De Montfort University continues to promote world-improving research

By Auryn White

De Montfort University is the UK’s only Sustainable Development Goal Hub and has been doing ground-breaking work to effectively improve the world.

Sustainable Development Goals (STGs) are 17 goals that were set by the United Nations (UN) in September 2015.

These goals are 17 agreed targets that the world must reach by 2030 to ensure sustainable development for all, including environmental, social and economic standards that must be met.

De Montfort University (DMU) has been allocated STG-16 “to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”

Simply put, goal 16 is about “peace, justice and strong institutions” and suggests that a society cannot thrive while war is going on. The goal also supports the idea of inclusivity in society and justice for all.

Mark Charlton, Associate Director of Public Engagement and one of the drivers of the project at DMU, said STG-16 is one of the most important of the 17 goals and without its application many of the other goals will not be able to be met.

He said: “STG-16 is crucial as it allows all the others to flourish. If you want to achieve zero poverty, STG-1, then this cannot be achieved in a society at war or facing corruption.”

DMU is joined by 16 other countries representing the rest of the STGs, with one STG being allocated to one establishment in each country. Meetings online have been held among the other countries including India, Greece, Pakistan, Japan, etc.

Despite Covid restrictions, a dialogue has been able to be held between the representative nations. As well as this, before Covid, Mark had attended the UN to present findings on behalf of DMU showing a healthy working relationship within the movement.

STG-16 is also seen as the measure which supports refugee and asylum-seeker communities and promotes equal rights for them.

As a result of this it has attracted many people who belong to these and similar backgrounds, with ZamZam Yusuf, a DMU student and Somalian refugee who fled the country due to war, speaking at the UN about her experiences as a refugee.

DMU has been a part of this project since January 2018 continues to prioritise the promotion of STG-16 and the others for the betterment of the world.