SDGs: Uganda now ranked sixth in Africa in goal implementation

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Uganda’s overall score on the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) now stands at 55 per cent, up from 54 per cent in 2023.   

This is higher than the regional average of 53 per cent, according to the latest updates from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Uganda’s progress on the SDGs as it gears up for the Voluntary National Review (VNR) in New York in July.

VNR is one of the ways to measure the progress or the lack of it towards the attainment of the SDGs by a country. Uganda’s delegation to this year’s event is expected to be headed by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. 

Onesmus Kansime, the senior OPM programme officer of knowledge management, said on Thursday (May 23, 2024) that the improvement now puts Uganda in sixth among the 52 countries in Africa, “after Benin, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Kenya regarding the co-ordination and communication about SDGs”. 

He said, however, that while the country has performed well in some areas including health, it still faces many challenges in some areas including skilling. 

“When we talk about knowledge-based economies or innovation economies, you cannot leave out skilling because it is very important in human capital development,” he said. 

According to him, another area where the country is not doing well is water and sanitation. He said although more people in Uganda now have access to water and coverage is increasing, there is still a lot of ground to be covered in this area. 

“On peace, justice, and strong institutions we are also still stagnating. Already the panel that was here was talking about case backlog [in courts of law] and the fight against corruption and here as well are still stagnating,” he said, adding that much effort is also needed in innovation, industry, and infrastructure if the country is to achieve its targets by 20230. 

He was speaking during the Leave No One dialogue organised by the United Nations Association of Uganda (UNAU) at the Nob View Hotel in Kampala.

The event was among others organised to sensitise journalists on SDGs for effective communication to the citizenry.      

Kansime revealed, however, that some "robust" domestic revenue strategies are being worked upon, adding that these are geared towards empowering communities economically.

"After you have economically empowered them, you can then come and tax them. It is one way of revenue mobilization being considered," he said.

Kansime added: “Also when you look at private financing, we are trying to see how sub-Saharan countries can get fair carbon markets in terms of financing.”

SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

A core tenet of the SDGs is the concept of ‘no one left behind’ — that sustainable development must help people regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, income, disability, or geographic location.