Singapore: The world is way off track on most of the sustainable development targets agreed in 2015, such as tackling poverty and hunger, says a United Nations report which cites funding shortfalls, geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.N.’s annual Sustainable Development Report ranks the performance of its 193 member states in implementing 17 wide-ranging “sustainable development goals” (SDGs), which also include improving access to education and health care, providing clean energy and protecting biodiversity.
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It found that none of the 17 goals were on course to be met by 2030, with most targets showing “limited or a reversal of progress”. It urged countries to address chronic funding shortfalls and also revamp the U.N. system itself.
Guillaume Lafortune, Vice President at the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and lead author of the report said,
What this report is showing is that even before the pandemic hit, progress was already too slow. Once the pandemic hit, and other crises – including military conflicts – then it is a story of stagnation.
The report identified the tackling of hunger, the creation of sustainable cities and the protection of biodiversity on land and water as particular areas of weakness. Political goals like press freedom have also seen a “reversal of progress”.
It said Finland, Sweden and Denmark ranked at the top of the list of countries, and China has also made faster than average progress, but the world’s poorest countries have fallen further behind.
Mr Lafortune said developing countries needed more access to international finance, adding that institutions like credit rating agencies should be encouraged to take a country’s long-term environmental and economic wellbeing into consideration, rather than just its short-term liquidity.
The report also assessed countries on their willingness to cooperate globally through U.N. institutions. The United States was ranked in last place. Mr Lafortune said,
A large majority of countries are supportive of collaborating… but there are a number of great powers that do not play by the rules of the game.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
