Out of the current 169 United Nations’ Sustainable Design Goals’ targets, the only one to acknowledge mental health is Target 3.4, with physical health still being the main focus. 

Considering how important mental health is to human well-being and behavior, it is surprising that not more emphasis has been put on the matter when developing these goals and their targets. 

Keeping in mind how big a percentage of the world’s population suffer from poor mental health, and how many resources this costs to deal with and compensate for, we would like to suggest an additional objective added to the existing thirteen Goal 3 targets. 

The proposed target 3-E would be an ideal place to start in terms of improving mental health and well-being for all, and could even be considered vital seeing that poor mental health is a precursor to several of the other target issues. I.e. If good mental health has been established in early childhood, several of the other problems, e.g. abuse, violence, depression and addiction would be less likely to occur in the first place. In other words; target 3-E could be considered a main artery in the heart of human workings. 

We believe that human well-being is crucial for the individual’s ability to contribute to and care for the planet. If we are to reach our 17 sustainable development goals by 2030, every goal and target must be continuously evaluated, scrutinised and improved. 

Please sign this petition, whose recipients are The United Nations, The United Nations Development Program, and Abdullah Shahid; the head and presiding officer of the United Nations’ General Assembly. 

We hope you will join us in this important step towards a better future for our children. It would be very much appreciated if you could share the petition with family, friends and colleagues.

Thanks in advance for your support and participation.

A visual for the proposed new target can be downloaded here: www.guidetogrownups.com/target3E