Have We Lost Strategic Control of Agenda 2030? Are We Still On Course on SDGs When The Goal of Peace Has Been Breached by Deadly Global Wars?

The Sustainable Development Agenda is spinning out of control. When the world should by now be in cruise control in the implementation of the 17 Goals, the situation is getting worse, with virtually every goal spinning out of control. While the United Nations clearly states that the 17 Goals are a system, meaning they are interconnected, the world seems to be on a tactical approach to the goals, choosing what goals to pursue. The lack of a strategic, integrated, systems approach to pursing the goals is a major handicap to the achievement of the objectives of the goals. Unless the world changes the implementation model for the goals, success will be limited and we will lose the climate change battle, together with the loss of all the other 17 goals.

If a poor implementation model was the only challenge we faced in the successful pursuit of the goals, there would be some hope. But the UN 17 Goals were conceived in a dangerous global ocean of believes, agendas, ideas, and motives. As I write this articles, the world’s peace at a record low. Remember peace is one of the major 17 UN Goals and without peace the attainment of all the other 16 goals is severely compromised. We are seeing this today in Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Western Africa, East Africa and the wider Middle East.? Millions of people lost their homes and were displaced in these troubled countries. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lives of the people in Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Israel, West Africa and East Africa have lost their lives, leading to intergenerational negative impacts. In wars, it is easy to forget that the soldiers are human beings whose lives and those of their families are also seriously disrupted. Some of these fighters are maimed for life and their lives are negatively changed for ever.

Not a single goal is spared by war. Look at the greenhouse gas emissions emitted during the course of the war. Look at the disruptions of local and global food supplies and food systems. Look at the billions, if not trillions, of United States Dollars committed to weapons of war and to the prosecution of war, trillions that could be used to address other non-military challenges countries and the world faces.

Look at the costs of rebuilding the infrastructure that is destroyed during the course of prosecuting war. These resources could have been used to improve the quality of human life and to address the severe global and local environmental challenges that we face.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has the toughest job on earth. His repeated call on the world to change gears when it comes to action on the 17 Goals seemed to be falling on deaf ears. Even his warning that we are losing the climate change battle seems to be getting no serious talkers. The world seemed now to be locked in a fierce environmental politics battle between the developed nations and the developing countries.? The big argument now revolves around “compensation” and “just transitions” and so on. The problem is science does not wait for politics. Things climate are hurtling fast to a point of no return while the world haggles on these political things. And, by the way, funding is not the only limitation in terms of successful pursuit of the goals. Implementation capacity and capabilities are severely lacking many parts of the developing world. Billions of United States Dollars are being lost in sustainable development activities that have little impact. The world is not paying enough attention to this fact and that is a problem.

Is it not telling that after a whole generation of conference of party meetings, we are, according to Secretary General Guterres, still in the “business as usual” mode in climate action. And in truth, we are still largely in a business as usual with many of the other 16 UN Goals, more so in emerging economies where there is still a lot more talk than a widespread and serious adoption and serious pursuit of the goals.

When, years ago, the World Economic Forum suggested that we are facing a global leadership crisis, we should have taken the organisation seriously and acted on their observation. The situation has now gotten worse and the world is under a very serious threat.

Wars start at the points of leadership failure.

Failure to make sound climate decisions is a leadership failure.

Failure by government leaders to defend The UN 17 Goals is a leadership failure

Failure to focus on what is important in terms of sustainability, sustainable development and the SDGs is a leadership failure

Failure to adequately fund the Goals is a leadership failure

Failure to meet the SDG targets is a leadership failure

Failure to admit the leadership crisis is a leadership failure

At this moment in time, global leaders are more focused on war and wars than on any other thing. The sustainable development agenda has been suspended.

The 17 UN Goals Need Catalysing so that we regain the lost ground. To this I propose the following additional goals;

Goal 18: Effective Leadership for the Goals

Goal 19: Strategy, Strategic Thinking? and Systems Thinking for the Goals

Goal 20: Research and Development for Successful Goals Implementation

Goal 21: Education and Awareness on the Goals

Goal 22: Training and Capacity Building for the Goals

Goal 23: Sustainable Global and Local Politics for the Goals

Goal 24: Sustainable Governance for the Goals

Goal 25: Sustainable and Just Resourcing and Funding or the Goals

Goal 26: Experience Sharing? for the Goals

Goal 27: Mandatorisation of? the Goals

Goal 28: Business and Entrepreneurship for the Goals

In many parts of the world, the core of critical stakeholders are either completely ignorant of the whole notion of sustainable development and the UN 17 SDGs, their importance and how they can play a part in their implementation and pursuit. There is still a lot of education and awareness needed. To this l therefor propose a strategic and systematic cascading of the sustainable development theory and practice right to individual levels.

Level 1: Globalisation of the awareness and ownership of the goals

Level 2.? Continentalisation of the awareness? and ownership of the goals

Level 3. Regionalisation of the awareness? and ownership of the goals

Level 4 Nationalisation of the awareness? and ownership of the goals

Level 5.. Subnationalisation of the awareness? and ownership of the goals

Level 6. Communitisation of the awareness? and ownership of the goals

Level 7 Family-level awareness? and ownership of the goals

Level 8. Individual level awareness? and ownership of the goals

Let's make sustainable development a reality!

Simon Bere is a leading environmental engineer, geoscientist, metastrategist and sustainable development advocate. He is a consultant in pollution management, integrated solid waste management, natural resources management, water and waste water. He also develops and provides strategy, performance and results management solutions for companies, organisations. businesses and economies.

Feedback [email protected] +263-77-444-74-38

?Simon Bere, 2024