Progress towards the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is “insufficient,” the United Nations warned on Monday, ten years after the goals were set and five years before they are meant to be achieved.
A new report presented by the Secretary-General reveals that progress has been made on 35% of the goals, including better Internet access, increased availability of electricity, improved school attendance, enhanced malaria protection, and fewer maternal deaths during childbirth.
However, nearly half of the 17 goals have seen no progress, while the remaining ones have regressed.
More than 800 million people are living in extreme poverty, leading the UN to believe that eradicating this condition by 2030 is no longer attainable. Additionally, more people are now experiencing hunger than in 2015.
The world is facing a global development emergency, according to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He also highlighted the impact of climate change on the most disadvantaged.
Guterres noted that the progress achieved would not have been possible without setting goals.
He also expressed concern that massive national debts might deprive States of the financial resources needed “to invest in their populations.”
