Draft High Level Political Forum Ministerial Declaration prepares the ground for updating the SDG targets that fall in 2020

"We invite the 75th session of the UN General Assembly to set out as soon as possible a process to ensure that the targets of the SDGs with a 2020 timeline are reviewed and updated, and we note that several of them are closely related to sets of targets to be updated through existing processes that could serve as a blueprint for the update of the corresponding SDG targets. The 2021 HLPF will review progress in this regard. " (Draft 2020 HLPF Ministerial Declaration)

The Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development first raised this issue in December 2017 with this paper

As many of the 2020 or 2025 targets are in relation to other intergovernmental processes it was important to coordinate with them such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).

The 17 SDGs included in the 2030 Agenda include 169 targets, most with a completion date of 2030. However, for 20 SDG targets, the date of completion is 2020 and for three is 2025. With the 2020 deadline fast approaching, it would be important to assess the state of progress of the 2020 targets as well as undertake a reflection on what action would be required on those targets, including whether they should be updated to be brought in line with the 2030 targets.

The Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development returned to the issue in 2019 with two papers on what should be done.

Options for the 2020/2025 SDG Targets: 

1. Felix Dodds the Adjunct Professor University of North Carolina – PowerPoint is here  The paper by Felix Dodds, Jamie Bartram, and Gastón Ocampo is here Paper targets from 2020 to 2025
2. Claire Blanchard Head of Global Advocacy WWF - PowerPoint is here The paper by Claire Blanchard and WWF on  is here