KUALA LUMPUR (March 17): Asia and the Pacific region are not on track to achieve any of the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the prospect of achieving those goals has now been extended to 2065 — 35 years after the original deadline of 2030 — as Covid-19 enhanced the challenges in meeting these objectives, according to the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

“The challenges of achieving the SDGs in the region have been magnified in recent years by an increase in the frequency and intensity of human made crises and natural disasters, as well as the challenges of responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Progress on the 17 SDGs have tremendously slowed down and with each passing year, the goals are moving further out of reach for the region. At its current pace, Asia and the Pacific is now only expected to achieve the SDGs by 2065,” according to the Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2022 which was released on Thursday (March 17).

At a virtual launch of the report on Thursday, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, said the progress gap for achieving SDGs grew wider in Asia and the Pacific, based on statistics compiled between 2015 and 2021.

"We as a region are not on track to achieve any of the 17 goals, and in fact, vulnerabilities are increasing for some population groups such as children, women, refugees and migrants, persons with disabilities, older persons, those in vulnerable employment situations, and populations facing multiple deprivations.

"Although there has been significant progress on industry innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9) and affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), this progress is insufficient to meet the other goals.

"Progress on quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11), and life below water (Goal 14) has been very slow or even stagnant," Alisjahbana said.

She added that the region is moving in a reverse direction on climate action (Goal 13) and responsible consumption and production (Goal 12), but noted that distinct challenges and priorities have been identified in the subregional section.

Alisjahbana highlighted that only the East and North-East Asia subregion is on track to achieve two goals, no poverty (Goal 1) and industry innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), adding that all subregions in the Asia and the Pacific region have regressed on Goal 13 and Goal 12.

According to the report, certain groups were disproportionately left behind, such as women, persons with disabilities, rural populations and poorer households, all which are also facing increased vulnerabilities.

“For many vulnerable populations, food security, education and livelihoods have also deteriorated during the pandemic,” it said.

According to the report, the Southeast Asia (SEA) subregion has made some progress on Goal 9 with the expansion of mobile network coverage, while Goal 1 remains negatively affected due to natural disasters and the lack of government spending on basic services such as education and healthcare.

Notably, the subregion has made some progress on life on land (Goal 15) due to compliance with international frameworks for managing biodiversity and protecting mountain diversity by expanding protected areas.

Goals 4, 8 and 17 are lacking in progress within the subregion, according to the report.

"These include quality education (Goal 4), with signs of regression in inequality indices and relatively low reading and mathematics proficiency among children and young people.

"Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand recorded less than 50% of lower secondary students achieving minimum reading and mathematics proficiency for both sexes.

"Relatively stable rates of GDP (gross domestic product) growth and increased economic activity contributed to progress towards decent work and economic growth (Goal 8).

"However, regression in improving efficiency in use of natural resources (material footprint and domestic material consumption), as well as a lack of progress towards compliance with labour rights have undermined overall progress [on Goal 8].

"Partnership for the goals (Goal 17) also showed little progress in the subregion because most governments' revenues fell below 30% of GDP and technical cooperation for official development assistance was significantly reduced," the report read.

Meanwhile, the regression in Goals 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14 in the SEA subregion has raised concerns as to whether the subregion could accelerate progress or reverse current trends to meet the 2030 deadline.