BY: FLORENCE SOOBI

TUESDAY 3RD MAY 2016

09.15 – 10:15 AM

The Sustainable Development Goals What are they and why are they important?

Important questions to appreciate

What the MDGs were?What the SDGs are?What are the current challenges being faced

in East and Southern African regions and Uganda in particular ?

What is our role ;Christians, churches and faith-based organizations in SDGs?

Preamble

Today we have unifying Global Development agendas that are specified by goals and targets. Before discussing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), it’s imperative that a recap of the preceding goals known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) is done.

Overview of the Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) were eight internationally agreed development goals that responded to the world’s main development challenges.

Established in September 2000, the MDG’s were adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit(UN report 2015)

Overview of MDG’s – Continued

The 8 goals were:-1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

2. Achieve universal primary education.

3. Promote gender equality and empower women.

4. Reduce child mortality.

5. Improve maternal health.

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

7. Ensure environmental sustainability.

8. Global partnership for development.

Overview of MDG’s – Continued

• The UN’s 2010 MDG summit was convened to help accelerate progress towards all the MDG’s by 2015. The summit reviewed progress made and reviewed the successes, best practices and lessons learned, obstacles and gaps, challenges and opportunities.

• The final MDG report confirms that goal-setting can lift millions of people out of poverty, empower women and girls, improve health and well-being, and provide vast new opportunities for better lives.

• The report indicates that the 15-year effort to achieve the eight aspirational goals was largely successful across the globe while acknowledging short falls that remain.

Overview of the global progress made towards the MDG’s

• The number of people now living in extreme poverty has declined by more than half, falling from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 836 million in 2015.

• The number of people in the working middle class—living on more than $4 a day—nearly tripled between 1991 and 2015.

• The number of out-of-school children of primary school age worldwide fell by almost half, to an estimated 57 million in 2015, down from 100 million in 2000.

Overview of the global progress made towards the MDG’s.

School fees that included Parent-Teacher Association and community contributions, textbook fees, compulsory uniforms and other charges took up nearly a quarter of a poor family’s income and led countries including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda to eliminate such fees, increasing enrollment. For instance, in Ghana, public school enrollment in the most deprived districts soared from 4.2 million to 5.4 million between 2004 and 2005. In Kenya, primary school enrollment added 1.2 million in 2003 and by 2004, the number had climbed to 7.2 million.

•Gender parity in primary school has been achieved in the majority of countries.

Global progress- Continued

• Globally, the number of deaths of children under 5 years of age fell from 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013.

• In developing countries, the percentage of underweight children under 5 years old dropped from 28% in 1990 to 17% in 2013.

• Since 1990, maternal mortality fell by 45 percent worldwide.

• Over 6.2 million malaria deaths have been averted between 2000 and 2015. • New HIV infections fell by approximately 40 percent between 2000 and 2013.

• Existing cases of tuberculosis are declining, along with deaths among HIV-negative tuberculosis cases.

• By June 2014, 13.6 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally, an immense increase from just 800,000 in 2003.

Overview of the Regional progress made towards the MDG’s

• The proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions dropped by almost half since 1990.

• Gambia reduced poverty by 32 percent between 1990 and 2010, while Ethiopia decreased its poverty rate by one third, focusing on agriculture and rural livelihoods.

• Niger’s school for Husbands has been successful in transforming men into allies in promoting women’s reproductive health, family planning and behavioral change towards gender equality.

• Cabo Verde increased its forest cover by more than 6 percentage points, with millions of trees planted in recent years.

• Official development assistance to Africa is projected to remain low over the period 2015 – 2018, at an average of around US $ 47 billion annually.

Overview of the Regional progress made towards the MDG’s

• One success was to strengthen rice production. By the mid‑1990s rice imports reached nearly $1 billion annually. Farmers had not found suitable species that produce high yields. New Rice for Africa (NERICA), a high-yielding and well adapted strain was developed and introduced in areas including Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Togo and Uganda. Some 18 varieties of the hybrid species became available, enabling farmers to produce enough rice to feed their families and have extra to sell.

Overview of the Regional progress made towards the MDG’s

• Although developed countries' financial aid rose during the Millennium Challenge, more than half went towards debt relief. Much of the remainder aid money went towards disaster relief and military aid. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2006), the 50 least developed countries received about one third of all aid that flows from developed countries.

• Improving living conditions in developing countries may encourage healthy workers not to move to other places that offer a better lifestyle.

• Cuba, itself a developing country, played a significant role in providing medical personnel to other developing nations; it has trained more than 14,500 medical students from 30 different countries at its Latin American School of Medicine in Havana since 1999. Moreover, some 36,000 Cuban physicians worked in 72 countries, from Europe to Southeast Asia, including 31 African countries, and 29 countries in the Americas. Countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua benefit from Cuban assistance.

Global progress- Continued

• Between 2000 and 2013, tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment interventions saved an estimated 37 million lives.

• 2.1 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation.• 147 countries have met the MDG drinking water target, 95 countries have met the

MDG sanitation target and 77 countries have met both.• Official development assistance from developed countries increased 66 percent in

real terms from 2000 and 2014, reaching $135.2 billion.• In 2010, the world met the United Nations Millennium Development Goals

target on access to safe drinking-water, as measured by the proxy indicator of access to improved drinking-water sources, but more needs to be done to achieve the sanitation target.

Post- 2015 persistent challenges

• Today, girls and young women throughout the world continue to face gender-specific discrimination and disadvantage.

• Despite progress, almost half of the world’s employed people work in vulnerable conditions.

• By the end of 2014, conflicts had forced almost 60 million people to abandon their homes.

• The global number of out-of-school children has fallen considerably since 1990, although the pace of improvement has been insufficient to achieve universal primary enrolment by 2015.

Persistent challenges –Continued

Currently, 33 million sub-Saharan Africa children of primary school age are estimated to be out of school, and more than half (55 percent) are girls.

Every day in 2015, 16,000 children under five continue to die, mostly from preventable causes. Child survival must remain the focus of the post-2015 development agenda.

Globally, 35 per cent of all women and girls experience violence.

More than 700 million women alive today were married as children.

More than 73 million young people are unemployed today, but ILO studies show that unemployment among young women is even worse than among young men.

Persistent challenges –Continued

Young women make up more than 60 per cent of young people living with HIV globally.

Deforestation has slowed, but global greenhouse gas emissions continue their upward trend. A continual rise in greenhouse gas emissions is projected to further warm the planet and cause long-lasting changes in the climate system, threatening severe and irreversible consequences for people and ecosystems.

Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDG’s also known as the Global Goals, build on the MDG’s.

The new SDG’s, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the MDG’s, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people.

The SDG’s will now finish the job of the MDG’s and ensure that no one is left behind.

Overview of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDGs are: 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Overview of the SDG’s – Continued

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Overview of the SDG’s – Continued

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Overview of the SDG’s – Continued

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Current Challenges Faced in Uganda, the East and South African region.

Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is still off track. Governments have failed to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all including women and young people.

Achieving universal primary education is slow. Ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

Reduce child mortality and Improve maternal health are off track. Increased focus on gender issues could accelerate MDG progress, e.g. empowering women through access to paid work could help reduce child mortality. Paid work could increase women's access to health care and better nutrition, reducing child mortality. Increasing female education and workforce participation increased these effects. Improved economic opportunities for women also decreased participation in the sex market, which decreased the spread of AIDS, MDG.

Current Challenges Faced in Uganda, the East and South African region.

Ensure environmental sustainability is off-track. The governments have failed to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources.

By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. Unfortunately this is not on target.

Global partnership for development is off-track. Developed countries have failed to address the special needs of the least developed countries.

Current Challenges Faced in Uganda, the East and South African region.

Past gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS have not been sustained, with a disturbing recent increase in new infections. The percentage of people with comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission has increased but remains low especially among the 15-24 age group.

There are also disturbing trends relating to the loss of environmental resources, such as reduced forest cover and declining soil fertility. Rapid urban growth has the potential of relieving environmental pressures, but has to be well-managed, especially given the rapid pace at which it is happening.

Current Challenges Faced in Uganda, the East and South African region.

The primary school completion rate has increased slightly, but the pace of progress is insufficient to enable all Ugandan children to complete the full course of primary education by 2015. Concerns regarding education quality and poor learning outcomes persist, although basic literacy is gradually improving. While gender parity in primary education has been achieved, progress at the secondary and tertiary levels has slowed.

Despite significant improvements in skilled assistance at delivery, maternal mortality remains a big challenge with many deaths occurring more than a day after the birth.

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations.

Churches are often at the heart of rural communities, involving many people and, as such, have an important role to play. Supporting churches and faith based groups to engage in peace building in rural communities can be an effective way of creating sustainable grass roots reconciliation and community cohesion, given the continued influence and place of churches in many rural communities.

Creating stronger relationships, networking, co-operation and partnerships between the community sector and the faith sector is likely to enhance community development and peace building in rural communities. Mutual learning and shared resources will continue to result in collaboration and increase overall impact.

Supporting churches and faith based groups to engage in peace building is long term work that requires attention and sensitivity to building trust and relationships. An open and listening approach is more likely to engage churches that have previously not engaged in peace building work due to theological, leadership or practical concerns.

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations.

Supporting churches to engage in peace building requires a needs led approach due to the considerable differences between denominational and local contexts.

Building capacity, confidence and an understanding of community development is the foundation for supporting rural churches to engage in peace building.

Increasing networking, co-operation and partnership is essential in supporting rural churches to engage in peace building.

Committed and motivated leadership is essential for churches to engage in peace building.

Good collaboration between faith based and secular community development support agencies has the potential to enable churches to become active in community development and peace building.

A relatively small amount of grant aid and support can be a catalyst for new peace building initiatives by churches in rural communities.

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations

FBOs must seek a greater understanding of government, NGOs and donors, to aid dialogue and help establish closer partnership. To support this, governments should foster collaborative relationships with FBOs, recognise their additional capacity and explore ways of providing support for the sector to contribute to the new development agenda.

Within civil society faith-based organisations (FBOs) have a valuable role to play. For example according to the World Bank, faith groups account for half the education and health care provision in Sub Saharan Africa .

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations promoting gender

equality (SDG goal 5).

In too many parts of the world, women and girls are consigned to second class status, denied access to education and employment, and victimized by violence, trafficking, and rape. Until each and every person is afforded the same basic rights, none of us can truly flourish. The church is teaching the communities that we are all equal thus promoting development.

Local church partners also work to educate parents and the broader community on harmful issues like child marriage and trafficking, in order to raise awareness of the dangers and help prevent it from happening in the first place

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations promoting gender

equality (SDG goal 5).

Ending extreme poverty will require a comprehensive approach that tackles its underlying causes—including preventable illness, a lack of access to quality education, joblessness, corruption, violent conflicts, and discrimination against women, ethnic minorities and other groups. It will also necessitate a change in the habits that cause poverty—greed and waste, numbness to the pain of others, and exploitation of people and the natural world. It calls for a holistic and sustainable approach that transforms cultures and institutions, and hearts as well as minds which the church is doing.

Putting an end to extreme poverty requires providing opportunities for all individuals, especially women, to thrive through education, nutrition, and health. In order to achieve this goal, a greater emphasis must be placed on gender equality and the removal of barriers that disproportionately affect women.

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations reducing

inequality (SDG Goal 10).

Reduce inequality within and among countries. We must also state unequivocally that ending extreme poverty without mitigating climate change and combating inequality will be impossible. Climate change is already disproportionately hurting people living in poverty. Extreme inequality, within and between countries, contradicts our shared religious values, exacerbates social and political divisions, and will impede progress. What is needed is a new paradigm of socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth.

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations caring for the

environment (SDG goals 13,14,15).

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Many indigenous and rural populations have a unique understanding of and relationship with the natural environment incorporated in their culture, forming part of humanity's cultural capital linked to its natural capital. Just as our unsustainable society is driving species and ecosystems to extinction, so many local communities, cultures, languages and societies also face extinction. Preservation of the environmental knowledge in those cultures requires educational programmes that ensure the transmission of that knowledge even in the face of the social disruption that is inevitable with globalization, founded in an appreciation of the value of cultural diversity.

The Role of Christians, Churches and Faith Based Organizations caring for the

environment (SDG goals 13,14,15).

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Religions contribute to a social organization through their values, perseverance, and long-term commitments. They come closest to the face of the poorest because they work with them. Furthermore, are primarily spiritual and not just moral or cognitive.

The SDGs maybe new for some international civil society groups, but these are not new to many religious institutions. They have been working in these areas for many years and continue to do so with or without the SDGs.

The End.

Thank you for listening to me.