The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a set of 17 interconnected global goals aimed at creating a “blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all.” The United Nations General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, with the goal of achieving them by 2030. They are included in a UN Resolution called the 2030 Agenda or what is colloquially known as Agenda 2030. The SDGs were created as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda as a replacement for the Millennium Development Goals, which expired in 2015.
By the end of 2019, the 15-year global effort to improve people’s lives around the world by 2030 by achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was already off track. According to a new report released today by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis, causing further disruption to SDG progress, with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable being the most affected.
The report said COVID-19 had negatively affected several goals including:
- SDG 1 (no poverty)
- SDG 2 (zero hunger)
- SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing)
- SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth)
- SDG 10 (reduced inequalities)
At the same time, the pandemic had brought “immediate relief” in areas related to:
- SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production)
- SDG 13 (climate action)
- SDG 14 (life below water)
- SDG 15 (life on land)
India was ranked 117th out of 100 countries, with a score of 61.9 out of 100. It was ranked below Pakistan and Afghanistan, two South Asian countries. India faces major challenges in ten of the 17 SDGs, including zero hunger, good health, and gender inequality, to name a few. Another three SDGs — no poverty (SDG 1), life below water (SDG 14), and life on land (SDG 15) — face significant challenges (SDG 15).
The coronavirus pandemic has introduced us to a new world, one in which the status quo is no longer valid. As the virus overwhelms our bodies and economies, millions of people are experiencing untold misery and suffering. The pandemic has forced us to reconsider almost every aspect of our lives, rich or poor. COVID-19’s influence is only beginning to be felt. Global human development, which includes education, health, and living standards, is expected to fall this year for the first time since 1990, according to the UNDP. The annual report, a joint effort of the global statistical community, is being launched on the opening day of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development as leaders from governments and different sectors of society gather to chart strategies and efforts to fully implement the SDGs. The report provides essential data that allows decision-makers to guide efforts toward a sustainable recovery.
