The United Nations has issued a warning about its progress on global development goals. According to a recent report, only 17% of the 169 targets set by the U.N. to improve life for over 7 billion people are on track to be met by the 2030 deadline.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres introduced the annual report with a stark statement: “It shows the world is getting a failing grade.”
Back in 2015, world leaders adopted 17 broad development goals, aiming to address issues from global poverty to gender equality. They also set 169 specific targets to be achieved by the end of this decade. However, the latest report indicates that nearly half of these targets show only minimal or moderate progress. Alarmingly, over one-third of the targets are stalled or even regressing. Just 17% are on track to be achieved.
“The takeaway is simple,” Guterres emphasized. “Our failure to secure peace, to confront climate change, and to boost international finance is undermining development.”
The report highlights several factors contributing to this sluggish progress. One major factor is the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, an additional 23 million people were pushed into extreme poverty, and over 100 million more suffered from hunger compared to 2019.
“In a world of unprecedented wealth, knowledge, and technologies, the denial of basic needs for so many is outrageous and unacceptable,” Guterres said.
The report also highlighted economic challenges. For the first time this century, per-capita GDP growth in half of the world’s most vulnerable nations is slower than in advanced economies. This threatens progress towards greater equality. Additionally, in 2022, nearly 60% of countries experienced moderate to abnormally high food prices.
The goal of providing quality education is also far off track. Only 58% of students worldwide achieved minimum proficiency in reading by the end of primary school. “Recent assessments reveal a significant decline in math and reading scores in many countries,” the report noted.
Gender equality is another area where progress is lacking. The report states that one in five girls still marry before age 18. Violence against women persists, many women do not have the right to decide on their sexual and reproductive health, and at the current rate, it will take 176 years for women to reach parity with men in management positions.
Despite these challenges, Guterres pointed out “some glimmers of hope.” For example, mobile broadband is now accessible to 95% of the world’s population, up from 78% in 2015. The global capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources has been growing at an unprecedented rate of 8.1% annually over the past five years.
In the area of health, increased access to treatment has averted 20.8 million AIDS-related deaths in the past three decades. New malaria vaccines being rolled out could save millions of lives. In education, girls in most regions are now achieving parity with boys. Furthermore, many women are breaking glass ceilings in various sectors.
“But the speed and scale of the change needed for sustainable development is still far too slow,” Guterres warned. He urged action to end conflicts around the world, from Gaza to Ukraine and Sudan, and called for a shift in spending from war and destruction to investment in people and peace.
The secretary-general also called for greater efforts to combat climate change and to advance “the green and digital transitions.” According to the report, there is a $4 trillion annual gap in the investments needed to help developing countries achieve the sustainable development goals.
Guterres called for increased efforts to provide necessary resources, reduce debt pressures and servicing costs, expand access to contingency financing for countries at risk of a cash flow crisis, and multiply the lending capacity of the World Bank and other development banks.
“We must not let up on our promises — to end poverty, protect the planet, and leave no one behind,” Guterres concluded.
While there are some positive developments, the world is falling short on many of the U.N.’s ambitious targets. To get back on track, significant action is needed across various sectors, from peacebuilding and climate action to financial support for developing nations.