major Youth Issues and SDGs
  • Youth and the United Nations
    • Roles of Youth
• Chapter 3. United Nations and ESCAP
  • United Nations
    • Structure
    • United Nations and SDGs
  • ESCAP
    • ESCAP and SDGs
    • ESCAP-ENEA Office

You can download this handbook for free here.