This inaugural report on the global Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) is a first accounting of where the world stands at the start of
our collective journey to 2030. The report analyses selected indicators
from the global indicator frame- work for which data are available as
examples to highlight some critical gaps and challenges. The list of SDG
indicators agreed upon by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2016
will be subject to refinements and improvements as methods and data
availability improve.

Every journey has a beginning and an end.
Plotting that jour- ney and establishing key milestones along the way
requires accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data. The data
requirements for the global indicators are almost as unprece- dented as
the SDGs themselves and constitute a tremendous challenge to all
countries. Nevertheless, fulfilling these requirements through building
national statistical capacity is an essential step in establishing where
we are now, charting a way forward and bringing our collective vision
closer to reality.