Urgent call for UN reform to revive stalled progress on SDG’s

The latest Sustainable Development Report, released on June 13, paints a concerning picture for Ethiopia’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The East African nation ranked 145th out of 167 countries in the 2024 SDG Index, underscoring the significant challenges it faces in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The SDG Index, produced annually by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), measures countries’ overall progress on the 17 SDGs, which include goals such as ending poverty and hunger, improving health and education, and taking action on climate change. Ethiopia’s score of 56.6 puts it well below the global average of 71.5 and places it in the “red zone” category, denoting major challenges across multiple SDG areas.

“Ethiopia’s low ranking in the SDG Index is a wake-up call that more concerted action is needed to put the country on a sustainable development path,” said Guillaume Lafortune, the report’s coordinator. “While Ethiopia has made some progress, it is still grappling with deep-seated challenges related to poverty, food security, health, and environmental protection that are hindering its ability to achieve the ambitious 2030 Agenda.”

The report notes that Ethiopia’s relatively low ranking is partly a reflection of the significant development challenges it faces as a low-income country. However, it also highlights the need for the government to redouble its efforts and implement more ambitious, evidence-based policies to accelerate progress on the SDGs.

“Ethiopia has demonstrated a strong commitment to the SDGs, but the results show that much more needs to be done,” said Lafortune. “With the right strategies and international support, Ethiopia can make faster strides towards a more sustainable and equitable future for its people.”

The report from SDSN also has issued a stark warning – the world is significantly off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline.

The report finds that only 16% of SDG targets are currently on track globally, with the remaining 84% demonstrating limited progress or even reversal. This stagnation in SDG progress since 2020 is occurring across a range of critical areas, including hunger, sustainable cities, life below water, life on land, and peace and justice.

“Midway between the founding of the UN in 1945 and the year 2100, we cannot rely on business as usual,” said Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, President of the SDSN and a lead author of the report. “The world faces great global challenges, including dire ecological crises, widening inequalities, disruptive technologies, and deadly conflicts – we are at a crossroads.”

The report highlights stark disparities in SDG progress between country groups. Nordic countries continue to lead in SDG achievement, with Finland, Sweden, and Denmark topping the 2024 SDG Index. However, even these high-performing countries face significant challenges in meeting certain goals.

In contrast, the gap between the global SDG average and the performance of the poorest and most vulnerable nations, including Small Island Developing States, has widened since 2015. This uneven progress is driven in part by a chronic shortfall in sustainable development financing, particularly for low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

The report calls for urgent reform of the United Nations to “strengthen global cooperation and financing for sustainable development.” It presents five complementary strategies to reform the global financial architecture, including new institutions, forms of global taxation, and priorities for investment in areas like quality education.

Alongside the SDG Index, the 2024 report introduces a new Index of countries’ support for UN-based multilateralism. This ranking shows Barbados as the global leader in commitment to the UN system, while the United States ranks last among the 193 UN member states.

As the world prepares for the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024, the SDSN report underscores the imperative for bold action to upgrade the UN and reinvigorate global progress on the SDGs. “The international community must take stock of the vital accomplishments and the limitations of the United Nations system, and work toward upgrading multilateralism for the decades ahead,” said Sachs.

In a significant development for the African insurance industry, Yared Mola, the CEO of Nyala Insurance S.C., has been appointed as the Vice President of the African Insurance Organization (AIO).

The AIO, a non-governmental institution headquartered in Yaounde, Cameroon, was founded in 1972 with the primary objective of promoting the competitive and sustainable development of the insurance industry across the African continent. Yared’s appointment was made following the conclusion of the organization’s 50th Conference and General Assembly, held from June 1st to 5th, 2024, in Windhoek, Namibia.

The conference focused on the pressing issue of coping with rising natural catastrophes across Africa, a growing challenge that the industry will need to address in the coming years.

Yared, who has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, is expected to be promoted from Vice President to full-fledged President of the AIO next year, in line with the organization’s practices.

In 2019, Yared was awarded the prestigious “Best CEO of the Year” title for his demonstrated leadership, raised standards of competence, and significant achievements. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD at the Paris School of Business and also serves as the President of the Association of Ethiopian Insurers (AEI).

The news of Yared’s appointment has been met with enthusiasm within the African insurance community, as his extensive experience and proven track record are expected to contribute to the continued growth and development of the industry across the continent.

Furthermore, it was announced that in 2025, Ethiopia will be the host for the AIO’s 51st Conference and General Assembly, underscoring the country’s prominent role in the African insurance landscape.

A new, comprehensive framework has been launched to guide health authorities, policy makers and other stakeholders towards elimination of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as a public health problem in eastern Africa.

Also known as kala-azar, VL is a deadly parasitic disease that causes fever, weight loss, spleen and liver enlargement, and – if untreated – death. Transmitted by the bite of infected female sandflies, VL is endemic in 80 countries around the world. In 2022, Eastern Africa accounted for 73% of global VL cases, half of which occurred in children under 15.

The elimination framework outlines five main strategies for guiding VL elimination: early diagnosis and treatment; integrated vector management; effective surveillance; advocacy, social mobilization, building partnerships; and implementation and operational research. It also includes a step-by-step process for implementing the main elimination phases and sets country and regional targets, such as a 90% reduction in VL burden in the Eastern Africa sub-region to fewer than 1,500 per year by 2030; detection and treatment of 90% of cases within 30 days of onset of symptoms by 2030; a 100% decline in VL deaths in children by 2030; 100% of VL-HIV patients started on ART therapy; and the detection, reporting, and management of all post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) cases. 

‘The introduction of this new framework represents a significant step forward in our collective efforts to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis from Eastern Africa,’ said Dr Saurabh Jain, Scientist and WHO Focal Point for VL. ‘By providing countries with tailored tools and strategies, we are laying a strong foundation for sustained progress in the fight against this neglected tropical disease’.

The framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with various partners, including the non-profit drug research and development organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Ministries of Health across the region, was launched at a meeting co-hosted by WHO, DNDi, and the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia. The meeting was attended by officials from the ministries of health of nine high VL burden countries in Africa, namely Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, as well as representatives from the African Union, researchers, academia, the private sector, and funding institutions. 

‘The VL elimination framework will offer important direction to countries in the region and provide momentum to reach the finish line of elimination,’ said Dr Dereje Duguma, State Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health, Ethiopia. ‘The Government of Ethiopia remains committed to working with partners to develop programs at all levels, from national to community, to expand access to healthcare and achieve the targets of elimination by 2030.’ 

The launch of the Eastern Africa framework comes at a time when countries in Asia are already demonstrating success in eliminating VL as a public health problem. 

Between 2004 and 2008, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal collectively accounted for 70% of global cases. However, in October last year, WHO announced that Bangladesh had successfully eliminated VL as a public health problem – making it the first country in the world to achieve this status. The elimination process in Asia began in 2005 with the launch of a regional Strategic 

Framework forVL. This framework, coupled with an accelerated elimination program, political commitment, and sustained stakeholder support, significantly contributed to achieving elimination goals. 

The new framework for Eastern Africa presents a similar opportunity for the nine endemic countries, offering a comprehensive approach for countries to implement strategies, assess progress, identify gaps, and build capacity. 

‘VL is a severe disease primarily affecting vulnerable groups, such as children and the poorest populations. I am very pleased that the framework’s core pillars prioritize innovation for these neglected populations. Since its establishment in 2003, DNDi has focused on developing new, safer, more efficacious, and patient-friendly treatments. “This, combined with complementary strategies such as vector control, undoubtedly will play a pivotal role in the journey towards elimination’, said Professor Samuel Kariuki, the Eastern Africa Director for DNDi. 

Continuous research and development of new tools will be key to overcoming remaining obstacles and sustaining elimination of VL. Current tools, though effective, remain challenging due to complex administration and potential toxicity, limiting their use in primary healthcare settings.

The launch of the framework follows the Nairobi Declaration (January 2023), where representatives from the ministries of health of Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, along with key stakeholders in the region, committed to eliminating VL as a public health problem by 2030.

The framework was developed in consistency with the WHO roadmap for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030, a 10 -year plan formulated to guide all nations working towards the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases. 

Ethiopia has fallen to 144th place out of 163 countries in the 2024 Global Peace Index, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace. This marks a significant deterioration in Ethiopia’s ranking, down from 131st place in the previous year’s index.

The Global Peace Index is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, ranking countries based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across three domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security, the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict, and the degree of Militarization.

According to the report, Ethiopia saw notable declines in several areas, including increased involvement in external conflicts, higher military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, and a rise in the number of deaths from internal conflict. The report also highlighted Ethiopia’s internal political instability and ethnic tensions as contributing factors to its lower ranking.

“Ethiopia’s drop in the rankings is a concerning sign of the country’s ongoing struggle to maintain peace and stability,” said the report’s lead author. “The combination of external conflicts, militarization, and internal divisions is making it increasingly difficult for Ethiopia to achieve a high level of peacefulness.”

The report found that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.56% in 2024, marking the 12th deterioration in peacefulness in the last 16 years. This underscores the challenges many countries are facing in addressing the root causes of conflict and violence.

While Ethiopia’s ranking has fallen, the report noted that several countries in the region, including Kenya and Uganda, have seen improvements in their peacefulness rankings. This suggests that progress is possible, but will require a concerted effort by the Ethiopian government and international community to address the complex drivers of conflict.