Let Every Country Adopt the Sustainable Development Goals as its Economic Management and Economic Development BluePrint and the rest will be History.

Now, as I have, and will continue to suggest, sustainable development and the successful implementation of sustainable development goals is being compromised by the gaps and holes in the theory. And to make any serious traction, we must, with the fierce urgency of now, upgrade the sustainable development goals theory, plug the theoretical holes and fit in what is missing. This may be difficult to grasp for most of those who are still misled into thinking that theory is not important in producing real world results and this is thinking is the most lethal spear striking right at the heart of the any success in steering the world onto a sustainable path and keeping it moving along that path as a sustainable speed. Even the admission that as the world, we are far off from the sustainable development path is one reality that many will not admit, at least publicly, because they have vested interests in maintaining the narrative of serious progress. It reminds me of Ralph Emmerson Waldo’s say that journalists keeping repeating something they know isn’t true, in the hope that it will be true. It may be ok for journalists; but if the same happens with those in positions of leadership, our planet and our world is doomed.

One big thinking mistake that looms large in the sustainable development goals and their implementation is apparent conceptual view of sustainable development goals as an optional subset of environmental, human and economic development goals that are separate from the routine national economic goals and aspirations. In other words, many people who are in leadership positions and are aware of the sustainable development goals see them as some kind of “icing on the economic management and economic development cake,” and not as the core and central ingredients of a great economic cake. They think or are made to believe that these goals are like add ins or extras in the very same way we have extras on our cars, meals, gadgets and other staff. Extras by nature are “nice to haves” that we can do without and still function properly without. But in reality, adoption of the sustainable development goals as the back bone of environmental management and human and economic development is the smartest economic move any country can take. These goals, despite their holes and missing elements needed to successfully implement them full throttle, are a master piece in their conceptualisation. I am yet to see any economic development plan or model that beats these goals in their clarity, comprehensiveness, focus and inclusivity. I have no doubt that any country that seriously adopts these goals as their enduring and even permanent economic development blue print and then figure out the best possible theory for their implementation will achieve extraordinary economic results. Not country will continue to wallow in poverty and underdevelopment while pursing these goals seriously.

For many countries that had been struggling to come up with sensible and practical economic plans, not knowing what exactly to focus on, these sustainable development goals are like being given a penalty kick. Not willing to adopt these goals a country’s economic blue print is like refusing to take a penalty kick when you are losing, especially dismally.

It is, being honest, somewhat illogical, to ignore the United Nations sustainable development goals and then try to come up with one’s own economic blue print. What exactly will any economic blue print not based on the sustainable development goals be trying to achieve? With the sustainable development goals, all the critical “whats” of environmental management and human and economic development are covered. All what is needed is figuring out the how. Unless I am missing something, I believe those who crafted these goals deserve credit and it is a shame if the world continues on a path of destruction of our planet, economic underperformance and human poverty and suffering while we have this great blue print.

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?Simon Bere, 2022