Coming in the wake of this year's International Day of Democracy, the International Day of Peace is a special day set aside to promote and reinforce the ideals of peace both within and among nations and peoples. The quest for a peaceful world is as old as mankind and a lot has happened that would tend to give credence to the belief that the concept of universal peace is an unattainable one.

The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals by 193 member states of the United Nations brings the dream of peace closer to reality. The aim is to end world poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. The interdependence of development and peace is clearly reflected by the theme for this year: "The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace."

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has rightly called the SDGs "a blueprint for success." Achieving these goals will ensure that threats to world peace such as poverty, corruption, hunger, social inequality, environmental degradation, etc. are nipped in the bud, thereby meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. A future generation actually living on the concepts articulated in the sustainable development goals is a generation much more likely to achieve universal peace. Peace and security for all.

We all have roles to play in building a peaceful and prosperous world. The time to act is now.