The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were endorsed by all member states of the United Nations in 2015 as a call to action to eradicate poverty, safeguard the environment, and ensure that no one is left behind in the pursuit of peace and prosperity by 2030. Their achievement requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach and Parliamentarians as well as professional staff working in Parliaments have a key role to play to contribute to their attainment.

UNDP partners with 60 parliaments throughout the world to strengthen these important institutions and the capacities of their staff as well as of elected representatives for them to successfully deliver their legislative, budgetary and accountability functions. UNDP also has a long-established partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (I PU) to work together to achieve sustainable development through the production of knowledge tools, joint parliamentary programmes, and trainings on the SDGs, ensuring that parliaments can contribute to the Global Goals with effectiveness, inclusiveness, and transparency.