As the SDG deadline looms, charitable organisations are proving indispensable

On 5 June, the United Nations’ SDG Stimulus Leaders Group convened in New York for its inaugural meeting at a critical juncture for the global body’s flagship development agenda. As UN Secretary-General Antoine Guterres stressed at the high-level gathering attended by government leaders from Canada, Brazil, and India among others, “a surge in action” is urgently needed for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amid developing countries’ “worst economic outlook in more than a generation.”

Launched in 2015, the SDGs represent a global call to action to address a broad array of pressing international challenges, from eradicating poverty and protecting the planet to promoting peace and ensuring prosperity for all, comprising 17 goals and 169 targets to achieve by 2030. Although notable progress has been made, only 15% of the SDGs were on track at the midway point to 2030.

Given the scale of the challenge ahead, delivering on the SDG agenda will require the ambitious mobilisation of not only state resources, but also the expertise of international service organisations with a strong grassroots presence.

Vital progress being made

Looking back at the past decade, significant progress has been achieved in several key SDG areas. For instance, Goal 1, which aims to eradicate extreme poverty, has been a priority for many years and is generally considered a low-hanging fruit because of the way even a little help can have outsized effects.

According to the World Bank, the global extreme poverty rate has declined from 10% in 2015 to around 8.4% in 2019. Similarly, Goal 3, focused on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being, has made some respectable progress, as seen by the decline in child mortality rates and a parallel increase in life expectancy. Furthermore, Goal 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, has made strides, with renewable energy now accounting for a larger share of the global energy mix.

Another notable area of success is education, encapsulated in Goal 4. Thanks to numerous UN and government programs across the globe, enrollment rates in primary and secondary education have increased worldwide, with a notable uptick in Africa. This region has also seen more people gaining access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation facilities, as stipulated under Goal 6.

Areas of concern coming to light

However, despite these advancements, the pace of progress has not been sufficient to meet the 2030 targets. The COVID-19 pandemic which put much of the world on hold, also halted many SDG programs, with these months of forced inaction reversing much of the progress which had been made since 2015, leading to exacerbated inequalities coupled with a host of other setbacks. For example, extreme poverty saw a rise for the first time in over 20 years due to the pandemic's economic impact, while disruptions to education have widened the gap—particularly for children in low-income countries.

Climate action, outlined in Goal 13, remains a critical area needing urgent attention. Despite growing awareness and commitments, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly severe. Biodiversity loss, covered under Goal 15, is also accelerating, with numerous species facing extinction and ecosystems being degraded at an alarming rate.

Moreover, progress towards Goal 10, which aims to reduce inequality within and among countries, has been painfully slow. Income disparities and unequal access to resources and opportunities persist, hampering overall development efforts, while goals related to sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11), responsible consumption and production (Goal 12), and peace, justice, and strong institutions (Goal 16) also demand more robust action and international cooperation.

Critical moment for international service organisations

With the 2030 deadline fast approaching, the need for accelerated action is paramount. Encouragingly, governments, businesses, and individuals are already readying to intensify their efforts and work collaboratively to drive meaningful change at the grassroots level.

“Education is essential”, says Alexis Vincent Gomès, who is currently running for Third International Vice President of the Lions Clubs International (LCI), an international service organisation involved in grassroots community work. “Current behaviors have negative impacts, and we can already observe climate changes,” he further posits, making “respect for nature crucial” as “it plays a fundamental role that we must preserve.” Gomès also highlights the strong connection between education and respect for the natural environment, a unique view that has informed his campaign’s strong focus on combatting climate change and “addressing environmental issues by promoting ecological initiatives.”

Under his international vice presidency and building on his past LCI leadership positions as Club President, District Governor and International Director, Gomès would seek to position LCI as “a key partner to international organisations and national institutions” working towards the SDGs. As a core pillar of this international cooperation vision, his campaign includes a proposal for the LCI to obtain African Union (AU) observer status for a broad range of issues related to sustainable development and peace—an agenda Gomès is well-placed to lead having spearheaded high-impact education, healthcare and community development projects across Africa and beyond over the course of his LCI tenure.

LCI is already cooperating with other civil society organisations such as the Carter Center, founded by former US president Jimmy Carter, with a particular focus on public health. Both have worked on providing eye care services and preventing blindness in underserved communities. As a result of this partnership, the World Health Organization has confirmed that four countries in the Americas—Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Guatemala—are free of river blindness. Additionally, in several regions of Sudan, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, transmission has been interrupted, leading to the cessation of mass drug administration for river blindness.

Approaching the home stretch

These examples highlight how the importance of civil society cannot be overstated. As the deadline for the SDGs approaches, the collective action of individuals, communities, and organisations will be crucial in bridging the gap between the current progress and the ambitious targets set for 2030.

Encouragingly, numerous initiatives are already in motion, showcasing the power of collaboration and grassroots mobilisation in achieving sustainable development. By leveraging the strengths of governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals, and fostering a spirit of cooperation and innovation, the vision of a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous world for all remains within reach.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)