NPR

The U.N. Goal That Doesn't Get A Lot Of Respect

Leaders in developing countries were asked to rank the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. One particular goal was typically at the bottom of their priority list.
A Somali fisherman carries a sailfish to the market near the port in Mogadishu. One of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals calls for the world to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development."

Of the U.N.'s 17 goals to make the world a better place by 2030, one goal gets much less respect than the others.

It's not improving education. It's not wiping out poverty and hunger.

It's Goal #14 — which aims to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development."

A new survey of 3,500 leaders in developing countries found that marine conservation is almost universally considered the least important of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals – essentially a checklist of priorities to help poor countries and aid organizations focus their attention

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