Last but not least: Sustainable Development Goal 17

This is a shout-out to the Sustainable Development Goal I feel like people most overlook: number 17, "partnerships for the goals."


If you're not familiar with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they're a list of 17 interlocking global goals of better living for the planet. The United Nations set up a ton of specific targets to be reached around the world by 2030, and they were officially adopted by 193 countries in 2015.


Goal 17, at the very end of the list, isn't quite as straightforward as many of the others. I know that personally, as a Model United Nations delegate, this is the goal I ignore most often. My peers and I seem to find climate change and gender equality resolutions more exciting. 


"None of the other SDGs can be achieved without achieving SDG 17, because this SDG is highly linked to all the other 16 SDGs." - Naduni Kalungalla

Naduni Kalungalla, a Model UN delegate in Sri Lanka, has had a similar experience. 

"SDG 17 is actually one of the most complicated SDGs," she explains, and it's "most likely to be one of the highest ignored SDGs." Yet without goal 17, reaching the 16 other goals by the deadline of 2030 "would be impossible."


Last, but NOT least!

Goal 17 is really important! This is how it actually becomes possible to implement any of our plans for the other goals, with the political will, technical know-how, and financial resources to make things happen.


Image description: picture of me next to an archery target, with the SDG 17 logo over my face 


Within Goal 17 are targets and indicators that look at:

  • Whether wealthy nations live up to the commitments they've already officially made to development assistance (17.2)
    • For example, the United States can make huge multi-year funding pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, but we still need to make sure we actually give them the money we promised, every year when Congress decides the budget.
  • Enhancing not only North-South, but also South-South and triangular cooperation (17.6, 17.9)
    • This one is pretty important, because sustainable development work is not and cannot be a grossly oversimplified, rich-countries-help-poor-countries arrangement. That would just continue and strengthen the legacy of colonialism, where rich countries use a paternalistic attitude to justify their control and violation of the rest of the world. Instead, we need relationships that respect and spotlight the expertise of nations and communities in the Global South, while moving resources around to be more equitable, less concentrated in the hands of the Global North. And that change needs to happen in North-South partnerships, for sure, but that's not the only kind of dynamic out there- what about countries in the Global South working with each other? Or the group efforts of triangular cooperation? All of that is already happening and already important, so it's time for policies and strategies to reflect that.
  • "The world needs proper mechanisms to share resources, including funds, knowledge, and expertise to achieve debt sustainability in least developed and developing nations," Naduni summarizes, referring to targets 17.3, 17.4, 17.6, and  17.16.
    • Sharing "environmentally sound" technologies "on favorable terms... as mutually agreed" (17.7)
      • Addressing the climate crisis, without the countries and companies responsible for the whole mess being completely in charge of telling everyone when and how to fix it— sounds pretty good to me!
      • And it's not just technologies aimed specifically at stopping climate change- technology like vaccines are included in this discussion.
    • Respecting every country's autonomy to own their anti-poverty policies (17.15)
      • This kinda goes with what I was saying about 17.6 and 17.9. Cooperation and partnership can only work if all parties involved are allowed their autonomy, their ability to give and revoke consent and participation.
    • Making sure we can accurate measure progress, besides just looking at GDP (17.19)
      • There's a lot that gross domestic product doesn't tell you.
      • How many countries are able to conduct an accurate census every 10 years? How many can record all births and deaths in the country? In order to support countries in getting to that point, resources need to be made available.
    • There are a lot more! These are just the targets I had time for in this post.


    Goal 17 is EVERYWHERE!
    Image descriptions: SDG 17 logo inserted onto six photos from my camera roll


    Clearly, Goal 17 totally deserves to be on that Global Goals list. Why talk about it right now?



    Well, here are just a few recent articles that made me think of Goal 17:
    • As America Engages With WHO Again, An Overwhelming Sense Of Relief And Hope by Madhukar Pai
      • This is actually from back in January, but it's the article that made me want to write this blog post (and then I got busy with a really intense second semester, so I didn't actually finish writing until now, haha).
      • Even though America's relationship with WHO is getting back on track, we have a long way to go and need to keep Goal 17 at the forefront.
    • While on this topic, President Biden literally just gave a speech on Thursday about the United States buying and donating vaccine doses. As the New York Times reports, this is "by far the largest yet by a single country, but it would fully inoculate only about 3 percent of the world’s population." 
      • Yesterday, the collective G7 vaccine pledge was announced, and this article from Reuters explains some of the reactions.
      • It's nowhere near enough. Wealthy nations need to stop viewing vaccine distribution as charity, and instead support low- or middle-income countries to be able to handle production and distribution themselves.
      • This is definitely something to keep an eye on.
    • Meanwhile, the United Nations decided earlier this week on new goals to end the AIDS pandemic by 2030. The New York Times reported how difficult it was to agree on language that protects vulnerable groups and addresses patents for essential drugs.
      • Those at-risk groups include sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and drug users, who at a much greater risk of HIV compared with the general population.
      • Seriously, please read that NYT article because Apoorva Mandavilli does a really good job explaining all of it, and it gives you a lot to think about with "partnership for the Sustainable Development Goals."

    In any given week, there's something going on where Goal 17 applies. Let's give it some more love!



    If you'd like to check out Naduni's full remarks, visit the Google Doc at this link.

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