The world faces many challenges. From environmental, social and economic factors, it feels as though progress is stalling and the world is in a precarious state.
The interconnectedness and complexity of problems means that they cannot be addressed and solved alone. While we can all act locally, our actions need to move upwards and connect to global outcomes.
Released in 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an attempt to lead us towards better outcomes. It continues global efforts to tackle the world’s big issues. Containing 17 Sustainable Development Goals, this agenda seeks to end poverty, achieve equality, and create prosperous communities, thus leading to global peace and security.
Adopted and used by governments and corporate organisations, the UN SDGs received much attention and were used as a framework for policies and actions to address issues such as climate change, gender equality, hunger and access to clean drinking water and sanitation.
Reported on every year, the current 2024 progress report is sombre reading. Scheduled for launch on 27 June, the report which is available (LINK) states that only 17% of the global targets are on track to be achieved (access to mobile broadband, reducing infant mortality and access to energy), while the rest are either not progressing, or unlikely to be achieved.
A myriad of factors which we’ve all experienced is leading to this. Whether it is wars (Ukraine, Sudan, Middle East), the Covid-19 pandemic, or environmental degradation, the impact to the daily lives of many and the health of the planet means that standards of living are not improving, and in many cases are unfortunately going backwards.
Reflecting on this, my mind goes to Iran and how it’s faring. A review has found that the UN does have a cooperation framework on the UN SDGs with the Islamic regime. Interestingly, the report found failures to meeting many of the UN SDGs as being sanctions. The five priority areas are: socio-economic resilience; public health management; Environmental conversation, natural resource management and addressing climate change; disaster risk reduction and management; and drug control.
So how is the Islamic regime performing against meeting the UN SDGs? This report details its performance with responsibility of failures deflected to sanctions, the presence of Afghan refugees and pollution events caused across the border affecting Iran (e.g. dust storms).
The reports do not address the reasons for the sanctions, and steer well clear of any reporting against human rights and targets around gender equality. This underscores a failure as amongst the principles of the UN SDGs is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So while the report does not provide an adequate report card on progress against the UN SDGs by the Islamic regime, what I outline below provides an independent assessment based on publicly available information.
| Goal | On track? | Source |
 |  | About 30% of Iranians are living below the poverty line and is expected to grow to 40%. 1 |
 |  | Despite recent statistics speaking to the low levels of meat consumption in Iran, compared globally, Iran is not ranked low in this area. 2 |
 |  | Generally, Iranians have reasonable access to healthcare. This access is not equitably shared. Increasingly, iranians are suffering from mental health issues and the rate of suicides is increasing due to experienced hardships. 3 |
 | | Despite a high level of education, the quality of education is declining due to a lack of investment and government control or the curriculum which prioritises religious studies over academic advancements. 4 |
 |  | The Islamic regime’s laws against women is an example of gender apartheid. This institutional discrimination is described as a crime against humanity. A full description of this is too lengthy to describe here. 5 |
 | | While the provision drinkable water to major city centres is good, what we have witnessed over the last few years has been water scarcity due to factors including climate change and mismanagement of water distribution. This scarcity has primarily impacted ethnic minority groups such as the people of Khuzestan and Sistan Baluchistan. 6 |
 |  | While in most parts of Iran, there is access to energy, the source of this energy comes from fossil fuels. “Despite benefiting from 300 sunny days annually and vast windy mountainous and coastal areas, the Islamic Republic has not prioritised the flourishing of clean energy sources” 7 |
 | | Despite being endowed with natural resources, mismanagement, bad fiscal policy and corruption means that inflation is stubbornly high and unemployment growing. While the IRI puts this down to sanctions, increasingly sanctions are not enforced and the regime itself has noted an increase in oil revenue as a result of this. In spite of that, youth unemployment is close to 24% and the value of the currency is at an all time low. 8 8 |
 |  | Iranians have been cut off from the world for the last two years through an internet blackout. Many can only access the internet through expensive VPNs. Information is censored and the inability to exchange ideas a hindrance to advancement. This goal also covers inclusive infrastructure. Additionally, Iran’s economy remains heavily reliant on the fossil fuel sector. |
 | | Institutional discrimination against women, ethnic and religious minority groups, the queer community and limited opportunities for those with a disability all contribute to inequality in Iran. Inequality can also be seen in the rate of execution and over-representation of minority groups in these numbers. 10 |
 | | Like other developing countries, there has been mass migration to cities to pursue work opportunities leading to housing shortages, traffic and social issues. There has been an improvement of public transportation and programs at city levels. While building codes are being reviewed for energy efficiency, their implementation is lacking. 11 |
 | | While the level of waste per capita produced per person is not the highest in the world (a symptom of economic conditions also), there is a lack of recycling in Iran. |
 | | Iran is one of the world’s worst ranked when it comes to climate action. The Islamic regime has not ratified the Paris Agreement, nor does Iran have any net zero targets. 13 |
 | | Iran is rich in biodiversity. Water bodies such as the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and Lake Orumiya are impacted by pollution and unsustainable fishing practices. 14 |
 | | Iran is rich in biodiversity and unique ecosystems. Mismanagement however is leading to species extinction and an overall loss of biodiversity. 15 |
 | | The Islamic regime’s support for proxy groups in the Middle-East has led to wars. These wars and its support and arming of Russia have had a destabilising impact. |
In reading reports from international institutions, it is clear that much of the information relies on data supplied by the Islamic regime. This therefore doesn’t paint the full picture of environment, social and economic factors in the country.
In order to gain a better picture, greater scrutiny of claims is important. It is also important for international institutions to not work in silos. The decoupling of reports such as that of the Independent Fact Finding Mission into Human Rights Abuses in Iran from other partnerships is not progressing the UN SDGs, and not positively impacting the lives of Iranians. We can only achieve sustainable development by coming together better coordinating responses to the regime that upholds the values of human rights, equality and dignity.
Women, Life, Freedom 