The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. While global efforts towards achieving the goals by 2030 have begun across areas as diverse as Education and Health to Climate Change and Gender Equality, the role of the law in achieving the SDGs is often overlooked.
The SDGs cannot be realised without full, active participation from the international legal community. Robust legal systems provide an essential pillar for success across all aspects of development targeted by the 17 SDGs: they safeguard human rights, uphold the rule of law, and ensure equality for all.
The SDGs mark an opportunity for lawyers to make a tangible contribution to positive social and environmental change. They provide a global framework for lawyers to engage in sustainable development and to increase access to justice for individuals and communities everywhere.
Matt Sparkes, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Linklaters LLP