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Understanding and Promoting the ‘Leaving No One Behind’ Ambition Regarding the Sustainable Development Agenda: A Review

Abstract With the adoption of the 2015–2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations (UN) Member States pledged to ensure that no one would be left behind. This article highlights the essentials (meaning, importance, history, framework, pillars, related key studies, and role of key actors) in respect of the ‘Leaving No One Behind’ (LNOB) pledge. The review shows that the LNOB pledge has three-pronged strategic development imperatives: (i) to end poverty in all its forms, (ii) to stop the discrimination and inequality that have resulted in unequal outcomes for the disadvantaged population, and (iii) to reach the furthest behind first. The framework for achieving the ambition is anchored on implementing the SDGs, ‘empowering the left-behind by ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making; and enforcing equity-focused policies, and interventions with a dedicated budget to support rights-holders and duty-bearers to address the deprivations of the people left behind. The UN, Governments, Businesses, Civil Society Organisations and other actors should collaborate to translate the mantra into reality by addressing the pervasive societal issues of poverty, inequality, and discrimination. Germane to achieving the LNOB ambition are reliable disaggregated people-centered data, research, and stakeholder/actor commitment to the pledge.