Sustainable development cannot be achieved without the inclusion of mental health as a key global priority. 1, 2 Until recently the international community had not mobilised the necessary attention, efforts, and resources for people with mental illness and disability, despite the knowledge that the economic cost of mental disorders is more than 4% of GDP worldwide, 3 depression is a leading cause of disability, 4 and more than 800 000 deaths by suicide occur every year, 5 many of which are preventable. 2015 is historic because two UN global frameworks have included mental health and wellbeing and disability: the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–306 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 7 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs7 were adopted at the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly on Sept 25–27, 2015. The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs build on the lessons learned and the gaps identified in implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as well as identifying newly emerging development challenges. Whereas the Millennium Declaration and MDGs did not make reference to mental health and disability in any of the goals, targets, and indicators, the Agenda and the SDGs have included mental health and disability in several paragraphs. The vision of the 2030 Agenda is of “… a world with equitable and universal access to quality education at all levels, to health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social wellbeing are assured.” Under the Goal 3 (“ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages”), target 3.4 is to “reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and wellbeing”, and target 3.5 is to “strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol”. Furthermore, Goals 4, 8, 10, and 11 include specific references to inclusion of people with disabilities, essential for protection and promotion of the rights of people with mental, intellectual, and psychosocial disabilities who have been among the most ostracised. The diplomatic, technical, and practical importance of the SDGs is that the goals will guide global, regional, and national efforts over the next 15 years in both