UN: Sustainable Development Goals in deep peril | DW News

Summary

The United Nations' 193 members reaffirmed their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a 17-point plan aimed at addressing global challenges like poverty, climate change, and inequality by 2030. Despite this unified commitment, progress has stalled, with only 15% of targets on track. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need for urgent action, as many goals are regressing. Key obstacles include financial, governance, and policy issues, particularly in countries facing conflict. The international community must act swiftly to prevent worsening crises, instability, and unrest worldwide.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The 193 members of the United Nations have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showing global unity on the issue.
• 📝 The SDGs, adopted in 2015, are a 17-point plan aimed at addressing the world's greatest challenges, including poverty, climate change, and inequality.
• ⏳ The U.N. Secretary-General emphasized that the SDGs are falling behind, with only 15% of targets on track and some showing regression.
• 🚨 U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for a global rescue plan to reinvigorate efforts to achieve the SDGs by the 2030 deadline.
• 📊 According to a progress report, nearly half of the SDG targets are off track, and 37% have seen no progress or have regressed below 2015 levels.
• 🎯 The SDGs address crucial global issues such as climate change, quality education, gender equality, and access to clean water.
• 💸 Financial, governance, and policy challenges are major barriers to achieving the SDGs, especially in countries facing conflict and instability.
• 🌍 Developing countries (the Global South) have called for more development aid and climate action from wealthier nations (the Global North).
• 🏦 Criticism is mounting against multilateral development banks like the World Bank, with calls for reforms to improve access to development funding for impoverished nations.
• 🤝 A lack of trust between countries hinders progress on the SDGs, but global leaders are urged to continue dialogues and make meaningful commitments to development goals.

Q & A

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mentioned in the transcript?

The SDGs are a 17-point plan adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015. They serve as a blueprint to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice, with a target deadline of 2030.

Why does the UN Secretary General believe that the SDGs need a rescue plan?

The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, stated that only 15% of the SDG targets are on track, while many are regressing. This slow progress prompted him to call for a global rescue plan to ensure that the goals are met by the 2030 deadline.

What percentage of SDG targets are currently on track, and how are the rest performing?

Only 15% of the SDG targets are on track. Close to half of the targets are moderately or severely off track, and around 37% have seen no movement or have regressed below the baseline established in 2015.

What are some of the major goals included in the SDG framework?

The SDGs include major goals such as combating climate change, eradicating poverty, ensuring quality education, promoting gender equality, protecting oceans, and combating disease.

What are some of the key challenges hindering the achievement of the SDGs?

Key challenges include financial limitations, governance issues, armed conflict, and policy obstacles. Countries facing these challenges have shown the least progress toward achieving the SDGs.

How do countries in the Global South view the role of wealthier nations in achieving the SDGs?

Countries in the Global South have called on wealthier nations in the Global North to provide more financial support, live up to their climate commitments, and reform multilateral institutions to help implement the SDGs. However, there has been pushback and a lack of common ground from wealthier countries.

Why are multilateral development banks like the World Bank seen as hindering progress toward the SDGs?

Critics argue that multilateral development banks are hindering progress because they fail to provide adequate debt alleviation, predictable development assistance, and easy access to funds. There are also governance concerns about whose priorities these institutions serve.

What role are young people playing in advocating for progress toward the SDGs?

Young people have become increasingly vocal in demanding that governments and corporations fulfill their obligations toward the SDGs. They have participated in protests, particularly focusing on climate change and urging world leaders to act decisively.

What are the potential consequences if the world fails to meet the SDGs by 2030?

If the SDGs are not met by 2030, the world could see an increase in poverty, economic crises, and social unrest. Governments may struggle to handle natural disasters and public demands, which could lead to political instability, violent extremism, and more armed conflicts.

What is the significance of the UN SDG summit in relation to achieving the 2030 agenda?

The UN SDG summit is significant as it brings together global leaders to reaffirm their commitments to the SDGs and address the challenges impeding progress. It is viewed as a critical moment for leaders to prove they are listening and taking action to rescue the SDG plan.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Global Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The 193 members of the United Nations reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), marking a rare moment of global unity. Adopted in 2015, the SDGs form a 17-point plan to tackle the world's greatest challenges, but recent updates show that progress is faltering. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need for a 'global rescue plan' as only 15% of the goals are on track, with many targets moving backward.

05:00

📉 SDGs' Struggles at the Midway Point

The SDGs aim to combat various global crises such as climate change, poverty, and inequality. As the 2030 deadline approaches, a recent report highlights that progress is insufficient: only 15% of targets are on track, with nearly half lagging or severely off course. The UN's call for action is intensifying, especially as Guterres warns that failure to meet the goals would signify a global failure.

🌱 The Role of Youth in Driving Change

Youth activism has become central to pushing governments and corporations to meet their obligations toward the SDGs. Climate protesters, especially young people, are taking to the streets globally, demanding an end to fossil fuel reliance and urging leaders to fulfill their promises. The UN sees youth engagement as crucial to maintaining momentum and ensuring accountability.

🌏 Addressing Financial and Governance Challenges

Countries facing significant governance challenges and armed conflict are struggling to make progress on the SDGs. These nations often lack the resources and stability needed to meet their population’s basic needs, highlighting a divide between more developed and struggling countries. Governance and financial obstacles remain the biggest barriers to achieving meaningful progress.

💵 The Global North's Role in Advancing SDGs

The Global North, encompassing wealthier nations, is being urged to provide more development support and climate-related assistance to help developing countries meet their SDG commitments. These wealthier nations are seen as pivotal in reforming multilateral institutions and ensuring that international rules facilitate sustainable development.

🏦 The Debate Over Multilateral Development Banks

Multilateral development banks like the World Bank have been criticized for holding back progress on the SDGs. Issues such as lack of debt relief, access to development assistance, and governance structures make it difficult for developing nations to access necessary resources. Talks on reforming these institutions are ongoing, but progress remains slow.

🛠 Trust and Multilateral Cooperation: A Path Forward

A major obstacle in multilateral cooperation is the lack of trust between nations, particularly in development matters. However, events like the SDG Summit provide opportunities for countries to reaffirm their commitments to supporting vulnerable populations. By rebuilding trust and improving development efforts, the UN hopes to address the underlying issues contributing to instability and conflict.

🚨 The Consequences of Failing to Meet SDGs

If the SDGs are not met by 2030, the world could face worsening crises, such as increased poverty, economic instability, and environmental disasters. Failure to provide basic services could lead to more uprisings, instability, and possibly violent extremism. These repercussions could spread across regions, affecting not only individual nations but entire global networks.

Keywords

💡Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, aimed at addressing critical global challenges like poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation. These goals form the core of the video, as the UN Secretary General calls for a 'global rescue plan' to address the slow progress being made towards achieving them by the 2030 deadline.

💡UN General Assembly

The UN General Assembly is an annual gathering of all 193 member states of the United Nations where global issues are discussed. In the context of the video, this year's assembly is focused on the SDGs, with leaders urged to recommit to the goals amidst concerns that only 15% of targets are on track for 2030.

💡Global Rescue Plan

The 'Global Rescue Plan' is a call to action by UN Secretary General António Guterres to accelerate efforts towards meeting the SDGs. This plan is central to the video’s message, emphasizing the need for a renewed global effort, as the current progress is alarmingly insufficient, with many goals moving backward.

💡Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges addressed by the SDGs, and it is a recurring theme in the video. The video highlights the importance of combating climate change as part of the global agenda, with protests from young people demanding that world leaders take urgent action to reduce fossil fuel use and protect the planet for future generations.

💡Global North and Global South

The Global North refers to wealthier, more developed countries, while the Global South includes poorer, developing nations. The video touches on the tension between these regions, as the Global South calls on the Global North to provide more support and live up to climate and development commitments, which are critical for achieving the SDGs.

💡Financial Challenges

Financial challenges are cited as a major obstacle in achieving the SDGs. The video explains that many countries, particularly in the Global South, lack the resources to meet their targets and require more development assistance, debt relief, and access to predictable funding from multilateral development banks like the World Bank.

💡Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)

Multilateral Development Banks, such as the World Bank, are crucial institutions in financing development projects that help countries achieve the SDGs. However, the video highlights criticism that these institutions are not doing enough to support sustainable development, with governance issues and difficulties in accessing funding being key obstacles.

💡Governance Issues

Governance issues refer to problems in how countries are managed, including corruption, weak institutions, and conflicts. The video emphasizes that poor governance is a significant barrier to progress on the SDGs, particularly in countries where basic needs like clean water and safe environments are not being met.

💡2030 Agenda

The 2030 Agenda refers to the UN’s plan to achieve the SDGs by the year 2030. This halfway point in 2023 is a critical moment for assessing progress, and the video shows that much more needs to be done, as only a small fraction of the goals are on track and several are regressing.

💡Youth Activism

Youth activism plays a crucial role in the video, with young people around the world protesting and demanding that leaders take stronger action on climate change and sustainable development. The video suggests that young people are a key source of hope, vitality, and pressure to hold governments accountable for achieving the SDGs.

Highlights

193 members of the United Nations have unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN Secretary General emphasized that the rescue plan for the SDGs now needs rescuing itself.

Only 15% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030, and many are going in reverse.

The SDGs include fighting climate change, lifting oceans, combating disease, eradicating poverty, and ensuring quality education and gender equality.

This year marks the halfway point for the 2030 deadline, and the world is significantly behind on its targets.

Close to half of the SDG targets are moderately or severely off track, and 37% have seen no movement or have regressed.

The UN has increasingly turned to young people for hope and to demand action from governments and corporations.

Climate protesters around the world are demanding world leaders to end the use of fossil fuels and protect future generations.

The Secretary General's message stresses the importance of keeping the promises made by world leaders for the SDGs.

Governance, financial, and policy issues are key hurdles in achieving SDG progress.

Countries facing the biggest challenges to the SDGs are often struggling with governance issues, armed conflict, and basic needs provision.

Developing countries in the Global South have called for more support from wealthier nations, including reforms to multilateral institutions.

Critics argue that multilateral development banks like the World Bank are holding back sustainable development due to governance and debt alleviation issues.

Conversations on reforming multilateral banks have gained prominence, but progress will take time and further negotiations.

Failing to meet the SDGs could lead to rising instability, economic crises, and more armed conflicts as governments become less prepared to handle future shocks.

Transcripts

the

193 members of the United Nations have

unanimously reaffirmed their commitment

to achieving the sustainable development

goals it's a rare sight the entire world

agreeing on something and it speaks

volumes about what's at stake here

adopted in 2015 the sustainable

development goals are a to-do list a

17-point rescue plan for ending or at

least diminishing the greatest threats

facing the greatest number of people on

this planet but today as the U.N

Secretary General himself said that

rescue plan needs rescuing

the UN Chief was all smiles as he walked

into the opening ceremony of the annual

U.N General Assembly but his message to

world leaders was anything but cheerful

excellencies the sdgs need a global

rescue plan

the sustainable goals are the

centerpiece of this year's International

Gathering guterres says they provide the

best road map out of today's many crises

so the sdgs are just a list of goals

they carry the hopes dreams rights and

expectations of people everywhere yet

today only 15 percent of the targets are

on track

and many are going in reversed

[Music]

the sdgs or sustainable development

goals are made up of 17 targets it is so

decided

that were adopted by all member states

in 2015 an ambitious blueprint or to-do

list which includes fighting climate

change

lifting our oceans combating disease

eradicating poverty

ensuring quality education and gender

equality

this year marks the halfway point for

achieving the 2030 deadline and

according to the latest progress report

the world is in trouble

only some 15 of targets are on track to

be reached by 2030. close to half are

moderately or severely off track and

some 37 percent have either seen no

movement or regressed below the 2015

Baseline as we Mark the midpoint of the

2030 agenda I have to remind you that if

only 15 of the sustainable development

goals are met

that is a failure

in recent years the U.N has turned more

and more to young people for Hope

vitality and a measure of guilt when it

comes to getting governments and

corporations to act we are the young

people of the world

demanding you

the leaders of the world

to fulfill your obligations

in New York and cities across the world

climate protesters took to the streets

ahead of this week's Gathering demanding

world leaders help protect future

generations and end the use of fossil

fuels the UN says now is the time for

leaders to prove they are listening and

keep the pledges they made

let's take a closer look and bring in

Daniel 40 he's a senior un Analyst at

the international crisis group and he

joins us tonight from New York Mr 40.

welcome to the day now it's half time

for the sdgs and it's not looking good

has the 2030 agenda failed

we don't think it's failed but there's

serious challenges in many of the areas

for countries all around the world the

statistics are clear very few of the

goals overall will be on track many of

them are actually in Reverse these are

essential issues for populations all

around the world it's about access to

clean water having a safe environment

and escaping poverty and these are the

standards that most civilizations are

holding their leaders to adjust for

whether progress can be made over the

next few years is hard to see but at

this rate there needs to be a serious

push for improvement on the sdgs and

that's why the Secretary General has

tried to make this event the centerpiece

of this year's high level week all right

so what are the main hurdles in

achieving the goals

there are lots of issues I think most

importantly their financial issues there

are governance issues and there are

policy issues in many of these countries

each country has its own specific

context and that makes it challenging to

draw Universal Trends but we've seen in

broader terms how the prioritization of

the sdgs is not always very common in

the countries that need this recovery

and support the most many of these

countries that have achieved the lowest

progress on sdgs or seen reversals in

many of these areas are those that face

significant governance challenges have

issues with armed conflict and are

really struggling to deliver for the

population's basic needs yeah there are

though of course states that wield more

power in advancing the entire world

towards the sdgs who are the worst

offenders here and who's holding the

rest back

well this has been an interesting debate

over the past few months is how much

will the sdgs shine at this year's high

level week countries in the so-called

Global South developing countries

impoverished countries spread over much

of the world have tried to shine light

on this and have called for countries in

the global North the wealthiest

countries of the world to provide more

development support to live up to their

commitments on climates and to reform

multilateral institutions that shape a

lot of the rules and processes that

allow them to implement these basic

services at national and local levels

however we've seen a lot of pushback and

challenges from the global North to try

and find common ground on this there has

been a lot of hard of work over the past

few months leading up to the political

declaration that was adopted by world

leaders today however there's still a

lot more to be done from reaching

agreements on a political declaration to

actually implementing commitments many

of these countries and their

International Partners have had yeah I

want to talk about the financial aspect

that you mentioned earlier because

multilateral development Banks such as

the World Bank were supposed to be key

in helping countries achieve the sdgs

but critics now argue that the current

system is holding sustainable

development back why is that

one of the things we've noticed over the

past few months is the prominence of

conversations about reforming the

multilateral development Banks the IFI

the World Bank there are lots of

different challenges that countries in

the global South Point to whether it's

on the lack of debt alleviation that

these countries can offer and access

from the world Banks whether it's

predictable development assistance

Channel through them and the ease of

accessing that money and also governance

issues who controls these development

Banks whose priorities are they

responding to and how easily can these

countries engage with them we've noticed

over the past few months that countries

in the global North have started to hear

and listen to these concerns more

carefully but again making progress on

such a difficult multilateral issue

cannot be done overnight and certainly

not during the next couple of days of

the high level Summit and these

conversations will need to continue

elsewhere in capitals around the world

especially in Washington DC how do we

start changing course

it's a good question I think the most

important thing that we've noticed in

multilateral conversations and contexts

on all issues is a lack of trust that's

very apparent in the UN context and

especially with issues around

development and serving the needs of the

most vulnerable people in the world this

is a hard challenge to overcome but

having events like the sdg summit having

countries go on to the world stage

tomorrow and for the rest of the week

and explicitly acknowledge that they

hear the concerns of their partners and

are willing to work with them to give

them development support and live up to

those commitments is an important not

just for helping countries meet the sdgs

but also actually reducing the

likelihood of instability and armed

conflict in many of these areas and have

negative repercussions throughout the

world

um

negative repercussions I wanna I wanna

briefly before I let you go talk about

those what happens if we don't manage to

turn the tight what will our world look

like in 2030 if we don't meet the goals

look I think we'll be seeing a lot more

of the trends that we've noticed over

the past few years you know poverty and

economic crises in and of themselves do

not lead to armed conflict directly but

they do make governments less prepared

to handle the shocks that we're seeing

whether it's floods and other natural

disasters whether it's uprisings from

different parts of the population who

will no longer tolerate governments that

are not providing support and you know

basic services and that needs to be

improved over time and if we don't see

these we'll see more pushes from these

populations to have changes in

government leaders to push for more

securitization possibly even more rises

in our movements that are looking to

spread across regions and you know

commit acts of violent extremism and you

know as we've seen in places like the

Sahel in Central Asia these can have

negative repercussions for not just

countries but entire regions those

Daniel 40 of the international crisis

group thank you so much for your input