Where are we now?

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:

Lionel Wijesiri-Tuesday, October 23, 2018

World Development Information Day falls tomorrow. The UN General Assembly in 1972 established this day to draw the world attention to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them. The Assembly also decided that the date for the event should coincide with United Nations Day.

The UN Assembly believes that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the development problems.

United Nations Organisation from its inception in 1945, has been focussing mainly on improving all inhabitants’ well-being. For example, two and half decades ago, nearly 40 per cent of developing world’s population existed in extreme poverty. Since then, the world has halved extreme poverty, with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) greatly contributing to this progress.
Recognizing the success of the MDGs, and the need to complete the job of eradicating poverty, in September 2015, the UN adopted an ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

MDGs helped end or minimise poverty for some, but not for all. The UN’s new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are expected to complete the work begun with the MDGs.
The SDGs

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development predicts a safe and secure world which is, amongst others, free of poverty and hunger, with full and productive employment, access to quality education and universal health coverage, the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and an end to environmental degradation.

Energy is also at the heart of many of these SDGs – from expanding access to electricity, to improving clean cooking fuels, from reducing wasteful energy subsidies to curbing deadly air pollution that each year prematurely kills millions around the world. One of these goals – commonly known as SDG 7 – aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by the end of the next decade.

The Sustainable Development Agenda is a universal framework of action integrating social, economic and environmental factors of sustainable development, peace and governance. The Agenda also includes an overriding principle of ensuring that “no one is left behind” in the achievement of the SDGs.

Sri Lankan experience

The Government of Sri Lanka also has embraced the universality of the 2030 Agenda and is committed to supporting its implementation in Sri Lanka. Most of the Government’s policies and programmes, both domestically and internationally, are currently aligned with the 2030 Agenda.
However, for a country like Sri Lanka, where noticeable social and regional disparity exists, an inclusive approach is needed for the implementation of the SDGs. The national programme should ensure that all marginalized and excluded groups are stakeholders in development processes so that no sector is left behind. This is particularly applicable to those groups who are marginalized or otherwise vulnerable, which include rural people, women, youth and children, people with disabilities.

Sri Lanka has been an on track with regard in realising many MDGs and even had met some of them well ahead of the scheduled dates. Those relate to poverty, education, and certain areas in health.

World Bank Report issued in April this year confirms: “Sri Lanka has made significant progress in its socio-economic and human development indicators. Social indicators rank among the highest in South Asia and compare favourably with those in middle-income countries. Economic growth has translated into shared prosperity with the national poverty headcount ratio declining from 15.3 percent in 2006/07 to 4.1 percent in 2016. Extreme poverty is rare and concentrated in some geographical pockets”.

The country’s unemployment rate stands below 5%. Free education and health policies have resulted in high life expectancy (75 years) and high youth literacy (98.7%) rates. UN has recognized Sri Lanka among “high human development” achieved countries.

Policy

The Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs with the support of Department of Census and Statistics has already prepared a comprehensive report titled “Status of Sustainable Development Goals Indicators in Sri Lanka, updated December 2017. It includes a holistic policy framework on the implementation of the SDG Agenda 2030. It has taken evidence-based policy research to identify economic, social and environmental priorities of the county.

Extensive consultation with relevant government agencies, civil society and the business sector and the relevant international organisations have been done before preparing the report.

The Government has also formulated key plans and strategies for implementation of SDGs. For example, the National Budget 2018 focuses on a “Blue Green Economy” envisaged to create an eco-friendly environment where all can co-exist harmoniously. The government’s “Vision 2025” provides the overall vision and the Public Investment Programme, the three-year rolling plan align significantly with SDGs.

Means of implementation

As a step towards improving the institutional coherence in implementing the SDGs, in October 2017 Sri Lanka enacted the Sustainable Development Act No. 19 of 2017. The Act provides for the establishment of a Sustainable Development Council as the national coordinating body for implementing the SDGs. The Council is already appointed by the President.

There are a number of challenges encountered in meeting this target.

Poverty

Although country-wise poverty rate has dropped, yet due to the regional disparity in achievements of targets, gaps are detected in some districts. Moneragala and Mullaitivu are two examples, where the poverty stands around 15 to 20 %. Therefore, both efficiency and coverage of the existing social protection programmes need to be improved to support the poor and vulnerable.

Health

Sri Lanka can be happy about improvement in most sectors in health, particularly, maternal mortality, under-five mortality and neonatal mortality which have reduced remarkably. However, population aging and increasing non-communicable diseases are challenges. The Government Health Policy has addressed these issues but more dynamic actions need to be taken.

Education

While Sri Lanka has achieved successes in many areas of education, yet challenges remain. Some areas are: improving the quality and relevance of education, increasing access to modern higher and vocational education, standardizing non-state education and strengthening linkage between general and vocational education.

Gender equality

One segment where Sri Lanka’s weak rating reflects is in gender equality. The country ranks 73rd out of 188. Although women’s share in local authorities has been increased through legislation, on other political representations, gender inequalities are particularly observed.

Water and sanitation

Around 90% of the population has access to safe drinking water. However, disparities exist regionally and issues exist on quality and quantity of drinking water. Eighty seven percent of the population possesses onsite sanitation facilities. Providing facilities to the rest and managing wastewater in urban centres and industrialized areas remain challenges.

Transport

Public transport accounts for 57% of passengers. Transport has number of challenges. Measures such as railway electrification, Light Rail Transit System and fuel-efficient vehicles need to be introduced to modernize transport. Consideration must be given and solutions found for the traffic congestion in urban areas, increasing private vehicle usage and increasing road accidents are challenges.

Tourism

Sri Lanka has tremendous potential for tourism with its geographical location and the many diverse attractions within a relatively small area. Annual tourist arrivals have increased five-fold during the last ten years. The potential is very much more. A transformation in the tourism strategy is urgently needed for its development and sustainability.

Natural resources

Sri Lanka is one of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots. High level of endemicity is observed in most taxonomic groups. However, a considerable number of species are threatened species. Meanwhile, deforestation has become a challenge due to increased demand for land. Solutions need to be identified and start a long-term National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan.

As World Bank says in their report, “For Sri Lanka, the political uncertainty is the key risk to an otherwise favourable medium-term outlook. External risks include lower growth in key countries that generate foreign exchange inflows to Sri Lanka. Steeper than expected global financial conditions would increase the cost of debt.”On political level, these challenges too, must be taken into account.