Year in Review & The Way Ahead

As the recess for Christmas breaks and the new year rolls in, it would be understandable to soldier on and put 2020 behind us. But the pandemic and its impact have delivered important lessons that affect our commitment to the Global Goals, and the ability to deliver them. A year that began with optimism – with a call to arms as we entered the Decade of Action – turned out very differently. The consequences of Covid-19 have been widely felt, but those on the fringes will suffer hardest and are in danger of being left further behind.

So 2021 will be an even more important year than 2020 initially was set to be. Certainly, it can be a fresh start. A time to re-engage, regenerate even. To take the lessons learnt in 2020 and apply them. Significantly, it is also a year of leadership for the UK: first with the G7 Summit, followed by COP26 in Glasgow in November. Two crucial events on the timeline to sustainable development. Two crucial opportunities for the UK to act and deliver on their commitments.

As an APPG, we will establish events and provide briefings alongside these key moments for cross-party and cross-sector engagement on the issues. Now is the time for cooperation and partnerships. For action, not words. We look ahead to 2021 with a renewed sense of purpose and hope, and a determination to deliver the Global Goals for all.

Theo Clarke MP & Rt Hon Lord Jack McConnell

Co-Chairs, APPG on the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development