In September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – a historic, forward-looking and universal agenda that has the potential to save and transform the lives of billions of people by lifting them out of poverty, advancing their human rights and protecting our planet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals have committed to improving quality education, decent work and economic growth, achieving good health
(including sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights), promoting gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, and have reaffirmed that people are at the center of sustainable development.

Adolescents and youth are among the population groups most affected by each of the sustainable development goals. In fact, whether or not this agenda succeeds will depend on them – their experience of engagement or of
alienation, their inclusion or their further marginalization – because they are the key driving force of this sustainable development era, thus the need to invest in adolescents and young people to advance the broader ICPD Beyond 2014 priorities and Agenda 2030.