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Leave No One Behind
The 2030 Agenda's central pledge that development progress must reach everyone — prioritising those furthest behind — adopted by all UN member states in 2015.
Definition
Leave No One Behind is the central promise of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which the 193 member states pledged that no one will be left behind and committed to endeavour to reach the furthest behind first. It requires explicit action to eradicate poverty, end discrimination and exclusion, and reduce the inequalities and vulnerabilities that leave people behind.
References
2015 pledge by 193 member states, furthest-behind-first commitment, UNDP five factors
Overview
What it means
The pledge makes equity a test of SDG success: goals are not met by averages if groups remain excluded. UNDP identifies five factors that push people behind — discrimination, vulnerability to shocks, governance, socio-economic status and geography — with compounding disadvantage at their intersections.
Operationally, LNOB demands disaggregated data, targeted policies for marginalised groups, and meaningful participation of affected people in decisions.
How it is used
Governments embed LNOB in national SDG strategies and voluntary national reviews; the UN system applies it through LNOB guidance and country analyses; businesses and civil society use it to frame inclusive-development commitments.
Why it matters
It is the normative core of the 2030 Agenda — the standard against which "progress for some" is judged as insufficient. **Note:** Candidate 1611 ("Leaving no one behind") is an alias of this entry.
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