The UN needs to prioritise the best development solutions

THE world is failing on its development promises: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed by all governments in 2015 to be achieved by 2030.

Progress across all these promises – including in areas as important as eradicating poverty and ending hunger – is happening at less than a quarter of the pledged speed. On current trends, the world will reach its 2030 promises half a century late.

This week, as world leaders meet in New York for the United Nations (UN) general debate, this failure looms large. We need to urgently change our approach to maximise development benefits for the world.