Contribution to the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda Based on the Concept of Resilience

The authors of this paper suggest applying the concept of resilience in the process of setting up Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be implemented in the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda. Referring to the synopsis of the scientific basis of resilience and sustainability presented by Bloesch et al., the proposed general goals and specific targets of sustainable development are introduced and discussed. The aims of the SDGs and the corresponding targets can only materialize when applying as guiding principles advanced knowledge (science), transfer of knowledge and skills (education and training), encouragement of creativity and ethical values (governance and policy). Moreover, the fundamental values of ecosystem function are to be acknowledged as well as the need to balance the three sub-systems of the eco-social triad. It appears necessary to focus on integrative resilience. The Post-2015 Development Agenda should stress the crucial role of self-regulation in ecosystems, and a corresponding cognitive regulation of social and economic systems with the aim to ensure system´s stability within given thresholds.