UN Alert: Humanity's Future Is In Danger.
The United Nations (UN) has issued a worrying warning about the goals set to improve the future of humanity. The call "2030 Agenda“, adopted in 2015, defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of building a more sustainable and better future for all by the end of this decade.
However, the UN emphasizes that these goals are “in danger” and highlights the urgent need for a “rescue plan” to prevent anyone from being left behind.
Goals Not Achieved
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that unless action is taken immediately, the 2030 Agenda could become a testament to what could have been but was not achieved. The SDG assessment report, which will be discussed at a summit in September, reveals that more than half of the world is being left behind in relation to the established goals.
Among the approximately 140 targets evaluated, more than 30% have not made any progress or have even regressed since 2015. About half of them show a moderate or severe deviation from the expected trajectory.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact in several areas, halting the decline in extreme poverty and reversing the progress made. It is estimated that 575 million people will still live in extreme poverty in 2030, which is far from the expected eradication.
Challenges in different sectors
Hunger has also re-emerged as a global concern, with the world returning to levels not seen since 2005. Moderate or severe food insecurity affects around one in three humans, totaling 2,3 billion people in 2021. In addition, more than a billion people live in urban areas similar to slums this number tends to increase over the next 30 years.
Education has been devastated by the pandemic, with only one in six countries on track to reach the target of universal access to secondary education by 2030. Millions of children have been deprived of access to education due to lack of adequate measures.
Gender equality is also facing very slow progress, with a gap that would take 286 years to bridge in terms of legal protection and elimination of discriminatory laws.
Likewise, it would take 300 years to eliminate child marriage. Developing countries are especially vulnerable, buried under a mountain of debt and struggling to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
Redemption Plan
Faced with this challenging scenario, the UN is calling for the adoption of a “rescue plan” during the summit in September. That plan requires a strong new political commitment, as well as support for Secretary-General António Guterres' proposal for an additional $500 billion a year recovery plan through 2030 to fund sustainable development goals.
Despite the challenges presented, the report also highlights some signs of hope. Child mortality declined by 12% between 2015 and 2021, and around 150 countries are expected to meet their targets in this area by 2030.
Internet access has increased considerably, with 5,3 billion people connected in 2022. In addition, the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths has decreased by 52% since 2010. There has also been progress in access to clean water and basic sanitation, but still there are challenges to be overcome.
Conclusion
The alert issued by the UN on goals to improve the future of humanity is an urgent call to action. The Sustainable Development Goals evaluation report highlights the need for a rescue plan to avoid setbacks and ensure no one is left behind.
Addressing these challenges requires political commitment, adequate financial resources and collective action. It is critical that governments, organizations and individuals come together to ensure a sustainable and better future for all.
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Picture: © DR
