Wednesday, 28 August 2024
As the Cold War drew to a close, Asia gradually became the world's fastest growing region, characterized by economic robustness and increasing industrial dynamism. From 1990 to 2010 alone, the region had an average annual growth of seven percent, far surpassing both Europe and the United States. This growth was largely driven by Asia's two largest economies, China and India, which recorded average yearly GPD growth rates of 9.9 percent and 6.3 percent respectively. This meant a three-fold increase in the region's per capita GDP, from US$1,602 in 1990 to US$4,982 in 2010.
Asia's remarkable economic performance, however, was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as its growth rate shrank to -3.1 percent in 2020, plunging 264 million people into poverty. But the region made a quick comeback in 2021, with a growth rate of 6.5 percent. This recovery was so stunning that Asia's economy expanded from 3.8 percent in 2022 to 5 percent the following year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) even pointed out that the region contributed about 70 percent of global growth in 2023, which is “a much greater share than in recent years.”
All these figures indicate Asia's capacity to generate wealth and lift its 4.7 billion people out of poverty. However, much of this wealth is being concentrated in a small segment of the population, resulting in a deep divide between the rich and poor. In fact, even prior to the pandemic, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has already stated that while the region's new prosperity is undeniable, the “gaps between the rich and the poor have continued to grow,” resulting in ever deepening inequality.
Using the Asia-Pacific region's Gini coefficient, UNESCAP revealed that there has been a significant increase in income inequality during a two-decade period, rising five percentage points from 33.5 in 1990-1994 to 38.4 in 2010-2014. This situation, the Commission further noted, has severe consequences, since “inequality reduces the impact of growth on poverty reduction.” In other words, “economic growth has not been inclusive, leaving millions of people in a disadvantaged and precarious situation.”
This growing income disparity was also noted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), claiming that human development has improved rapidly yet unevenly across the region. UNDP, for instance, conceded that Asia's annual Human Development Index (HDI) growth rate exceeds the global average of 0.7 percent, with East Asia and the Pacific subregion recording a rate of 1.3 percent and with South Asia having an even higher rate of 1.4 percent. However, the growing inequality in the region, which has affected the performance of individual countries, places severe strains on income, education and life longevity. UNDP even estimates a human development loss of 28.7 percent for South Asia and 19.4 percent for East Asia and the Pacific respectively. This has prompted UNDP to conclude that, “while the region may have achieved an 'economic miracle', it has not yet attained a 'human development miracle'.”
To address the problem of inequality, it is necessary for the region's respective national governments to introduce comprehensive social welfare programs. For this reason, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are exceedingly important since it can be used as a framework in pushing for radical social welfare measures.
Devised as a set of 17 global goals for the year 2030, the SDGs were unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2015. They are, therefore, the latest and most comprehensive global consensus in addressing poverty and inequality. Signed by 193 countries, the SDGs build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which was previously adopted in September 2000 to halve global poverty by the year 2015.
First proposed by the Colombian government in May 2011, the 17 SDGs are all contained in a United Nations resolution entitled Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the said document, the UN reported that “significant progress has been made in a number of areas” since the MDGs were introduced more than 15 years ago. The world body, however, also admitted that “progress has been uneven,” and that some of the goals “remain off-track, in particular those related to maternal, newborn and child health and to reproductive health.” To address these shortcomings, UN member-states decided, not only to renew their commitment to end global poverty and hunger, but to also broaden their agenda by promoting inclusive growth and by addressing climate change.
Ensuring wellbeing and proper healthcare for every human being is also strongly emphasized in the SDGs. This is continually emphasized by the United Nations, which is explicit in its aim to “reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births,” and to “reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births” by 2030.
But these global objectives, according to the UN, cannot be met unless we “achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.” The world body further suggested that national governments should “substantially increase health financing and the recruitment…especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.”
Alongside healthcare, the SDGs have also given proper importance to education. While disparities in primary school enrollment between boys and girls was one of the focus areas of the previous MDGs, much work remains to be done. For this reason, the SDGs have made it clear that by 2030, all children, regardless of gender, should have complete access to free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and those in vulnerable situations.
This special issue of PRAKSIS explores the needed interventions that national governments must undertake to advance the SDGs. It investigates the various reform proposals for improving governance and for strengthening the state's capacity for service delivery.
This issue opens with an article from Aljo Quintans who warns that “only 15 percent of the SDG targets are on track” due to “the various global crises we faced in the past three to four years.” He adds that while SDG 1 (reducing poverty) and SDG 9 (sustainable and resilient industry, innovation, and infrastructure) have shown the largest progress in the Asia and the Pacific region, “combatting climate change (SDG 13) remains to be the most challenging Goal.”
To address these gaps, Quintans stresses the need for a “strong financing system that support SDG needs,” adding that “the critical job of financing in advancing the SDGs should be considered a priority by key stakeholders, not only by the government but also by the private sector.”
Shoichi Kondo's essay, on the other hand, focuses on the steps that Japan has undertaken in attaining the SDGs. Sharing his insights as a member of the National Diet, Kondo wrote that in December 2016, the government introduced the SDGs Promotion Guiding Principles as a cluster of “medium- to long-term strategies for promoting the SDGs.” In addition, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are also being promoted by Japanese authorities “in terms of both domestic implementation and international cooperation.”
Kondo, however, concedes that progress has been very slow on gender issues and climate change countermeasures. He also adds that Japan's energy policy remains “too old-fashioned” because of the country's continuing reliance on nuclear power.
Just like Japan, Indonesia has taken steps to align the SDGs with its own development priorities. In his article, Rian Firmansyah wrote that Presidential Regulation No. 59 Year 2017 incorporates the Sustainable Development Goals into the country's Medium Term National Development Plan, while, at the same time, “localizing sustainable development at the subnational level.” Though the country “has experienced a slowdown since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Firmansyah remains optimistic that Indonesia can still become a high-income country, “with zero percent extreme poverty rate, and increased access to quality jobs.”
Similarly, “Nepal has taken early steps in implementing the SDGs.” In his think-piece, Sanjaya Kumar Gautam points out that the country has aligned its current Five-Year Plan with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This has led to significant improvements in gender empowerment, though “inequality in wages in both the public and private sector (still) continue.” And while “Nepal's progress in reducing poverty has been remarkable,” Gautam nonetheless asserts that “the structural roots of poverty need to be addressed through programs that increase access and control of the poor over resources and assets.”
Amrit Gyawali shares these observations, claiming that Nepal's federal government “has incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals into central and local plans.” Because of these measures, “Nepal is one of the countries that had achieved moderate improvements when it comes to the trend of achieving Goal 4” on quality education. Nonetheless, Gyawali maintains that much stills needs to be done to further education reforms. He pointed out that there is an “unbalanced development between urban and rural areas, resulting in an unreasonable distribution of resources in these areas.”
Gyawali also observes that “throughout the past few decades, Nepal has significantly improved its health indicators,” through massive investments in health care infrastructure. But with more than 6 million people living below the poverty line, “over 10 percent of Nepal's population faces financial burdens and cannot pay hospital bills.”
Because of this situation, Gyawali believes that Nepal “has to focus on the equal distribution of essential services.” This can be done by prioritizing skills-based education and by strengthening the country's health insurance.
A similar problem is happening in Thailand where there is significant disparity in the quality of education. In his article, Chatra Kamsaeng notes that “affluent families pay hefty amounts of tuition to get their children in prestigious and international schools” while the quality of public education continues to decline.
The problem is partly due to teacher shortage which is plaguing “78 percent of public primary schools and 48 percent of public secondary schools.” SDG 4, according to Kamsaeng, is “crucial in addressing the heart of Thailand's education problem.” This entails decentralizing schools to local governments “where there will be more flexibility to manage resources as well as in hiring and pooling teachers.”
Mandvi Kulshrestha's essay, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of SDG 4 for a country like India where the “literacy rate is still below the world average of 86.3 percent” and where “gender parity in education still remains a major challenge.” To address these gaps, the Indian government launched the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020, which “envisions an inclusive education system” through “the use of regional languages as medium of instruction, standardization of grading practices, and a skill-based system which promotes critical thinking and problem-solving approach.”
Apart from this effort, Kulshrestha sees the need for a convergence between climate action with education reform. She, therefore, proposes the “compulsory integration of climate education in the present curriculum,” while also ensuring that school buildings and premises “demonstrate sustainability principles.”
The final article is from Francis Isaac who “highlights the political aspect of the SDGs.” Reflecting on the experience of the Philippines, Isaac notes that government positions, even those concerned with SDGs, are not given to leaders of proven probity and competence, but to favored members of political clans. To confront this problem, Isaac urges citizens' groups to “engage in elections with greater zeal and earnestness” by “converting their advocacy agenda into a political program that can gain public support and win political power.”
This issue of PRAKSIS ends by sharing the Kota Kinabalu Declaration of the SocDem Asia Parliamentarians' Caucus, which commits all social democrats to “fully take on the role of championing the SDGs” by “pushing systemic and fundamental changes in our economies, societies, and politics.”
The ideas contained in these pages are modest attempts to advance the SDGs. Yet, they must be wrestled and reckoned with if we are to create a world where no one is left behind.
Articles
Accelerating the SDGs through Financing
The Need for Multi-Stakeholder Action
By: Aljo Quintans
Leave No One Behind
Realizing a Sustainable World
By: Shoichi Kondo
Indonesia's Accomplishment on SDGs
By: Rian Firmansyah
A Future Where No One is Left Behind
By: Sanjaya Gautam
Proving Essential Services for Everyone
SDGs in Nepal
By: Amrit Gyawali
Broken Ladder: Equitable Quality Education
Conundrum in Thailand
By: Chatra Kamsaeng
Facilitating India's Educational Reforms
Through Climate Education
By: Mandvi Kulshrestha
A Question of Power
Achieving SDG 4 on Quality Education
By: Francis Isaac