Urgent call for stronger global cooperation to fulfil the 2030 promise

The 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report reveals alarming stagnation in global progress, with only 17% of the goals on track. As disparities widen and crises like extreme poverty and hunger escalate, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasizes the need for immediate and effective international cooperation.

The SDGs promise remains unfulfilled as the world approaches the 2030 deadline, the United Nations 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report reveals.

The report finds that only 17 per cent of the goals are on track; nearly half minimally or moderately progressed while over a third stalled or even regressed.

The report highlights growing global disparities, noting that an additional 23 million individuals fell into extreme poverty and over 100 million more faced hunger in 2022 compared to 2019.

Overview of SDGs under review at the HLPFExtreme Poverty

- Despite a declining working poverty rate, over half of the workers living in extreme poverty are in Sub-Saharan Africa (145 million).

- The COVID-19 pandemic reversed years of progress, adding 23 million more people globally to extreme poverty.

- Urgent Action Needed: Sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction efforts are critical.

Child stunting and malnutrition

- Three-quarters of children under age 5 with stunting live in Central and Southern Asia (36.7%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (38.3%).

- Over half of children affected by wasting are in Central and Southern Asia (56.2%), and nearly a quarter in Sub-Saharan Africa (22.9%).

- Improving Nutrition: Enhanced efforts in nutrition, health, and hygiene are essential.

Food insecurity and high food prices

- Food prices in Sub-Saharan Africa have steadily increased between 2020 and 2022 due to climate change, conflicts, and supply chain disruptions.

- Sustainable Agriculture: Implementing sustainable agricultural practices is crucial for food security.

Governance and corruption

- In Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa, 29.7% and 26.6% of the population, respectively, experienced bribery in the last 12 months.

- Governance Improvement: Strengthening institutions and combating corruption is vital. Promoting transparency and accountability can restore public trust.

Infrastructure and connectivity

- While regions like Australia, New Zealand, and Northern America have near-universal internet usage, only 37% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa are online.

- Expanding connectivity: Investments in affordable internet access and digital infrastructure are crucial for inclusive development and economic growth.

Overcrowding in prisons

- Over three-quarters of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa report prisons operating above capacity.

- Judicial Reforms Needed Improving judicial processes and reducing pre-trial detention can alleviate overcrowding and ensure fair trials.

Funding and investment gaps

- Major funding gaps exist, especially in Africa and the least developed countries (LDCs), where many plans are underfunded.

- Investment in data: Investing in high-quality, timely, and disaggregated data is essential for informed decision-making and ensuring no one is left behind.

For the first time in this century, per-capita GDP growth in half of the world's most vulnerable nations lagged that of advanced economies.

Overall, global health advancements have significantly slowed over the last 19 years, and many countries have seen declines in student proficiency in math and reading.

In addition, the number of forcibly displaced people reached an unprecedented 120 million by May 2024 because of armed conflicts as civilian casualties increased by 72 percent between 2022 and 2023.

Emphasizing the urgent need for stronger and more effective international cooperation to accelerate progress, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres observed at the launch of the Report that "with more than six years left, we must not let up on our 2030 promise to end poverty, protect the planet and leave no one behind."

From financing development to peace & security, and commitments to achieving the SDGs - three pressing priorities highlighted in the Report, the international community should look at reforming the global financial architecture; resolving ongoing conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy; fostering public-private partnerships and enhancing global cooperation.

In the next two weeks, African Member States will share good practices and lessons learned in implementing their SDG commitments at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). They hope to spur each of their countries in accelerating the implementation of the SDGs.

At the HLPF, the main UN platform for reviewing and following up on the progress of the SDGs, the review will concentrate on SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).

On those Goals, the Report reveals significant challenges and opportunities for Sub-Saharan Africa. (see box left). And remarked that the region appeared to have shown resilience and potential for transformative change.

Hence the "urgent need", according to António Guterres "for stronger and more effective international cooperation to maximize progress starting now."

Key findings of the 2024 SDG Report

For the first time this century, per-capita GDP growth in half of the world's most vulnerable nations is slower than that of advanced economies.

Nearly 60 per cent of countries faced moderately to abnormally high food prices in 2022.

Based on data collected in 2022 in 120 countries, 55 per cent of the countries lacked non-discrimination laws that prohibit direct and indirect discrimination against women.

Increased access to treatment has averted 20.8 million AIDS-related deaths in the past three decades.

Progress on education remains of grave concern, with only 58 per cent of students worldwide achieving minimum proficiency in reading by the end of primary school.

Global unemployment hit a historic low of 5 per cent in 2023, yet persistent roadblocks remain in achieving decent work.

Global capacity to generate electricity from renewable energy has begun expanding at an unprecedented rate, growing at 8.1 per cent annually for the past five years.

Mobile broadband (3G or higher) is accessible to 95 per cent of the world's population, up from 78 per cent in 2015.

Record high ocean temperatures have triggered a fourth global coral bleaching event.

External debt stock levels have remained unprecedentedly high in developing countries. About 60 per cent of low-income countries are at high risk of debt