The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations to eliminate poverty and create a more equitable society and a safer environment by 2030 are at the midpoint this year for that target date – and in need of a rescue plan.
That was the warning from UN Secretary-General António Guterres to a gathering of NGOs including ICUUW at the UN headquarters on September 18, 2023, right before a summit where UN member states were asked to recommit to these goals for a better future for people and the planet.
“We are enormously off track,” Guterres said. He stressed that UN member states need to accelerate reforms such as redesigning the “unjust” international economic and financial system, which was created during the era when many countries were still colonies of the world’s richest nations. There needs to be a new framework for the 21st century.
One way to accelerate the goals of the SDGs that was highlighted was the digital solution. “It’s a no brainer, we can’t achieve any of these goals without technology,” said Tafara Makaza, a young man from Africa who co-founded what he called a “Linkedin for the Linkedout.” He created a digital tool called Fixa, which connects informal workers – much of the world’s workforce is in this category – with job opportunities, resources, and training. His work was an example of addressing SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth by empowering the informal economy through technology and financial inclusion.
For SDG 5 on gender equality, Felicitas Heyne spoke about Audiopedia. It provides information in people’s native language in an audio format, thereby overcoming the barrier of illiteracy which, like most social inequities, disproportionately affects women. “Knowledge should not just be a privilege for those who can read and write,” she said.
The presenters of course acknowledged that the digital solution must address the digital divide, providing the necessary devices to those who can’t afford them and training on how to use them, as well as the growing danger of digital violence and harassment, which especially targets women. ICUUW has been a voice in drawing attention to both these issues.
Perhaps the most moving moment during the discussions came from an indigenous woman from South America who talked about the struggle to be heard in the halls of power, but emphasized that her people are determined to fight for their rights: “Our existence is our resistance.”