The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which includes 17 SDGs was adopted by the 193 Member United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2024 reveals that the region is significantly behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This global agenda aims to vision a transformative change across social, environmental and economic dimensions. However, data indicates otherwise–we are far from achieving the SDGs in the Asia and the Pacific region.
Estimates suggest a staggering lag of at least 32 years, with the SDGs projected to be potentially achieved in 2062. None of the goals are on track to be met by 2030, showcasing the need for immediate and transformative implementation actions.
Challenges
A snapshot of progress, gaps, and challenges across the SDGs, according to the Regional SDG Progress Report 2024 points towards:
- Positive progress towards Eliminating Poverty (Goal 1), and Sustainable Innovation, Industry and Infrastructure (Goal 9) has been made, although this progress is insufficient to achieve the goals by 2030.
- Some progress has been made toward Zero Hunger (Goal 2), and Good Health and Well-being (Goal 3), Affordable and Clean Energy (Goal 7), and Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10).
- Slow progress is evident in achieving Quality Education (Goal 4).
- Urgent action is required to improve Decent Work and Support Economic Growth (Goal 8), Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), Protect Life Below Water (Goal 14), and Life on Land (Goal 15), and Strengthened Partnerships (Goal 17)
- Reversal of progress is seen for Climate Action (Goal 13).
- Goals on Gender Equality (Goal 5), and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (Goal 16), continue to face challenges due to inadequate indicators and data gaps to even measure and assess progress, which is alarming.
The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the region’s lack of progress, causing a multidimensional health and economic crises. Inequalities across countries in the region, particularly in Least developed countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), conflict-affected countries, with their vulnerabilities remain, remain a concern as they significantly fall short of progress towards SDGs.
Within countries, the gender inequalities continue to be paramount, with significant inequalities in education, wealth, and rural-urban divides.
Climate Action (Goal 13), with its reversal in progress for years now, remains an urgent priority for action in the region. Biodiversity loss, rising temperatures, and rising sea levels are resulting in frequent and extreme weather event occurrences.
Natural disasters, forced migration, risk of pandemics, and internal displacements as consequences of the climate crises is only worsening in the region. We are far away from achieving carbon neutral and carbon resilient development, and the impacts of climate change disproportionately affects women girls, and marginalised groups.
Summit of the Future
In the context of such poor progress and significant challenges in sustainable development, the breakthrough global “Summit of the Future”, scheduled for September 22-23 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, is viewed as a panacea for both the region and the world.
The Summit is themed ‘Summit of the Future: Multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow.’ It will feature interactive dialogues and discussions with aimed at accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Additionally, it will also discuss multilateral solutions for international peace and security, a common digital future that strengthens inclusion, innovation and cooperation, address digital divides, and a global system for current and future generations.
The Summit will adopt an outcome document, the Pact for the Future, which will include a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations as annexes. Stakeholders, including civil society, have been engaging in the preparatory processes leading up to the Summit of the Future.
Asia-Pacific Regional Convening Ahead of Summit of the Future – Young People at the Forefront
At the regional level, the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), together with the co-conveners Y-PEER Asia Pacific Center, YouthLEAD, Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), and Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG UNEP), is organising the Asia-Pacific Regional Convening Ahead of Summit of the Future – Young People at the Forefront, from August 22-24, 2024.
The convening will discuss and deliberate on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future, with young people’s lenses and the Asia-Pacific region’s perspectives
The Asia- Pacific Regional Convening aims to bring together young people from at least 21 countries to develop a call to action to inform the Pact for the Future outcome. Given that this is our only opportunity to leave no one behind in sustainable development, it will ensure peaceful and just societies can thrive towards better present and future generations. Follow us for more details.
