SDG 9 and Sustainable Recovery
Key aspects of SDG 9:
1. Develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive industrialization (targets 9.1., 9.2)
The pandemic has revealed the urgent need for resilient infrastructure, which is essential for societies to withstand the impacts of not only pandemics but also climate and natural disasters.
Innovation and technological progress are key to finding lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges, such as increased resource and energy efficiency.
Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with investment in innovation and infrastructure, can also unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income, and contribute to human rights realization by, for example, improving living standards and access to services.
Sustainable response and recovery actions:
The pandemic poses an opportunity to “build forward better” by investing in critical and resilient infrastructure. Countries should strive to adopt triple-dividend measures that reduce ecological footprint, create jobs for people with lower levels of qualifications and expand access to goods and services, including basic infrastructure for all (for example upgrading and energy-optimising buildings such as schools and hospitals).
Visit the documents and resources listed in the “Key Human Rights Guidance” below for more information.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), art. 25.1. “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family […]”
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), art. 11.1: The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing […]
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), art. 14.2: “States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in rural areas in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, that they participate in and benefit from rural development and, in particular, shall ensure to such women the right: 14.2.h: “To enjoy adequate living conditions, particularly in relation to housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply, transport and communications”.
2. Increase access to information and communications technology (target 9.c)
The pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of many businesses and services, including teleworking, as well as access to healthcare, education and essential goods and services. This has further left behind those without digital access. While significant progress has been made over the last decade and almost the entire world population now lives in an area covered by a mobile network, close to half of the world population is still without access to the internet.
Sustainable response and recovery actions:
Efforts must be accelerated to bridge the digital divide with particular attention to closing the gender gap in order to enable the billions of people still without access to the internet to benefit from online access to services including public information and education.
Visit the documents and resources listed in the “Key Human Rights Guidance” below for more information.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), art. 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), art 27.1: Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
Key Human Rights Guidance
- The “just transition” in the economic recovery: eradicating poverty within planetary boundaries, UN Special Procedures, Report, 2020
- Recommendations from human rights monitoring mechanisms linked to SDG 9 by country, Danish Institute for Human Rights, search page
- Human rights law and standards linked to SDG 9 by target, Danish Institute for Human Rights, search page
