For a greater global role, take SDGs seriously:

For a greater global role, take SDGs seriously:

Context

•       India presented its first voluntary national report on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the UN on July 19th.

The implementation of SDG

•       Along with India there were other 42 countries to implement SDG.
•       There is broad consensus that the success or failure of the hard-negotiated 17 SDGs will largely depend on whether India is able to achieve them or not.

The difficult part

• The target of Goal 1 to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere” looks unlikely to be achieved unless India attains it.
• India alone is home to more than 30% of the global estimate of over one billion people who live in extreme poverty.
• According to another estimate, India has more poor than 26 of the poorest countries in Africa.
• According to World Bank president Jim Yong Kim, a single Indian state, Uttar Pradesh (UP), accounts for 8% of the world’s population living in extreme poverty.
• Thus, if UP were to succeed, the world would be well on its way to achieving SDG Goal 1.
• India’s voluntary reporting at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development was the perfect opportunity to not only present India’s commendable achievements since the SDGs were adopted in 201.
• It also enhances India’s global standing and leadership credentials at the UN.
• In contrast, the role of state governments, many of whom have adopted the SDGs, partly to leverage greater largesse from the Central government, has been justifiably highlighted.
• The efforts of many of the states, including Bihar, have been stressed though UP is a crucial omission.

Missing strategies

• Apart from the missing grand strategy, the report also makes little effort to connect how India’s success in the SDGs would benefit not only India but also other developing countries.
• It also fails to make the case that India’s achievement of the SDGs will enable it take on more global governance responsibilities.
• The report makes a cursory reference to “South-South” cooperation, fails to mention South-North-South triangular cooperation entirely.
• It still pleads for more overseas development assistance from the leading Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) donors.
• In doing so, it dents India’s case for taking on more global responsibility and also its burgeoning role as a donor.
• While India might overcome the various challenges in implementing the SDGs, including developing reliable indicators to measure implementation, the efforts will have limited impact unless India also successfully leverages the SDGs to play a greater global role.