scholarly journals The Political Economy of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Does Performance on the SDGs Affect Re-Election?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6445
Author(s):  
Christian Kroll ◽  
Vera Zipperer

While the economic voting hypothesis is a well-researched approach to explain behavior at the ballot box, a broader perspective of economic, social and environmental issues regarding a government’s chances to get re-elected is still missing in the literature. In this context, this paper makes use for the first time of the Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the comprehensive policy framework that all 193 UN member states have pledged to achieve. The objective of our study is therefore to examine the relationship between SDGs’ progress and the likelihood of re-election. Our analysis of 124 countries regarding performance on the SDGs over time and voting behavior shows: the chance to get re-elected as a government significantly increases for progress made towards SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Notable differences are also found for high-income vs. low-income countries. The fact that governments are rewarded at the ballot box for successful action towards gender equality is encouraging, while the mechanisms behind other SDG areas deserve more research.

The chapter argues that inequality between men and women has led to the gap in income and poverty for women. Gender inequality and women's empowerment have, therefore, become one of the 17 pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030. This chapter, therefore, examines the global performances on gender inequality index (GII) and the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030, regional performance and the Sustainable Development Goals, the top best performers on gender gap parity versus the worst performers on gender gap parity, and sub-national performances and global rankings. Also, this chapter examines the challenges of achieving gender equality by 2030 along with policy options for achieving gender equality in the year 2030.


Author(s):  
Osangthammanont Anantachoke

Financial sector plays a crucial role in helping a country attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as Financial Means of Implementation (MoI) in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA). This report seeks to study sources and uses of fund for the SDGs and evaluate whether the role of the financial sector in ASEAN complies with the AAAA. The study shows that available sources of funds and the level of national incomes or the level of a country’s economic development are closely related. Overall, ASEAN gives the highest priority to economic development, creation of innovation and infrastructure investment (SDG 8 and SDG 9), while environmental development and earth conservation appear to receive lower priority (SDG12- SDG15). Furthermore, low-income countries, such as CLMV countries, cannot afford to finance their SDGs initiatives and hence make slow progress in the SDGs. The per-capita SDGs fund, a proxy for quality of investment in sustainable development, is also differed by the level of country’s incomes. The report also proposes a set of policy recommendations for the development of the financial sector’s role in the SDGs as well as possible innovative financing for development.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Graeme W. Morgan ◽  
Kirsty Foster ◽  
Brendan Healy ◽  
Craig Opie ◽  
Vu Huynh

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015 to 2030 includes a specific goal for health (Sustainable Development Goal [SDG] 3) with 13 targets, including SDG3.4 for the control and treatment of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), namely, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease. There is considerable concern that SDG3.4 may not be achieved. The WHO Best Buys for NCDs has emphasized prevention, and although crucial, it alone will not achieve the 30% reduction in NCDs by 2030. Likewise, a strengthened health system is required as all NCDs are likely to require hospital facilities and community services for optimal management. This is a major problem for low-resource countries (LRCs) —that is, low-income countries and lower-middle-income countries—as most currently have a poorly developed health system, including cancer services, in need of upgrading. This is a result of the extreme poverty of LRCs, where 40% to 80% of the population live on less than USD $1.25 per day, with the average health spending by governments in low-income countries at $110 per person per year. In this article, we outline a comprehensive national cancer services plan for LRCs. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for cancer treatment also require input from other specialties, such as anesthesia, pathology, laboratory medicine, a blood bank, and diagnostic radiology. This will provide a focus for adding additional specialties, including cardiology, respiratory medicine, and psychiatry, to support the management of all NCDs and to contribute to the overall strengthening of the health system. The national cancer services plan for LRCs will require significant funding and input from both in-country and overseas experts in health, cancer, and finance working collaboratively. Success will depend on thoughtful strategic planning and providing the right balance of overseas support and guidance, but ensuring that there is in-country ownership and control of the program is essential.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 843
Author(s):  
Olle Torpman ◽  
Helena Röcklinsberg

The United Nations Agenda 2030 contains 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). These goals are formulated in anthropocentric terms, meaning that they are to be achieved for the sake of humans. As such, the SDGs are neglecting the interests and welfare of non-human animals. Our aim in this paper was to ethically evaluate the assumptions that underlie the current anthropocentric stance of the SDGs. We argue that there are no good reasons to uphold these assumptions, and that the SDGs should therefore be reconsidered so that they take non-human animals into direct consideration. This has some interesting implications for how we should understand and fulfil the pursuit of sustainability in general. Most noticeably, several SDGs—such as those regarding zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6)—should be achieved for animals as well. Moreover, the measures we undertake in order to achieve the SDGs for humans must also take into direct account their effects on non-human animals.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document