Efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 are facing strong headwinds from the continuing conflicts, climate change, and economic uncertainties.
New data available for this year's report on SDG progress in the UNECE Region better reveals the adverse impacts of these crises on the prospects of achieving the SDGs. The region - spanning across Europe, North America, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Türkiye and Israel - is on track to achieve only 21 targets (17% of the 125 measurable targets) by 2030. This is almost no change from 20 targets in 2024, and 21 targets in 2023.
For 84 targets, progress needs to accelerate, and for 20 targets (up from 17 last year), the current trend must be reversed.
UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean stated: "The Pact for the Future reaffirmed countries' commitment to bold and ambitious actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind. This report outlines the many challenges our region faces in this endeavour. In these turbulent times, international cooperation and solidarity are more essential than ever to support progress at national level. To sharpen these efforts, I welcome a notable improvement in the availability of data that has allowed this year's assessment of progress to be more comprehensive."
The sixth UNECE SDG progress report is the flagship document informing the deliberations of the upcoming Regional Forum for Sustainable Development.
Poverty, gender equality and education
In over one third of the countries, over 20 per cent of the population lives below the nationally defined poverty threshold. Over half of the countries have over 20 per cent of population living below multidimensional poverty threshold.
Despite the overall strong social protection coverage in the region, targeted support for some vulnerable groups, such as the unemployed, remain insufficient. The number of people living below 50 per cent of the country's median income level has been increasing in almost one third of countries and at the current rate, in half the countries, over 10 per cent of people may live below the 50 per cent of median income by 2030.
Improvements remain slow on policy and legal frameworks that combat discrimination and support gender equality. The proportions of elected seats held by women in parliaments and especially in local governments have seen greater growth, albeit with considerable country differences. The current trend, if sustained, would lead to levels above one third by 2030, hence still short of parity.
In the region, school completion rate is high but not universal, especially for lower and upper secondary schools where regression was observed. Near-universal enrolment in preschool in most countries is at risk given the downward trend observed in over one third of the countries in the region. The share of youth and adults with information and communications technology skills is increasing slowly and participation in education and training of working age population regressed in 40 per cent of countries.
Health, well-being and nutrition
The region is set to achieve targets on the reduction of child and maternal mortality, but reduction in suicides has been slow.
The death rate from road traffic injuries is overall on the decline. The pace of progress on sexual and reproductive health is sluggish, even regressing in some countries.
Most children in the region receive recommended vaccinations, but the region is not on track to achieve universal coverage by 2030, and for two vaccines the coverage is regressing.
Energy and climate
Access to electricity is universal, and the region is expected to have an average renewable energy share of 27 per cent given the current trend. While disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework have increased on both national and local levels, the number of people impacted by disasters has continued rise.
The region must accelerate progress on the sustainable use of natural resources as well as on waste reduction and treatment.
Air pollution in cities has rapidly decreased in nearly all countries and almost half the region is expected to meet the target on air quality if the current trend continues
Water and environment
Access to safe drinking water is widespread in the UNECE region, and 30 per cent of countries will cover all the population if the current trend continues. However, big regional discrepancies persist, especially in sanitation where in 8 per cent of countries, less than half the population has access to safe sanitation.
Water use across the region is becoming more efficient, but unevenly and insufficiently. Alarmingly, stress on freshwater resources is increasing in almost half of countries. In the region, 70 per cent of transboundary basin area has an operational cooperation mechanism, but implementing integrated water resources management is not expected to meet the target at the current rate.
Progress towards reducing marine pollution, including waste from land-based sources, requires acceleration. All countries in the region are accelerating efforts to increase protected areas for marine biodiversity. The region must, however, reverse trends in sustainable fishing as well as in research and development on marine technology.
On land, the region is progressing towards sustainable forest management, and forest area is increasing in most countries, but not quickly enough to reach the 2030 targets. Faster improvement is also needed to protect terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity and mountain ecosystems.
Economy and industry
The rate of growth in the gross domestic product per capita in the UNECE countries on average is above 2 per cent. Most countries in the region have enacted dedicated strategies for youth employment, and this target is on track to be achieved. Nonetheless, the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training is not reducing quickly enough and its increase in 10 countries would need to be reversed. Occupational hazard is on a decreasing trend overall in the region but national compliance with labour rights is slightly regressing.
The share of medium- and high-tech manufacturing value added is on average over 30 per cent and given the regressing trend observed in almost half the countries, it is not expected to increase significantly by 2030. To accelerate progress, investments in research and development need to accelerate in all members and access to finance for small-scale industries need to improve.
The region has progressed well with sustainable and inclusive economic development where carbon emission from production is decreasing and access to information and communications technology is widespread.
The amount of hazardous waste generated per person is overall on the decline but in over 30 per cent of countries this trend is reversing. Although the recycling rate is generally on the rise in the region, in almost 60 per cent of countries, there has been regression in electric waste recycling.
Peace and partnerships
Countries in the UNECE region are experiencing turbulent times in peace and safety. Homicide is rare in most countries but over 20 per cent of countries have seen rise in violent crime and robberies in recent years. Half the countries in the region are regressing in ensuring sense of personal safety and one quarter of people across countries with data do not feel safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods after dark.
The number of countries in the region with an independent national human rights institution in compliance with the Paris Principles is stagnant. Decision-making bodies across the region are attracting more young members, especially in lower houses, but acceleration is needed to achieve proportionate representation of women in parliaments and judiciaries by 2030.
The region has returned to positive economic growth, however, public sector debt is increasing. Many countries are still far from meeting inflationary targets and over 20 per cent of the countries have experienced double digit inflation in recent years.
Almost all the countries in the region have national statistics legislation and national plans with government funding. The region overall has good statistical capacity but there are considerable differences between countries, especially regarding data sources performance.
Data availability for monitoring the SDGs is improving. The number of global SDG indicators that could be assessed in the UNECE region rose from 160 in 2024 to 171 in the present assessment.
