Sustainable Development Goals as a Component of the National Security System: Legal and Methodological Approaches

Abstract

The article examines the place and role of sustainable development goals in the modern national security system of Ukraine. In the context of growing global challenges, military conflicts, climate change, information attacks and socio-economic instability, the integration of sustainable development principles into state security policy is becoming particularly relevant. It is shown that the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be considered in isolation from the security paradigm, since long-term stability is only possible with a comprehensive approach that covers economic, social and environmental dimensions, as well as the legal and institutional mechanisms for ensuring them. Particular attention is paid to the security dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 16, “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”, which most fully reflects the interconnection between security and sustainable development.

International and national regulatory and legal acts that form the legal basis for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ukraine are analysed, in particular: the Law of Ukraine “On National Security of Ukraine”, the Decree of the President of Ukraine “On the Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine for the period until 2030”, the State Strategy for Regional Development for 2020–2027, the Strategy for Environmental Security and Adaptation to Climate Change, the Information Security Strategy, and the National Recovery Plan for Ukraine. It is concluded that, despite the existence of individual strategies, the regulatory and legal framework remains fragmented and needs to be unified.

The article proposes a comprehensive risk-oriented approach to integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into national security policy, combining a systematic analysis of the interrelationships between security and development, indicator-based monitoring of results, and risk forecasting. The novelty of the study lies in identifying specific gaps in legal regulation and proposing a methodological model for assessing the effectiveness of integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into Ukraine’s security policy. It is argued that such an approach makes it possible to move from a declarative level of implementation to the practical realisation of sustainable development principles in the security sector, contributes to enhancing the institutional capacity of the state and the formation of a long-term state strategy focused on preventing complex threats and strengthening democratic institutions.