With their universal agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require reform in high-income countries (HICs) as well as in middle- and low-income countries (MICs and LICs). The SDGs will not be met if progress continues to elude the poorest and most marginalised people. The longer governments take to act, the greater the difficulty of meeting the targets for everyone by 2030.

These policy briefs provide an overview of research by ODI on the SDGs and the role of HICs in achieving the goals both domestically and internationally, along with the actions needed in MICs and LICs to accelerate progress. The briefs highlight SDG areas where current trajectories need to be reversed to meet the targets. It goes on to discuss some of the policy areas in which HICs, MICs and LICs must urgently undertake actions both domestically and internationally to meet the SDGs by 2030.