This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate due to take place on 22 November 2018 in the House of Lords on the motion moved by Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat), “that this House takes note of the progress made across government departments in integrating the universal sustainable developments goals into domestic policy in preparation for the United Kingdom’s Voluntary National Review presentation at the United Nations in September 2019”.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Integration into UK Policy (253KB PDF)
In 2015, UN members states, including the UK, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets. The goals cover issues ranging from poverty and gender equality to waste reduction and achieving sustainable consumption.
The UK Government welcomed the adoption of the SDGs and associated targets, with the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, calling for “world leaders to meet their promises”. The Department for International Development is the lead government department on implementing the SDGs. Other departments are required to embed the goals in their single departmental plans (SDP) and associated reporting mechanisms. The Cabinet Office has a role in coordinating domestic delivery of the goals through the SDP process. The Office for National Statistics is responsible for reporting the UK’s data for the SDG global indicators to the UN.
As part of the UN’s review and monitoring process, member states are encouraged to conduct “regular and inclusive [national] reviews”. The national reports are produced in the form of voluntary national reviews (VNRs). A country delivers a VNR to the UN on its progress, successes and challenges, and will have this discussed by other states and stakeholders. The UK government has stated that it will be delivering its VNR to the UN in July 2019. The Government has launched an online platform for businesses and civil society to submit their contribution to the VNR.
This briefing provides a summary of the SDGs and an overview of the UN’s monitoring and review process. It then briefly describes the UK Government’s implementation and reporting mechanisms, and summaries the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s report on the issue. The final section provides information on the UK’s preparations for the VNR.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Integration into UK Policy (253KB PDF)
The UK is a signatory to the convention establishing an international claims commission for Ukraine. The commission would assess claims for compensation for damage and losses caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has broadly welcomed the convention, but also raised concerns about the scope and efficacy of the commission.
Recent tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina have raised concerns about stability and security in the country, particularly due to reports of external influence and recent secessionist rhetoric in Republika Srpska. This briefing outlines recent developments, international responses and the UK government’s position on Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of a House of Lords debate on the subject.
Concerns have been raised about levels of welfare spending in the UK and increasing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training. This briefing sets out statistics, government policy and commentary on welfare and youth employment. This includes the government’s youth guarantee, its ‘Get Britain working’ policies and the interim report by Alan Milburn on young people and work.
