Summary

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Goal 11, one of the 17 SDGs, is about all of these dimensions, with a specific focus on urban areas and settings. This synthesis report is the first publication showing the progress, challenges and opportunities of global monitoring of this Sustainable Development Goal. This report complements the 2018 Secretary-General’s Progress Report on SDGs which shows progress in the form of storylines, and the 2018 Secretary General’s first quadrennial report on progress made in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

As highlighted by this synthesis report, the global challenges and opportunities for sustainable development are intimately interlinked. This report places special emphasis on the added value of sustainable urbanization as an enabler for achieving global prosperity and sustainability. The report identifies these connections and interlinkages, particularly the positive and negative associations between urban-related SDG targets with other targets, and with various global and regional agendas and initiatives.