According to a UN forum progress has been made on achieving global goals to end poverty and hunger. However, meeting the targets by the deadline of 2030 will require a laser-sharp focus and a true sense of urgency.
The UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which ran in July, discussed progress already made by dozens of countries towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – adopted by 193 Member States in 2015 – in an effort to find out what is and what is not working, based on the UN Secretary-General’s annual progress report.
Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General of Economic and Social Affairs, stated:
It has been three years since world leaders committed to end poverty and hunger, to protect our planet, to foster peaceful societies, and to unleash economic, social and technological progress –and in implementing this vision they committed to reach those furthest behind.
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As a matter of fact, many people are living better lives than they were a decade ago, even in regions facing the greatest development challenges. The proportion of the world’s workers and their families now living below the extreme poverty line has declined significantly, from 27% in 2000 to 9% in 2017. However, drought and disasters due to climate change, and surging conflicts in parts of the world, are hindering faster progress.
Currently, the biggest obstacle faced is greed. As Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, said that there were enough resources in the world for everyone to live free of poverty and it should not require a big effort on the part of large developed countries, to profoundly help those struggling in poverty.
Currently, Sweden is the country most on course to achieving the SDGs, with Europe doing best so far. Moreover, the list of the top 10 countries closest to achieving the SDGs mirrors a complementary ranking of the world’s happiest countries. “
On the other hand the US is “all about tax cuts for rich people”, Mr. Sachs noted, adding that tax cuts for the rich, stifles sustainable development.
Under the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”, this year’s Forum focused on six of the 17 goals:
- Goal 6: To ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- Goal 7: To provide access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
- Goal 11: To make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
- Goal 12: To ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- Goal 15. To protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.
- Goal 17. To strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, that will be considered each year.
