Syllabus
GS Paper 2 – Governance, Social Justice – Development and management of social sector/services
Applications where to apply?
When asked about
– Progress of SDG goals
– Inclusive growth
– UNDP
Context
2024 is an election year across the world and newly elected governments need to focus on the all-important sustainability issue.
Source
The Hindu| Editorial dated 4th May 2024
This is the year to get the SDG goals back on track
The United Nations summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), held in New York on September 18-19, assessed the progress towards achieving the SDGs outlined in the Agenda-2030. These goals, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, aim to address various global challenges by 2030, covering areas such as poverty eradication, social justice, environmental protection, and more. While progress has been made since 2015, it has been insufficient to achieve the targets.
The SDG’s 2030
The Sustainable Development Goals agenda was accepted by all members of the United Nations in 2012 at the Rio De Janeiro Council Meet with an aim to promote a healthy and developed future of the planet and its people. It was in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals were implemented after a successful fifteen-year plan of development called the Millennium Development Goals.
Slow Progress
- Off-Track Progress:
- Progress has been off track, with some improvements from 2015 to 2019 but grossly insufficient.
- Impact of Global Crises:
- Outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises have virtually halted progress.
- Neglect of Environment and Biodiversity Goals:
- Little attention towards goals related to environment and biodiversity, risking accelerated environmental degradation.
- Defiance of SDG Integration:
- Pursuit of SDGs currently defies the integrated and indivisible nature of SDGs.
- Other concerns:
- A team of 64 scholars analyzed 3,000 studies to examine the political impact of SDGs within national and global governance.
- Published it in the journal Nature Sustainability in September 2022.
- Concluded that SDGs have mainly had discursive effects with limited transformative impacts.
UN SDG Report, 2023: Key Areas for Urgent Action
- Identified five key areas for urgent action:
- Commitment of governments to seven years of accelerated, sustained, and transformative actions.
- Concrete, integrated, and targeted government policies to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and end the war on nature.
- Strengthening of national and subnational capacity, accountability, and public institutions.
- Recommitment of the international community to deliver and mobilize resources for developing nations.
- Continued strengthening of the UN development system.
Guidelines for Action
As mentioned in UN Report ‘Future is Now’ (2019):
- Transformative Potential: Emphasized the transformative potential of the 2030 Agenda through a systemic approach.
- Managing Trade-offs: Stressed the importance of identifying and managing trade-offs while maximizing co-benefits.
- Adopting locally suited goals: Suggested adopting locally best-suited entry points and applying four levers: governance, economy and finance, individual and collective action, and science and technology.
- Partnerships and Collaborations: Advocated for developing partnerships and collaborations to design and implement integrated pathways to sustainable development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains a critical global endeavour, necessitating urgent and concerted action from governments, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders. While the UN summit reaffirmed commitments to SDGs and outlined key areas for action, the effectiveness of these efforts depends on their implementation at the ground level.
Related Topics
UNDP
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network.
- It was established in 1965 by the United Nations General Assembly.
- UNDP became operational in January 1966.
- UNDP emerged from the merging of the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the United Nations Special Fund.
- The UNDP Executive Board comprises representatives from 36 countries worldwide, serving on a rotating basis.
- UNDP relies entirely on voluntary contributions from member nations.
- It operates within the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), which includes 40 UN funds, programs, specialized agencies, and other bodies.
- UNDP provides expert advice, training, and grants support to developing countries.
- There’s a growing emphasis on assisting the least developed countries.
- The organization plays a central role in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- The UNSDG operates across 165 countries, working collectively to achieve sustainable development goals.
References:
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Related PYQ
Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Comment on the progress made in India in this regard. [ UPSC Civil Services Exam – Mains 2018]
Practice Question
Discuss the progress and challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in Agenda-2030. [150 words]