In 2016 the Swedish government appointed a multi-stakeholder National Committee to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda throughout Swedish society. Dialogue om how to further the implementation with civil society organizations, municipalities, academia, private sector and trade unions was one strand of the assignment. The second strand of work was to put forward proposals on how to strengthen the implementation to the government. The assignment expired in March 2019. The Committee finalised its work by presenting a final report in March 2019. The report contains several proposals on how the government can strengthen and integrate SDGs with a whole of government approach and how national agencies can be given a clearer mandate to work with the agenda in their core businesses. The report also stresses the importance of engaging civil society organizations, municipalities, academia, private sector and trade unions.

Sweden welcomes the initiative by the Secretary General to establish an SDG Advocacy Group of eminent persons to promote implementation of the 2030 Agenda, in which Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden participates.

The High Level Political Forum (HLPF) should become a truly relevant arena for peer-learning and science-based and effective follow-up of SDG-progress. We should all make efforts to contribute and ensure multi-stakeholder contribution and participation.

A National Action Plan (NAP) 2018-2020 was adopted by the Government in 2018

In February 2020 the Government appointed former Minister of health and sports, Gabriel Wikström, as national coordinator for the 2030 Agenda. The national coordinator will help strengthen implementation, promote and deepen the work of different actors. The coordinator’s work will focus in particular on the perspective and participation of children and young people, and on those in a particularly vulnerable situation

Before the summer in 2020, the Government plans to submit a bill to the Riksdag setting out the direction for Sweden’s work on strengthening the integration of the Agenda and promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, nationally, at EU level and globally.

Themes

Sweden has taken the lead in several areas to implement the SDGs, both nationally and internationally. Domestically, Sweden aims to become the world’s first fossil-free welfare state by 2045 and will the Government will issue its first green bond this year.

Internationally, Sweden co-facilitated a political declaration with Bahamas, that was adopted by UN member states during the SDG summit in 2019. The ten points outlined in the political declaration serve as a roadmap to accelerate action and commitments now and in the years to come. Sweden has shown leadership and accelerated action in multiple areas: a scaling up of the Feminist Foreign Policy; the launching of a Drive for Democracy; a doubling of contributions to the green climate fund in 2019. Together with India, Sweden launched the leadership group for industry transition at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York 2019. Sweden continues to promote inclusive growth and social dialogue together with ILO, OECD, and a core group of countries, companies, employers’ organizations and trade unions in the initiative the Global Deal.

In 2017, Sweden co-hosted a UN-Conference on implementing SDG 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources together with Fiji.

Regarding the SDGs: The NAP 2018-2020 did amapping of all SDGs and identified six cross-sectional themes and four key factors:

Priority areas (six cross-sectional themes): reduced inequalities and improved gender equality; sustainable societies; circular and green economy; strong industrial life and sustainable business; sustainable and healthy grocery chain; improved knowledge and innovation.