We know how to fight global poverty. But do we have the energy to actually do it? – America Magazine

G20 Summit Highlights Diminishing Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals

United States’ Non-Participation and Policy Shifts

Expectations for the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Johannesburg were significantly lowered following the United States’ decision not to send a delegation. This move is indicative of a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy that directly impacts global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in Africa. Recent policy actions undermining SDG progress include:

• Termination of Foreign Aid: The cessation of disbursements from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ends 60 years of foreign assistance, directly affecting programs related to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• Expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): The lapse of this 25-year-old trade program, which provided duty-free access to U.S. markets, jeopardizes economic stability and employment in several African nations. This setback hinders progress on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Implications for Global Partnerships (SDG 17)

The absence of U.S. leadership and the growing divisions within the international community have led to predictions that the summit will fail to produce a traditional joint communiqué. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz noted that achieving consensus on global priorities is difficult in the current climate. This breakdown in cooperation represents a significant challenge to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which is foundational to the entire 2030 Agenda.

Reassessment of Progress Towards the 2030 Agenda

Stagnation and Reversal of Anti-Poverty Efforts (SDG 1)

The ambitious goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030, the central aim of SDG 1, is now widely considered unattainable. Initial optimism, fueled by decades of progress in global trade, has been severely undermined by a confluence of recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and climate change. Authoritative analyses suggest that progress has not only stalled but may be on the verge of reversal. Projections from Our World in Data indicate that after 2030, the number of people living in extreme poverty may begin to rise again as economic growth in low-income countries stagnates.

Resurgence of Global Hunger and Food Insecurity (SDG 2)

A critical setback for the 2030 Agenda is the resurgence of global hunger to levels not seen since 2005. The United Nations has highlighted the persistent increase in food prices across numerous countries, creating a dual challenge to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). This trend poses a severe threat to human well-being and sustainable development.

Key Findings from the 2024 UN SDG Report

The 2024 UN Sustainable Development Goals Report presents a sobering assessment of global progress:

• In 2025, 808 million people, or one in ten globally, were living in extreme poverty.
• If current trends persist, approximately 9 percent of the world’s population will remain in extreme poverty by the 2030 deadline.
• Nearly half of the 17 SDG targets are demonstrating only minimal or moderate progress.
• Over one-third of the targets have either stalled or reversed since their adoption in 2015.

Systemic Barriers to Achieving Sustainable Development

The Crippling Effect of Sovereign Debt

Global sovereign debt has emerged as a primary obstacle to development, particularly in Africa. According to Eric LeCompte of Jubilee USA Network, many African countries spend between half and two-thirds of their revenue on debt servicing. This financial pressure forces governments to make cuts to essential public services, directly impeding progress on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). Without comprehensive debt reform, investments in climate mitigation (SDG 13) and poverty reduction programs remain unfeasible.

Climate Change, Conflict, and Economic Instability

Bill O’Keefe of Catholic Relief Services describes a “vortex” of pressures on the world’s poorest nations that collectively undermine the SDGs. These interconnected challenges include:

• Lingering impacts of the global pandemic.
• The escalating sovereign debt crisis.
• Increased frequency of climate-related disasters such as floods and droughts (SDG 13).
• Global trade uncertainty and political withdrawal.
• Conflict, which exacerbates all other factors and threatens SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Inequality and Governance Challenges (SDG 10 & SDG 16)

Endemic corruption and severe economic inequality are significant factors perpetuating poverty. Nations with the highest levels of poverty often exhibit high corruption scores and extreme disparities in wealth distribution. These governance failures create systemic barriers to achieving SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16, as they prevent equitable resource allocation and sustainable development.

Calls to Action for Renewed Global Cooperation

Advocacy for Debt Restructuring and Financial Reform

Humanitarian and faith-based organizations are advocating for systemic reforms to the international financial architecture. A primary demand is the creation of a fair and just mechanism for sovereign debt restructuring, akin to a bankruptcy process for nations. Campaigns such as Caritas Internationalis’ “Turn debt into hope” emphasize that debt relief is a critical tool for poverty reduction and a necessary step toward achieving the SDGs. Advocates urge the G20, IMF, and World Bank to implement more robust policies that address the root causes of indebtedness.

The Moral Imperative for International Assistance

There is a renewed call for affluent nations to recognize their moral obligation to support global development. This includes sharing wealth and resources to address fundamental human needs, which is essential for making progress on goals such as providing universal access to clean water (SDG 6) and ensuring no child goes hungry. Proponents argue that the capacity exists among wealthy nations to eliminate the worst “scourges” of global poverty. Fulfilling this responsibility is presented not only as a moral duty but also as a practical necessity for building a peaceful and prosperous world, in line with the overarching vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article is fundamentally about the stalling and potential reversal of efforts to end global poverty. It explicitly references the UN’s goal to “eradicate world poverty by 2030” and discusses the increasing number of people living in “extreme poverty.”
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The text highlights a “resurgence of global hunger to levels last observed in 2005” and the “persistent increase in food prices.” It directly links poverty and food security, quoting a UN report that this “dual challenge…poses a critical global concern.” It also mentions that due to debt, “one out of five kids under the age of five will die this year from malnutrition and preventable diseases” in Sub-Saharan Africa.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The article discusses the expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade program designed to “encourage poverty relief through economic growth.” Its termination is leading to job losses in African countries, which are “shedding even more jobs” in nations already suffering from “high unemployment.”
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article identifies “economic inequality” as a key factor in perpetuating poverty, stating that “the world’s poorest states often also suffer the worst inequity in wealth and income distribution.”
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Climate change is presented as a major pressure on the world’s poorest nations. The article lists “changing climate—so more disasters, floods, droughts” as part of a “vortex” of pressures. It also notes that debt prevents developing countries from being “able to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation to weather catastrophes.”
6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • This goal is a central theme, highlighted by the article’s focus on the breakdown of international cooperation. Examples include the U.S. snub of the G20 summit, the “America First” mentality leading to a step back from “overseas assistance,” the termination of USAID, and the expiration of the AGOA trade program. The article also emphasizes the need for reform of the “global finance and debt system” and calls for the “wealthiest states” to initiate and maintain large-scale anti-poverty efforts.
7. Other Mentioned SDGs
   • The article briefly mentions that the original 2015 SDG agenda included “specific campaigns to improve education, sanitation and address gender disparities worldwide,” connecting to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). It also notes that developing countries are cutting “teachers and health care workers” to pay debts, further linking to SDG 4 and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 1 (No Poverty)
   • Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day. The article directly addresses this by discussing the goal to “eradicate world poverty by 2030” and citing a UN report that “808 million people…were living in extreme poverty, defined as subsisting on less than $3 per person per day.”
2. Under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
   • Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article’s focus on the “resurgence of global hunger” and the “persistent increase in food prices” directly relates to this target.
   • Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition. This is implied by the statement that in Sub-Saharan Africa, “one out of five kids under the age of five will die this year from malnutrition and preventable diseases.”
3. Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The article’s discussion of “high unemployment” and countries “shedding even more jobs” due to the expiration of the AGOA program connects directly to this target.
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
   • Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. The article highlights a failure to meet this target by describing the U.S. stepping “back from overseas assistance” and the termination of “60 years of foreign aid disbursements” from USAID.
   • Target 17.4: Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring. This is a major focus of the article, which calls for a way for countries to “renegotiate their debts” and states that “Poverty reduction will never succeed without reform of the global finance and debt system.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 1 (No Poverty)
   • Indicator 1.1.1 (Proportion of population below the international poverty line): The article explicitly provides data for this indicator, stating that “in 2025, 808 million people—or one in 10 people worldwide—were living in extreme poverty, defined as subsisting on less than $3 per person per day.” It also projects that “about 9 percent of the world’s population ‘will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.'”
2. For SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
   • Indicator 2.1.1 (Prevalence of undernourishment): This is implied by the statement about the “resurgence of global hunger to levels last observed in 2005.”
   • Indicator 2.2.1 (Prevalence of stunting) / 2.2.2 (Prevalence of malnutrition): These are implied by the alarming statistic that “one out of five kids under the age of five will die this year from malnutrition and preventable diseases” in Sub-Saharan Africa.
3. For SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
   • Indicator 8.5.2 (Unemployment rate): The article directly references this by mentioning that countries like Lesotho, Kenya, and South Africa are “already suffering from high unemployment” and are now “shedding even more jobs.”
4. For SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
   • Indicator 17.2.1 (Net official development assistance…as a proportion of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross national income): The article implies a negative trend for this indicator by detailing the U.S. decision to “put an end to 60 years of foreign aid disbursements from the now-terminated U.S. Agency for International Development.”
   • Indicator 17.4.1 (Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods and services): This is strongly implied by the description of the debt crisis in Africa, where “Most countries here in Africa are spending half to two-thirds of their revenue on paying their debts while hunger across the continent increases.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: americamagazine.org