A company that started producing a new flagship product in 2015 and in 2024 admits to be only 17 % on track would be bankrupt.
Yesterday a children hospital was bombed in Kyiv and similar things happen in Gaza and other war theatres. In this situation member states are unlikely to focus on SDGs, not to speak of UN reform. In front of this background the High Level Political Forum
HLPF this week and the UN Summit of the Future
SOFT in September (both in New York) will be showcases of good activities, there will be appeals to do more with the same or even less but we won’t see the action needed to bring the Agenda back on track.
I do not always agree with
Jeffrey Sachs, the Special Advisor to
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on the Sustainable Development Goals but I remember well that already in 2015 he said that he would have preferred an Agenda with less than 10 goals. He was right.
What options do exist now:
For instance, UN and member states could identify those Goals and targets most likely to succeed and put these as first movers in one group which is more likely to succeed in the six years left.
Alternatively, or in combination with the above the more successful goals and targets could be combined into one, two or three nexuses. A nexus is a connection or link between goals and targets that can drive overall development and stimulate others to follow. For instance, education builds capacities and can stimulate economic development and economic development allows other investments.
To not frustrate those working on other goals and targets one might keep the overall Agenda. However, the focus should shift to frontrunner goals. I know this is a sensitive issue because it may touch mandates, funds and functions of UN agencies and it also may impact financial interests of member states. But the world and those active for SDG deserve a realistic agenda. Otherwise, they look like fools if they just go on.
There are always risks if a compact package of goals and targets is re-opened, but if the Agenda should stay off track over the next six years the reputation of the UN will suffer immensely. I don't want that.
And suicide of the UN out of fear to commit mistakes should be no option.
Therefore, it deems to be best to have a more realistic agenda, even if different nexuses run with different speed. Monitoring the 2030 Agenda implementation and recommending changes to member states are main tasks of HLPF. This week they can give proof of that.
See the also the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the first day of HLPF
https://lnkd.in/dTp86vFU
Slide sources: UNDESA at the opening of HLPF 2024