UN: Only 35% of Global Development Goals on Track as Conflict and Inequality Persist
A UN report finds that only 35% of global development goals are on track, with poverty, food insecurity, and armed conflict slowing or reversing progress in key areas.
UN warns of stalled progress toward 2030 development goals as poverty, conflict, and climate threats persist. Photo: @UNIraq
July 15, 2025 Hour: 5:28 am
Only 35% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015, are currently on track, according to a new United Nations report. The findings reflect slow progress and setbacks across several key areas, including poverty reduction, food security, climate resilience, and access to water and sanitation.
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In a report released Monday, the United Nations stated that “only 35 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track or show moderate progress,” while 18 per cent have regressed.
“Although millions of lives have improved due to progress in health, education, energy and digital connectivity, the pace of change remains insufficient to achieve the goals by 2030,” the UN said in an official statement.
Presenting the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted advancements such as increased access to electricity and internet, expanded social protection systems covering half the global population, a decline in child marriage, improved access to early childhood education, growth in renewable energy, and increased representation of women. “But we are not where we should be,” he warned.
The report underscores that over 700 million people—approximately one in ten globally—still live in extreme poverty. Without significant acceleration, 8.9% of the world population will remain in this condition by 2030. Recent crises have halted progress, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and regions affected by armed conflict.
Food security remains a critical concern. In 2023, between 713 and 757 million people—9.1% of the global population—faced hunger. More than 2 billion experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Although the share of countries with high food prices declined from 60% in 2022 to 50% in 2023, prices remain over three times above pre-pandemic levels. The report identifies conflict, climate variability, and economic instability as key contributing factors.
Climate and Water Access Challenges
The report confirms 2023 as the hottest year on record, with global average temperatures reaching 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. This contributed to the highest level of climate-related displacement in 16 years, and worsened food insecurity, economic losses, and social instability.
The UN identifies 2025 as “a crucial year for climate action,” marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and the midpoint of the current decade, described as decisive for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
Water and sanitation access also remain critical challenges. As of 2024, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water services, 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion did not have access to basic hygiene at home. Still, the proportion of people using safely managed drinking water increased from 68% to 74%.
Conflict and Human Impact
Conflict continues to drive reversals in development. In 2024, violence caused an estimated 50,000 deaths and displaced more than 120 million people—equivalent to one death every 12 minutes.
Between 2023 and 2024, child deaths linked to conflict rose by 337%, and deaths among women by 258% compared to the previous two-year period. According to the report, eight out of ten child deaths and seven out of ten female deaths occurred in Gaza.
“There is an undeniable link between conflict and underdevelopment,” Guterres stated, also emphasizing that “progress is impossible without scaled-up financing.” However, the report notes a decline in financial commitments from major donor countries, including the United States.
With just five years remaining before the 2030 deadline, the UN urges renewed multilateral cooperation and increased investment to prevent further setbacks. The report highlights the need for immediate action across multiple sectors to ensure that the world’s development agenda remains within reach.
Author: MK
Source: EFE