SDGs: Is global commitment enough?

As world leaders gathered for the 2024 UN General Assembly, the focus was on addressing the growing urgency of the challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

With just six years left, the assembly honed in on evaluating why progress has stalled, tackling persistent obstacles, and strengthening commitments to revive momentum toward these critical global targets.

In his opening remarks, UN Secretary General António Guterres acknowledged that while there has been some forward momentum, significant gaps remain. "We are at a crossroads," he stated. 

"The global crises of climate change, inequality, and conflict have hindered our path to achieving the SDGs. We must act decisively to accelerate progress." The SDGs Report 2024 paints a grim picture. It reveals that only 17 percent of SDG targets are on track, nearly half show minimal or moderate progress, and over a third have stalled or regressed. 

Some of the most concerning areas include poverty eradication, gender equality, and climate action. SDG 5 - achieving gender equality, has emerged as a central issue in the conversation. Gender equality is not just a human right; it is essential for the realization of the SDGs. During the recently concluded Summit of the Future, global delegates reiterated that achieving sustainable development is impossible without equal opportunities for women and girls.  

Yet, the gap remains glaring. While the Summit reaffirmed the importance of gender equality and broader SDG goals, it has sparked skepticism. With the world falling short on many SDGs, particularly those related to gender and poverty, the introduction of yet another global initiative raises questions about actual commitment. Is it just another set of promises, or will it deliver tangible results? 

Critics argue that instead of introducing new frameworks, world leaders need to address why past commitments have faltered and ensure that the SDGs are prioritised.

Nonetheless, the summit introduced a bold initiative to increase women’s representation in leadership to at least 30 percent across government and corporate sectors by 2030. Yet, given the slow progress on gender equality, the question remains: Will these new promises lead to concrete change, or are they simply a distraction from the dismal results of the current SDG framework? 

At the Forum for Women in Democracy, gender equality remains top priority. Conscious of the critical role gender equality plays in achieving the SDGs, FOWODE convenes the Uganda Gender Consortium on the SDGs (UGCS), pushing for gender equality as a cornerstone of Uganda’s SDG domestication strategy. 

Through advocacy and training, FOWODE champions women’s political consciousness and nurtures alternative and transformative leadership. However, while organisations like FOWODE drive grassroots and community-level change, the success of Uganda’s SDG commitments ultimately relies on the government’s dedication to translating promises into tangible action. 

The government has pledged to prioritize gender equality, reduce poverty, and foster sustainable development, but progress toward these goals has been inconsistent. Through the Uganda Gender Consortium on the SDGs, FOWODE and its partners call on the government to allocate sufficient resources, implement transparent policies, and establish monitoring mechanisms to track progress. As the UN General Assembly wrapped up, delegates once again reaffirmed their commitment to gender equality and the broader SDG agenda. 

However, the reality remains that global efforts must be significantly accelerated if we are to meet the 2030 deadline.Critics are calling for more accountability and fewer symbolic summits. 

With the SDGs already struggling, adding new initiatives like the Summit of the Future without concrete follow-up mechanisms risks diluting global efforts. For real progress, nations need to move beyond lofty goals and ensure that existing commitments are fulfilled.

Without a deeper examination of why the SDGs are failing and a clearer path to achieving them, the ambition of 2030 may remain out of reach.

Ms Patricia Munabi Babiiha, Executive Director - Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE)