ABSTRACT
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 created a new political momentum for the United Nations, which was amplified by the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development in July 2015 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in December 2015. This momentum has dwindled because of a number of political changes worldwide and a renewed pressure not only on the UN system but also on other multilateral organizations and on multilateralism in general. The growth of new nationalisms across the globe is noticeable, and the slowdown accelerated with the announcement by the Trump administration of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. It is unlikely that we will soon see a return to the enthusiasm of 2015. Much can change in a few years.
