Sustainable development goals achievable with everyone playing a role

By Bashir Hangi

Last month, world leaders converged in New York and adopted the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs in effect to replaces the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were launched in 2000 to make global progress on Eradicating Extreme Hunger, Achieving Universal Primary Education, Gender Equality and Empower Women, Maternal Health, Reducing Child Mortality, Combating HIV AIDS Malaria and other Diseases, Ensuring Environmental Sustainability and Developing a Global Partnership for Development.   

Some critics have pointed out that many countries were unable to realize the MDs and therefore the SDGs is way an ambitious dream and a tall order. A closer look at the 2013 MDGs report for Uganda indicates that the country had scored highly only on goal number 1 i.e. eradicating extreme poverty and was making good progress on others. Although poverty remains a big issue, enormous progress has been made on the MDGs, showing the value of a unifying agenda underpinned by goals and targets.

The new Global Goals, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the MDGs, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people. The seventeen goals are; No poverty, Zero hunger, Good health and wellbeing, Quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, Industry innovation and infrastructure, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, Peace, justice and strong institutions, and Partnership for goals.

As we anticipate these Goals and targets to stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet, the following is crucial;

People; Ending poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.

Planet; Protecting the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change.

Prosperity; Ensuring that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.

Peace; Foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence.

Partnership; Revitalizing global partnership for Sustainable Development, by strengthening global solidarity on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all stakeholders. 

All the elements above resonate well with the policy measures that Government will champion in the post-2015 era to deliver on this Vision 2040. These measures are; Security of person and property for Citizens, Prioritizing the development of value chains as a core measure of development results, increasing efficiency of resource planning and management decisions within the public sector, Facilitating the development of inclusive, productive and efficient urban centres, Leveraging the East African Community integration process and globalization to grow a competitive Uganda – its people, enterprises and government and Ensuring quality and parity in the provision of social services.

The development thrusts encapsulated in Vision 2040 offer the optimal pathway for achieving sustainable development in Uganda. Like the case with MDGs, significant progress can be made towards the realization of the SDGs with the commitment of both government and the private sector.  Uganda just need to aggressively pursue vision 2040 to realize or make good progress on most of the SDG. 

To achieve the above, the involvement of the people themselves is a critical aspect. People must participate in identification on priorities and drawing of action plans that spell out what their responsibilities are vis-avis those of government. Development should come with responsibility whereby the citizenry know what their role is and that of government. This is largely lacking in Uganda yet it is an important ingredient in the whole mix.

Therefore, there is a need for mindset change and reorientation in our population so that people ask what they have done for themselves before asking what government has done for them; this development accountability coupled with policy measures for the achievement of vision 2014 will inevitably enhance the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The writer is a communications specialist