Interview: Peace, poverty eradication top new development goals in Africa: expert

As the United Nations kicked off in New York on Friday to formally adopt a new sustainable development agenda, people around the world are looking upon the global body to provide solutions to a multiply of problems they are facing.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will be adopted at the summit are aimed at addressing peace, economic development, poverty and health challenges among others.

However, experts told Xinhua that there is still a lot that the UN will need to do to ensure that the new SDGs bring practical and positive changes, especially in poor countries.

The new SDGs will replace the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will expire this year following their adoption in 2000. The SDGs are being adopted as the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Steven Gruzd, Head of Governance at the South African Institute of International Relations (SAIIA), said the 17 SDGs with 169 targets will be a huge challenge for developing countries.

"It is going to be a big challenge for developing countries. Many of these did not achieve the targets set in the MDGs despite the fact that these were simpler when compared to the SDGs.

"There is still a lot to be done in coming up with indicators showing how the goals will be measured and financed," said Gruzd.

He added that funding will be the biggest stumbling block facing the implementation stage.

Gruzd said, "Developing countries do not have money lying around. Moreover, the global financial crisis has made it more difficult to receive development assistance.

"We need tangible solutions on how this is going to be paid for."

He said the first step will be to put instruments in place to measure the progress made by each country in reaching the 169 targets emanating from the 17 goals.

Gruzd said there should not be one-size- fit-all approach.

"There is a strong feeling that the 17 goals and 169 targets are too ambitious and could be difficult for many countries to achieve. The best will be for each country to spell out its priorities so that from the onset, critical areas are tackled first," he said.

For example, South Africa has identified the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment as the pressing challenges. This country should first vigorously pursue number one and number two goals that address poverty and hunger, number eight goal that addresses descent work and economic growth and number 10 goal dealing with reducing inequality, Gruzd said.

Countries like Nigeria, Somalia, Syria and others engulfed by wars will do good by first targeting implementation of goal 16 that touches on peace, justice and strong institutions, he said.

Gruzd said the primary question is how these will be financed as trillions of dollars will be required to pursue the goals and turn them into reality.

He challenged the UN to give guidance to individual countries.

Gugu Malope, a member of the Youth Policy Committee at SAIIA, said she is grateful to the UN for coming up with these plans to maintain world peace, promote economic growth, and tackle climate change, gender equality and education.

She said the world is still having more questions than answers in terms of how to achieve the goals.

"I am still asking myself questions like: Will they be implemented? Will everybody benefit when implementing these goals? Will different historical contexts of countries and areas be taken into consideration when implementing these goals?" questioned Malope.

She said that for the 169 targets to be reached, countries will have to consult with their citizens including the poor of the poorest.

Malope said, "It is crucial because no body experiences the wrath of poverty or climate change more than the person living in that context.

"People know the help they need best and that is why we insist that they should be consulted before action is taken."

She urged African countries to pay more attention to poverty and education.

"As African citizens we have lived under poverty long enough and we can use these SDGs as vehicles to take us out of that poverty.

"On education the focus must be on vocational training, skills development and getting the youth involved in policy formulation," Malope told Xinhua.

She expected the UN summit to come up with practical solutions in relation to sustainable development.

"If there three day meeting ends without providing guidelines and solutions on how the achievement of these goals will be funded, I will be very much disappointed," said Malope.

More than 150 world leaders are attending the summit and are all hoping that by 2030, the 17 goals and 169 targets, once realised, will made the world a better place than it is now. Enditem