United Nations Member Research Articles

International Law & the Sustainable Development Goals

Law and policy are essential tools to tackle ongoing and emerging environmental challenges and are critical to the fulfilment of sustainable development. Adopted by all 193 United Nations (UN) Member States, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, also known as the 2030 Agenda) act as the 21st-century framework for sustainable development. This doctoral project seeks to investigate the interactive dynamics between international law and the SDGs to discern the potential of this relationship to strengthen, reinforce, and facilitate the realisation of existing and emerging obligations in international law.

Sustainable transport – development and goals

Sustainable development is observed worldwide, and one of the most affected fields is the transport sector. Sustainability brings challenges that must be overcome to achieve high safety and comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By the end of 2030, United Nations members must achieve the assumed sustainability level. This paper investigates whether it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions completely, especially in the transport sector. The paper focuses on the challenges to obtaining a high sustainability level, as defined by the United Nations. The examples of sustainability in rail and road transport were analysed and described. Results show the benefits, concerns, and problems of the described solutions.

The Global Anesthesia Workforce Survey: Updates and Trends in the Anesthesia Workforce.

There is a large global deficit of anesthesia providers. In 2016, the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) conducted a survey to count the number of anesthesia providers worldwide. Much work has taken place since then to strengthen the anesthesia health workforce. This study updates the global count of anesthesia providers. Between 2021 and 2023, an electronic survey was sent to national professional societies of physician anesthesia providers (PAPs), nurse anesthetists, and other nonphysician anesthesia providers (NPAPs). Data included number of providers and trainees, proportion of females, and limited intensive care unit (ICU) capacity data. Descriptive statistics were calculated by country, World Bank income group, and World Health Organization (WHO) region. Provider density is reported as the number of providers per 100,000 population. Responses were obtained for 172 of 193 United Nations (UN) member countries. The global provider density was 8.8 (PAP 6.6 NPAP 2.3). Seventy-six countries had a PAP density <5, whereas 66 countries had a total provider density <5. PAP density increased everywhere except for high- and low-income countries and the African region. The overall size of the global anesthesia workforce has increased over time, although some countries have experienced a decrease. Population growth and differences in which provider types that are counted can have an important impact on provider density. More work is needed to define appropriate metrics for measuring changes in density, to describe anesthesia cadres, and to improve workforce data collection processes. Effort to scale up anesthesia provider training must urgently continue.

Roadmap for ending TB in China by 2035: The challenges and strategies.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide, taking the lives of over a million people annually. In addition to being a serious health issue, TB is also closely linked to eradicating poverty according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). All UN members have committed to ending the TB epidemic by 2030. China has one of the highest TB loads worldwide, ranking third in the world on many TB burden indices. The national strategy for TB control is aimed at creating a collaborative network and integrating TB treatment into the medical system. According to the WHO's global TB report, China is expected to have 748,000 new cases of TB in 2022 and an incidence of 52 cases per 100,000 people. Ending TB remains a huge challenge and requires comprehensive control strategies in China. In this work, we have discussed the challenges of TB prevention and control in China and proposed specific measures to end TB.

The Role of Small United Nations Member States

This article outlines the situation of small member states of the United Nations which make up the majority of the membership. It shows that smallness is far from insignificance. Small UN members are active, diligent, and necessary partners for significant member states in the endeavor to get resolutions through in the General Assembly. They work in close collaboration with and assist one another, share insightful knowledge and through networking can cover the entire field of activities of the United Nations. Yet being short staffed, getting through valuable information of a heavy-written nature issued by the UN to do their job presents a challenge.

Analyzing Nigeria’s Journey Towards Sustainable Development Goals: A Comprehensive Review From Inception to Present

RATIONALE: This study critically examines Nigeria's journey towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since their inception. Nigeria, a United Nations member state and a major oil producer, faces challenges like socio-economic disparities, political instability, corruption, and prevalent poverty, despite its cultural richness and natural resources. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim is to evaluate Nigeria's alignment with the SDGs within its national development frameworks, highlighting the significance of these goals in addressing the country's multifaceted developmental challenges. These challenges span various sectors including poverty, health, education, and environmental sustainability. METHODS: The study conducts a detailed analysis of Nigeria's background, including its cultural diversity and developmental hurdles. It reviews national policies and initiatives, notably the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), and the role of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning in coordinating SDG efforts. RESULTS: Findings suggest partial progress in SDG integration within Nigeria’s development plans. While some strides have been made in areas like policy alignment and strategic planning, challenges persist in effective implementation and tackling systemic issues like inequality and corruption. CONCLUSION: The analysis reveals that, while Nigeria has made efforts to incorporate the SDGs into national policies, significant gaps remain in addressing key challenges. The complexity of Nigeria's socio-economic and political landscape presents both hurdles and opportunities for sustainable development. RECOMMENDATIONS: The study advocates for more robust policy implementation, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and targeted strategies to overcome specific challenges. By addressing these areas, Nigeria can accelerate its progress towards the SDGs, paving the way for comprehensive and sustainable national development.

Policy and hope: The millennium development goals

AbstractThe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were a set of measurable goals and targets agreed to by all United Nations (UN) member countries in 2001 or thereafter to achieve substantial socio‐economic improvement for all developing countries by 2015. The MDGs were defined by some as an ‘international super‐norm’ that made the eradication of extreme poverty a global policy and responsibility. In this article, we examine the broader historical and discursive context that facilitated this institutional emergence and draw on Rorty and Braithwaite to suggest that the MDGs can be considered an ‘institution of hope.’ The paper contextualises the political economy of despair that prevailed in the 1990s before outlining Rorty's critique of neo‐liberalism and post‐developmentalism and explaining the political value of hope as a collective motivating emotion. The paper then examines critiques of the MDGs before concluding that the MDGs performed a valuable function in reinvigorating global concern over poverty eradication, even if, in retrospect, the MDGs themselves remained only what Rorty referred to as a ‘plausible narrative of progress.’

What is gained when university leadership revisits and recommits to equality considering the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development

In 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious initiative that aims to confront society’s biggest challenges in a decisive and coordinated fashion. One such challenge is set out in SDG 5, achieving gender equality. Following the adoption of the 2023 Agenda, many higher education institutions have implemented strategies to make tangible progress towards this goal. To that end, universities have been drawing on their previous work in gender equality (in addition to other areas such as climate change, inclusivity, and quality education), constituting a solid foundation for embarking on this new path. However, the 2030 Agenda mandates that the challenges affecting people and the planet be viewed in an integrated manner and that social, economic, and environmental aspects interact in unprecedented ways, underscoring the fact that continuing with previous policies is not sufficient; instead, we need to aim higher and devise more integrated and interrelated ways that will ultimately be more effective. In this paper, we analyse how the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has tackled these challenges at the policy level, and we report the steps the university has taken to place gender equality in a broader framework of sustainable development as an integrated whole. The new approach reworked the university’s educational model, led by the Vice-Rector’s Office of Innovation and Social Commitment, Sustainability and Equality Office. The new model has been taken up throughout the university and guides the institution for specific policies, plans and programmes in Education for Sustainable Development. We describe the initiatives with the most significant relevance for SDG 5 and the results for the last five academic years (2017-2021). The results show that significant progress is possible if appropriate and converging instruments are deployed, and efforts are sustained over time and supported by ongoing and rigorous monitoring of the results.

RENEWING THE AGENDA FOR PEACE: MOBILIZING THE MULTILATERAL SYSTEM TO PREVENT NUCLEAR RISKS

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought back the spectre of nuclear war. A sustained nuclear “sabre-rattling” from Russian authorities has triggered a dynamic debate about the Russian nuclear doctrine, the feasibility of use of “tactical” nuclear warheads in the Ukrainian battle theatre, the alleged consequences of such use, including escalation to a wider nuclear exchange with the United States and NATO, and the impact of such developments in global peace and security. The alarming prospect of nuclear devastation requires a bold political response from all peace-loving nations, particularly those from the South, cooperating with United Nations members coalescing around the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and, more widely, in like-minded coalitions galvanized by the humanitarian consequences of nuclear detonations. The Latin American and Caribbean region, and Chile in particular, have a special responsibility to deploy their diplomatic capabilities, inter alia, by supporting the Secretary General’s “New agenda for peace”, and mobilising the normative and operational powers of the General Assembly.

The role of pediatric neurosurgery in the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 interconnected global goals adopted by all United Nations (UN) Member States in 2015 to end poverty, reduce inequality and build more peaceful, prosperous societies by 2030 [1] (Figure.1).&#x0D; The SDGs aim to leave no one behind and promote peace, prosperity, and the protection of the planet [2].&#x0D; Pediatric neurosurgery intersects with several of these goals, contributing to the overall improvement of health, well-being, and social and economic development. Here are some ways in which pediatric neurosurgery aligns with the SDGs:

Nigeria’s Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable life for all. The United Nations member states have committed to work towards achieving the goals by the year 2030. Despite the commitment of Nigeria to the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, there are troubling twists and turns in the country’s implementation of the goals. It is on record that the country failed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals which had similar development aspirations and a similar 15-year implementation period. The typical twists and turns are further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist activities, extended periods of strike in the universities and instability in oil prices, for an economy that derives 86% of public revenue from oil and gas. This paper is therefore designed to present to the reading community the local obstacles in the implementation of all the Sustainable Development Goals and to highlight the strong and the weak points with a view to refocusing our efforts. The paper adopted a systematic review approach drawing from such studies as the National Voluntary Review reports and relevant literature. The paper concludes with relevant recommendations.

Embedding Countries Governance in Assessing Companies' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Reporting: A Quantitative Analysis

The United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015 resulted in a tumultuous period for the companies in their quest to support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The adoption of SDGs by all United Nations member states targets ending poverty and other deprivations, developing strategies to improve health and education, reducing inequality, and spurring economic growth while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. This paper aims to assess the influence of countries' governance six dimensions (Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption) on European companies' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reporting from 2019 to 2021. To achieve this goal, quantitative research was conducted through linear parametric regressions. The econometric analysis is based on six regression equations, one for each countries' governance dimension, data being collected from Thomson Reuters, World Bank Governance Indicator, and International Monetary Fund databases. The sample includes 2542 companies headquartered in Europe, with 6644 panel data observations highlighted. The results show that the indicators regarding countries’ governance negatively influence companies' SDGs reporting. This study fills the gap in countries' governance research in relation to companies' SDGs reporting, which helps develop future research. Therefore, future research should address other methods of quantifying the score of companies' SDGs reporting. Furthermore, this research may be extended to all 193 United Nations member states to investigate the impact of SDGs reporting on country performance.

Navigating the nutritional paradox: The impact of sustainable development targets on childhood wasting and overweight prevalence.

In 2015, the United Nations member states endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to chart a path towards a better future for all. Childhood malnutrition, particularly wasting, remains a critical global health challenge, disproportionately affecting children under five in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluates the impact of achieving selected Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on reducing childhood malnutrition, with a specific focus on wasting and overweight. Utilizing multi-country DHS datasets, this study analyzed data from 138,782 children under five across 27 countries, nested within 13,788 neighborhoods. We simulated the predicted prevalence of wasting and overweight as selected SDG-related health inputs and determinant indicators reached their target values. Our findings reveal a baseline prevalence of 6.3% for wasting and 4.3% for overweight among the children studied. Progress towards the SDGs can potentially decrease wasting prevalence by a quarter (25%), translating to a reduction from 6.3% to 4.7%. This significant reduction in wasting is more pronounced in rural areas (29%) than in urban settings (7%). Conversely, a 14% increase in overweight prevalence was observed, with rural areas experiencing a higher rise (15%) than urban areas (13%). The study also highlighted variations in access to safe sanitation, improved water sources, healthcare services, income, maternal employment, and education levels, underscoring the complex interplay between these factors and malnutrition outcomes. Notably, the reduction in wasting prevalence was mainly attributable to input determinants rather than direct health inputs, suggesting the importance of broader socioeconomic factors in combating malnutrition. Achieving SDG targets presents a significant opportunity to mitigate wasting, particularly in rural communities. However, the uneven distribution of improvements underscores the need for targeted interventions in less affected areas. The concurrent rise in overweight prevalence, points to the emerging challenge of addressing the dual burden of malnutrition. This necessitates integrated, multi-sectoral strategies considering the diverse health determinants and nutritional status.

Exploring the impact of global competitiveness pillars on sustainable development

Global competitiveness refers to a nation's ability to boost its economic growth and advancement. The Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), introduced by the World Economic Forum, serves as a tool to evaluate how individual countries perform across 12 key competitiveness pillars. United Nations member states are committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, addressing economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability. This research employs a data-driven Bayesian Belief Network-based method to identify crucial GCI pillars, considering their positive and negative impacts on sustainability performance. Notably, ‘health’, ‘infrastructure’, and ‘skills’ are identified as pivotal GCI pillars with the potential to adversely affect sustainability performance. Conversely, ‘innovation capability’, ‘labor market’, and ‘skills’ are highlighted for their positive influence on overall sustainability performance. This is the first study to explore the link between competitiveness pillars and sustainability performance in a probabilistic network framework, providing valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance both competitiveness and sustainability.

On Building a Community to Exchange and Share Sustainable Fashion Applications

Sustainable development is a standard plan for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future, set forth by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all United Nations member states and agreed to in 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call to action for all developed and developing countries in relation to global cooperation. Many factors cause environmental pollution, but the fashion industry is considered by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as the second most polluting industry in the world. It accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions due to the energy used in production, manufacturing, and transportation. In particular, the factors that strongly affect the environment in the fashion industry are the textile materials, the fabric dyeing industry, and the rapid development of fast fashion. The data was collected through an online survey of 101 fashion consumers and interviews with nine target audiences who need to buy and sell used clothes or are interested in buying and selling used clothes or sustainable fashion. Sustainable design is not a new concept, but it is still quite strange to the Vietnamese. Consumer ignorance about sustainable consumption and the harmful effects of the fashion industry on planet Earth is a big reason why consumers constantly plunge into the shopping vortex. The problem of wasteful and unsustainable fashion consumption is a big global problem at a time when the fashion industry is gradually emerging into the sustainable fashion movement. This is an opportunity to build a community by connecting consumers through their essential needs, helping them raise awareness, change their behavior, and make each individual part of a sustainable fashion community. They are thus contributing to sustainable development in the future.&#x0D; Keywords: SDGs, sustainable fashion, sustainable consumption, community

Teaching research integrity as discussed in research integrity codes: A systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Presented here is a systematic literature review of how RI teaching is discussed in national and international research integrity (RI) codes. First, we set out to identify the codes that exist, and performed some generic analysis on them. Following a comprehensive search strategy, which included all 193 United Nations member states, we identified 52 national and 14 international RI codes. RI teaching is addressed in 46 national and 10 international codes. We then examined how the codes address RI teaching under the following headings: the aims, the target audience, the ethics approach proposed, the assessment and/or evaluation strategy, and any challenges identified in relation to RI teaching. There is considerable overlap between the aims of RI teaching in the various codes, for example, promoting awareness of RI. Most codes claim RI teaching is for all researchers, but without any in-depth guidance. While educational programmes, training, and mentorship/supervision are proposed for RI teaching, there is insufficient detail to identify the ethics approach to be used in such teaching. Lastly, only few address assessment and/or evaluation or challenges in RI teaching. Here, we analyzed how current codes address RI teaching; we identified some shortfalls, and in our discussion we advance recommendations.

Do the effects of aggregate and disaggregate energy consumption on different environmental quality indicators change in the transition to sustainable development? Evidence from wavelet coherence analysis.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations (UN) member states in 2015, half of the target period has been exceeded. However, China, whose energy consumption relies heavily on fossil resources, remains at the top of the list of global polluters. Therefore, investigating the environmental impacts of energy types is essential to China's path towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-7 and SDG-13. Based on this motivation, the paper offers new insights into the energy-environment literature for China with wavelet coherence analysis (WCA). This approach can investigate the relationship between variables in a periodic manner based on the frequency behavior of the models. The paper separately analyzes the effects of primary energy consumption (PEC), fossil energy consumption (FEC), renewable energy consumption (REC), nuclear energy consumption (NEC), GDP, and population (POP) on three different environmental indicators in China. Using two environmental pollution indicators (carbon emission (CO2) and ecological footprint (EF)) and one environmental quality indicator (load capacity factor (LCF)), the paper allows for comparison and robustness checks on the environmental impacts of energy indicators. Empirical findings reveal the following: (i) Except for REC and POP in the CO2 model, the variables in all three models largely move together during the period under observation; (ii) variables other than POP have consistent coefficient signs; (iii) PEC, FEC, NEC, and GDP increase CO2 and EF while decreasing LCF; (iv) the effect of NEC on LCF is more obvious until 2000; (v) unlike the others, REC affects CO2 and EF negatively and LCF positively; (vi) there is bidirectional causality between PEC and environmental indicators but not for REC; (vii) the causality relations of other variables with environmental indicators differ in terms of model, time, and direction of causality. In light of the findings, the paper highlights that only the REC improves environmental quality in China. Other energy indicators contribute to environmental degradation. China, whose ecological deficit has increased dramatically in recent years, urgently needs to reduce its dependence on fossil energy sources by accelerating investments in REC. Governments should also review nuclear energy policies, which are expected to help achieve carbon neutrality.

A Fuzzy Approach to Sustainability I: A Time-Series Analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals

We use a [Formula: see text]-measure derived from fuzzy logic to evaluate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations Member States. In this first of a two-part series, we evaluate the 17 individual Sustainable Development Goals by applying the [Formula: see text]-measure to a set of indicators. We examine the distribution and characteristics of the scores for each Goal and note trends over time, highlight outlier countries, and evaluate progress in each Goal area. In the second part, we will consider worldwide progress toward the Goals as a whole.

A Fuzzy Approach to Sustainability II: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

In this paper, we use a [Formula: see text]-measure derived from fuzzy logic to evaluate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations member states. In the first of this two-part series, we examined each of the Sustainable Development Goals individually. We now build a composite index score for 163 countries using the [Formula: see text]-measure to examine their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals as a whole, rank them, and examine the characteristics of highly performing and of poorly performing countries. We also study the impact of income category and region on progress towards the Goals.

National routine data for low birthweight and preterm births: Systematic data quality assessment for United Nations member states (2000-2020).

Low birthweight (<2500 g) and preterm birth (<37 weeks) are markers of newborn vulnerability. To facilitate informed decisions about investments in prevention and care, it is imperative to enhance data quality and use. Hence, the objective of this study is to systematically assess the quality of data concerning low birthweight and preterm births within routine administrative data sources. Systematic data quality assessment by adopting the WHO Data Quality Framework. National routine data system from UN member states. Livebirths. National routine administrative data on low birthweight and preterm births for 195 countries from 2000 to 2020 were systematically collated, totalling >700 million live births. The WHO data quality framework was adapted to undertake standardised data quality assessments. Availability, reporting quality, internal and external consistency of low birthweight and preterm data. Most United States Member States (64%: 124/195) had national data on low birthweight and (40%: 82/195) had data on preterm birth. Routine data system reporting was highest in North America, Australasia and Europe, where more than 95% live births had data on low birthweight and over 75% had data preterm births. In contrast,data reporting was lowest in sub-Saharan Africa (13% for low birthweight, 8% for preterm births) and Southern Asia (16% for low birthweight, 5% for preterm births). Most countries collect individual-level data; but, aggregate data reporting from hospital-based systems remain common in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. While data quality was generally high in North America, Australasia and Europe, gaps remain in the availability of gestational age metadata. Consistency between low birthweight and preterm rates were poor in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa regions across time. There was high external consistency between low birthweight rates obtained from routine administrative data compared with low birthweight rates obtained from survey data for countries with highdata quality. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia countries have data gaps but also opportunities for rapid progress. Most births occure in facilities, electronic health information systems already include low birthweight, and adding accurate gestational age including with ultrasound assessment is becoming increasingly attainable. Moving toward the collection of individual level data would enable monitoring of quality of care and longer-term outcomes. This is crucial for every child and family and essential for measuring progress towards relevant sustainable development goals. The assessment will inform countries' actions for data quality improvement at national level and use of data for impact.