BY BEN BILUA
PACIFIC Island countries, including Solomon Islands, are lagging significantly behind in efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new report has revealed.
According to the 2022 Second Quadrennial Sustainable Development Report, the Pacific is unlikely to meet even one-fifth of the targets under the SDGs.
The report highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened economic and social conditions across the region, pushing progress further off track, as a result, none of the SDGs are expected to be fully achieved by 2030.
It states that the ongoing threat of climate change and climate-induced disasters continues to undermine development gains, making it harder for countries to stay on course even in areas where progress is visible.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) regional SDG progress report released in March 2023 reinforced these concerns. It projected that, at the current pace, Asia and the Pacific would need another 42 years to fully achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
For the Pacific specifically, ESCAP confirmed that no single goal is on track to be achieved by the 2030 deadline.
The report also pointed to significant data gaps, which limit the ability to capture the full picture of SDG progress in the region.
The findings serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for stronger regional cooperation, innovative policies, and increased investment to help Pacific Island countries close the gap and move closer to achieving global development targets.
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