The Significance of Integration

The peculiar thing about honing in on specific priorities is that, by nature, it requires one to talk about broader themes. Collaboration, for instance, demands inclusion, and vice versa—a dynamic relationship I learned about during the course of the 2024 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) intended to find solutions and build innovations during our times of crisis. While the forum focused specifically on progress around the goal of eradicating poverty, issues related to gender inequality, climate crisis, hunger, and so on, never left the table. Discussion around these varying issues shed light on the many steps Member States still need to take. So ultimately, what is it that we are missing in this path to implementation?

Stepping past the headquarters’ security and into the buildings in which the events took place, I remember the array of SDG posters lined one after another, and beelining towards SDG16, where it read “Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions”— my research focus. Nearly every event that I attended regarding this SDG discussed it as a necessity for the other SDGs to find sustainability and longevity. It was only through stepping past my initial focus on SDG16, that I gained a broader perspective on how simultaneously interconnected and interdependent all SDGs are.

This interconnectedness was also reflected in the HLPF’s theme of effectively and sustainably eradicating poverty through times of crisis, which allowed for in-depth review of SDGs 1 (Poverty), 2 (Hunger), 13 (Climate), 16 (Peace & Justice), and 17 (Partnership). Nonetheless, it was fascinating to note that numerous panelists also regarded SDG 5 (gender equality) as an accountability barometer for the progress of the other SDGs and even as a solution in and of itself; this SDG was not included as one of the focus goals but was found to be extremely prevalent to the core conversations surrounding the other goals. To research SDG integration was one thing, but it was ultimately through attending HLPF events that delved into this theme, that I was able to push past the horse blinders and look at the achievement of the SDGs as a shared and integrated endeavor. 

In addition to the integrated nature of the SDGs, I saw that their enduring attainment was also dependent on collaborative and consultative approaches rather than adversarial ones. I recall an event regarding the Green Transition, in which a delegate from Norway claimed that their nation’s political aim has been to ensure humanity as a whole benefits from the management of the natural resources of their country; a testament to numerous states attempting to not only reach SDG achievements, but support other nations in doing the same. Additionally, it was during the Voluntary National Reviews that I witnessed some of the most productive spaces for collaboration and feedback amongst the Member States. Beyond presenting their own achievements and offering insights based on their experience, there was room to share insights and answer questions that could benefit other countries. I attribute this to the structure of the review session, in which three Member States at a stretch were given a productive amount of time to deliver their respective presentations along the course of the session. Questions along the lines of how a specific country handled data gaps to reach their SDGs, or how they planned to further integrate the youth into their endeavors, pointed to an underlying message: successful implementation of the SDGs lay in nations building each other up along with them, not pursuing only their individual progress towards the 2030 Agenda. 

While SDGs are understood at the level of the nation, a truly integrated approach would understand that the shortcomings of one nation are in fact the shortcomings of all, and that progress around one SDG is directly connected to the advancement of other SDGs. This was one of my main takeaways from my participation in the forum.

Shrika Guda worked as an intern at the Baha’i International Community United Nations Office