In September 2015, the Heads of State and Government of all UN Member States will gather in New York to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are intended to result in sustainable advancements in economic, social and environmental issues. Unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs will apply to all countries equally. This means that the SDGs need to be implemented through German foreign and development policy, but also and especially in Germany itself, in policy areas such as education, poverty and employment. Which opportunities do the SDGs offer for politics and society in Germany? This issue of “aktuell” offers information on the current stage of the debate and makes proposals for how human rights can facilitate the SDG process and how the SDGs can in turn help realize human rights.
