The member countries of the United Nations have unanimously adopted a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) that are intended to guide global efforts to improve the lives of millions of people. This effort is admirable and the demonstrated global unity is encouraging, but the path forward will require great foresight, serious debate and impeccable management by the UN. Over the next 15 years, 17 SDGs such as eradicating poverty and addressing the effects of climate change will be broken down into 169 specific targets that individual countries will work on voluntarily under the auspice of the UN.
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development, underlined this country’s position in her speech to the UN general assembly on Saturday. Access to clean energy, sufficient and affordable food and sustainable economic growth, she noted, were issues that resonated strongly.
The United Nations will begin with the enormous task of ending global poverty – defined as living on less than $1.25 (Dh4.60) per day – by 2030. However, such a low currency figure doesn’t reveal the multinational complexion of the poverty problem. That amount might go far in India but it doesn’t have the same reach in Brazil. Therefore, we believe sustainable economic growth to be one of the most important short-term goals for the full realisation of the SDG mandate. Without job creation and economic growth, poverty will never be fully eradicated.
As such, the UN must focus on the quality of aid projects and not just their quantity. Aid needed to fund these SDG projects must be targeted towards achieving specific goals. Such a clear division of resources will have lasting effect beyond simply ticking a box on a checklist. For example, investment in sustainable job creation will go a long way towards bringing people out of poverty and making sure that they stay prosperous.
These noble SDGs will only be achieved if the United Nations is able to use the ample funds it receives from member countries in a prudent manner. We have witnessed incredible goodwill from the international community with regard to these goals. This goodwill, however, comes with a great deal of responsibility for the UN. The pressure is on to turn the SDG vision into reality by 2030.
