The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda provide an important compass for much of our work at 4SD Foundation. The SDGs give special attention to the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls, children, youth, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, older persons, indigenous peoples, refugees, internally displaced people, migrants, minorities, stateless people and all people facing discrimination. The corresponding critical pledge to “leave no one behind” provides a strong foundation by which 4SD aligns the theory and practice of equity, diversity and inclusion.
We recognise that discrimination, marginalization, exclusion and other human rights abuses deepen divisions in our, and therefore, achieving the SDGs by addressing the root causes of exclusion and poverty, guaranteeing food and nutrition security, ensuring access to quality and equitable education and lifelong learning, universal health coverage, as well as fighting climate change by protecting the environment – paves the way towards equality for all.
Furthermore, we act on the principle that the journey towards achieving the SDGs must be followed in a way that empowers and includes diverse groups of people, enabling all to be part of designing, developing and delivering sustainable solutions in a complex, fast-changing world.
Background
Equality and non-discrimination are fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, adopted by world leaders in 1945, and the international human rights legal framework contains international instruments to combat specific forms of discrimination, including discrimination against indigenous peoples, migrants, minorities, people with disabilities, discrimination against women, racial and religious discrimination, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Whilst we are not a United Nations entity or institution, we are proud to align behind these principles and frameworks which represent a wealth of knowledge and consensus across member states spanning decades of consensus building for human, economic and social development.
Our Guiding Principles
4SD’s moral and ethical compass is encapsulated in the 4SD guiding principles, notably on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), our principles state that:
- “We work with all actors, at all levels (local, national, regional, global), in all geographies. We believe all actors have an essential role in attaining better futures. We seek to be inclusive, proactive and constructive. We help actors as they work to optimize their societal impact and environmental integrity”.
- “We take a people-centered approach. We focus on people’s interests and needs. We aim to help people find their own power. We tailor our approach to specific contexts. We are committed to no-one being left behind. We pay attention to those who feel vulnerable.”
