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Dear Editor,
The STABROEK News editorial on global performance towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (25 July 2024) correctly states that “only 17% of the targets are on track to be achieved”. This is correct. However, we need to assess what might be the main stumbling blocks and where we might find some bright spots.
For those who have not yet paid attention to the Sustainable Development Goals (2030), there are 17 goals that have been identified. They are as follows: No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and well-being, Quality education, Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation, Affordable and clean energy, Decent work and economic growth, Industry innovation and infrastructure, Reduced inequalities, Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Life below water, Life on land, Peace justice and strong institutions, Partnerships to achieve the goals.
Most of these goals are aspirational, that is, they are more symbolic than substantive. For example, no one can reasonably expect that we will achieve “no poverty” or “zero hunger” in fifteen years.
Some goals (used interchangeably here with more specific and measurable targets) are unachievable because they are physically impossible to achieve. In addition to the unachievable goals of “eradicating poverty” and “eradicating hunger”, other goals, such as climate action, are deeply political. For example, while COP 28 adopted a measure to provide poor countries with funding for “loss and damage” from climate change adaptation and mitigation, the cost is estimated at around $400 billion per year. However, only around $700 million has been raised so far. The North-South divide is structural, and it is doubtful that a multilateral agreement can bridge it.
The same is true of overconsumption, although here modernization itself is the problem. One of the main signs of success in the modern world is increasing consumption.
Undoubtedly, the more direct cause of the poor achievement of the SDGs is the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. In monetary terms alone, the World Health Organization estimates global losses at between $8.8 and $15 trillion. Global economic growth has fallen sharply and unemployment has soared. Quantitative research conducted by the National Institutes of Health shows that “relative to the scenario without the pandemic (the No COVID-19 scenario), the COVID-19 baseline scenario will increase the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide by 63.6 million in 2030 (range: 9.8 million to 167.2 million) and by 57.1 million in 2050 (range: 3.1 million to 163 million).
Against a backdrop of poor global performance on the SDGs, Guyana should be proud of how far this country has come. We have one of the fastest growing economies in the world. There have been incremental (and measurable) improvements in health, education, infrastructure, gender equality, decent work, and most of the 17 SDG categories. Furthermore, while most countries have sunk further into debt, Guyana has drastically reduced its debt burden. In January 2024, Ralph Ramkarran noted that Guyana’s debt-to-GDP ratio is in the top ten in the world (Oil Now, January 10, 2024).
Nonetheless, there are still areas of trouble, most of which are politically and culturally driven. Our political institutions need strengthening and our health facilities need an overhaul. The fraudulent electoral defeat in 2020 did damage the prospects of Guyana’s democratic system. However, all in all, Guyana is bucking the global trend in terms of poor performance on the SDGs.
Sincerely
Dr. Randy Persaud
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