Report on Transatlantic Parliamentary Diplomacy and Its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Assessing the EU-US Partnership through the Lens of the 2030 Agenda

The transatlantic relationship between the European Union and the United States, historically a cornerstone of global stability, faces significant challenges that test its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report examines the role of transatlantic parliamentary diplomacy, specifically the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue (TLD), in promoting key SDGs amidst political divergence. The analysis focuses on the partnership’s capacity to uphold commitments to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), particularly in a shifting geopolitical landscape.

Challenges to SDG 5 within the Transatlantic Dialogue

Erosion of Commitments to Gender Equality

Recent political developments in the United States present a direct challenge to the advancement of SDG 5. The current administration’s policies represent a significant regression from established gender equality frameworks.

• Policy Reversals: The termination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and the formal recognition of only binary biological gender definitions undermine progress on gender equality and inclusion, central tenets of SDG 5 and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• International Disengagement: The refusal by US diplomats to endorse the 2025 UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) political declaration signals a withdrawal from global partnerships aimed at achieving SDG 5.
• Contested Values: While the European Parliament (EP) often promotes gender mainstreaming as a core value, this principle is increasingly contested internally, complicating a unified transatlantic stance on SDG 5.

Institutional Barriers to Gender Parity in Parliamentary Diplomacy

The institutional framework of the TLD reveals structural weaknesses in promoting SDG 5, particularly Target 5.5, which calls for women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political life.

1. Lack of Gender Balance in D-US: Despite a recent EP rule mandating gender balance in the leadership of Delegations, the Delegation to the US (D-US) has been historically male-dominated. The 2024–2029 legislature marks the lowest female participation rate at 32.8%, a clear failure to meet the ambitions of SDG 5.
2. Ineffective Formal Rules: The EP has passed strong resolutions on gender equality, but these commitments do not consistently translate into the practice of its diplomatic bodies, indicating a gap between policy and implementation for SDG 16.
3. Gender Imbalance in Missions: High-level missions, such as the TLD Steering Committee visit in April 2025 and the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) visit in July 2025, were almost exclusively male. This reflects a persistent gender bias in foreign policy, hindering the integration of SDG 5 into international security and trade discussions.

Mechanisms for Advancing SDGs through Parliamentary Action

Leveraging Informal and Symbolic Diplomacy

Despite institutional shortcomings, informal diplomatic channels and symbolic actions by parliamentarians serve as crucial tools for keeping gender equality on the transatlantic agenda, thereby supporting multiple SDGs.

• Political Group Initiatives: The Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group’s high-level delegation in June 2025 strategically included discussions on equalities and LGBTQI+ rights, demonstrating a proactive effort to advance SDG 5 and SDG 10. This contrasts with other groups that have focused on opposing “wokism,” highlighting the ideological divide on these goals.
• Normative Pressure through Resolutions: The EP has utilized resolutions to exert normative pressure on issues related to fundamental rights. Its condemnations of abortion restrictions in the US directly address SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 5.6 (ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights). These actions underscore the EP’s role as a normative actor in defense of the 2030 Agenda.
• Targeted Committee Missions: The 2023 mission by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) to Washington was the first to specifically address abortion rights post-Dobbs. This targeted engagement demonstrates a direct parliamentary effort to monitor and respond to setbacks on SDG 5.

Conclusion: Parliamentary Diplomacy as a Vital Space for the SDGs

Strategic Outlook for Upholding Gender Equality

The transatlantic parliamentary relationship offers a vital, albeit underutilized, platform for the defense and promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals. While formal diplomatic channels may be constrained by executive-level politics, parliamentary actors retain the flexibility to champion normative agendas.

Key Findings

1. SDG 5 is Underdeveloped: Gender equality remains a peripheral issue in the formal TLD framework, which prioritizes trade and security.
2. Institutional Reform is Insufficient: Formal rules for gender balance have not rectified the persistent male dominance within key diplomatic bodies like the D-US.
3. Informal Action is Crucial: The most significant contributions to advancing SDG 5, SDG 3, and SDG 10 have come from the informal and symbolic actions of specific political groups, committees, and individual MEPs.

In a turbulent geopolitical climate, parliamentary diplomacy provides a quiet but essential space to defend the principles of the 2030 Agenda. Continued engagement through debates, missions, and resolutions is critical to ensuring that gender equality remains an integral part of the EU-US partnership, thereby strengthening the commitment to SDG 16 and SDG 17.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article’s central theme is the challenge of maintaining gender equality on the transatlantic political agenda. It explicitly discusses “gender equality,” “women’s rights,” “gender mainstreaming,” and the underrepresentation of women in diplomatic bodies. For example, it notes that in the current legislature, women make up “just 32.8% of the Delegation” to the US (D-US), highlighting a clear gender imbalance. The debate over abortion rights is also a key component of this SDG.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article focuses on the role and effectiveness of parliamentary institutions, specifically the European Parliament (EP) and the US Congress, in international relations. It describes the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue (TLD) as a mechanism for parliamentary diplomacy and a “bedrock of global peace, prosperity and democratic resilience.” The discussion revolves around the internal rules, composition, and practices of these institutions, such as the EP’s rule mandating “gender balance in Delegation Bureaux,” which relates to making institutions more inclusive and representative.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • This goal is addressed through the discussion of broader equity issues. The article mentions the backtracking on “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes” under a potential Trump administration and notes that a delegation from the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group included talks on “equalities and LGBTQI+ rights.” This shows a concern for inequalities based on gender and other identities within the political and diplomatic sphere.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The entire article is framed around the partnership between the European Union and the United States, institutionalized through the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue (TLD). It analyzes the health and function of this multi-stakeholder partnership, which has been in place for over 50 years to “address shared policy interests.” The TLD itself is an example of a global partnership for sustainable development, aimed at fostering cooperation on issues like security, trade, and democratic values.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
   • This target is directly relevant to the article’s core analysis of female representation in the EP’s Delegation to the US (D-US). The text highlights how the D-US “remains consistently male-dominated” and that its leadership has been “almost exclusively male” since 2004. The introduction of a rule for “gender balance in Delegation Bureaux” is a direct attempt to address this target.
2. Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
   • The article mentions several policies and legislative actions that align with this target. This includes the EP’s adoption of “strong gender equality resolutions,” such as the one condemning restrictions on abortion rights in Texas, and the internal rule mandating gender balance in leadership positions. These are examples of institutional efforts to create and enforce policies promoting gender equality.
3. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
   • The article questions the representative nature of key diplomatic bodies. The finding that the D-US has its “lowest female participation” in the current legislature (32.8%) and that a mission by the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) featured an “all-male eight-member delegation” demonstrates a failure to achieve inclusive and representative decision-making structures.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments.
   • The article provides precise data that directly corresponds to this indicator. It states that “women’s presence in the EP rose from 31% in 2004 to 39% in 2024.” It also provides a specific figure for the D-US, where “women making up just 32.8% of the Delegation.” This quantitative data is a direct measure of women’s representation in a key political body.
2. Implied Indicator: Existence of policies and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming.
   • While not a formal UN indicator, the article points to the existence of policies that can be used to measure progress. The establishment of “gender focal points” within institutional bodies and the adoption of a “rule mandating gender balance in Delegation Bureaux” are concrete mechanisms whose implementation and effectiveness can be tracked as a measure of institutional commitment to gender equality (Target 5.c).
3. Implied Indicator: Gender composition of official delegations and missions.
   • The article implies this as a key performance indicator for inclusivity (Target 16.7). It explicitly points out when delegations are not gender-balanced, such as the TLD Steering Committee’s mission in April 2025, which “consisted almost exclusively of male MEPs,” and the AFET visit to Washington, which was an “all-male eight-member delegation.” Tracking the gender ratio of such missions over time would be a clear way to measure progress.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theloop.ecpr.eu