SDGPP in Colombia

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues more commonly associated with another.

The SDGs work in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism to make the right choices now to improve life, in a sustainable way, for future generations. They provide clear guidelines and targets for all countries to adopt in accordance with their own priorities and the environmental challenges of the world at large. The SDGs are an inclusive agenda. They tackle the root causes of poverty and unite us together to make a positive change for both people and planet.

Progress:

• Poverty and extreme poverty reduction targets were met one year before the deadline;
• Multidimensional poverty rate is 20,2% in 2015, down from 30,4% in 2010, representing over 4 million of Colombians.

Challenges:

• Unequal progress among rural/urban areas as well as among various population groups;
• Poverty rates reach 60% in Cordoba, Choco and Cauca, rural and coastal areas far from urban centers;
• Poverty rate among the 6 million internally displaced persons is more than three times the national average;
• Afro-Colombian households have 20% lower per-capita income than non-Afro-Colombian households;
• Drop in oil prices, which represents 50% of foreign trade revenues, could affect government capacity to finance peace-building and poverty reduction policies.

SDG priorities:

• Addressing regional and ethnic disparities; 
• Addressing the structural cases behind female poverty;
• Addressing the specific needs of indigenous and Afro-Colombian populations in the Pacific and Caribbean regions.

Progress:

• Reduced overall poverty levels. 

Challenges:

• Unequal progress among rural/urban areas as well as among various groups of population.

SDG priorities:

• Addressing regional and ethnic disparities; 
• Focusing on agriculture’s critical role;
• Ensuring access to basic rights such as health and nutrition.

Progress:

• Infant mortality rate halted at 17.25 deaths per thousand births (2013), fulfilling the MDG goal before the deadline;
• High rate of health coverage of total population (97,58% in 2015);
• Good progress on maternal health (45% reduction in maternal mortality between 2001 and 2013);
• By the end of 2013, 99% of the recorded births were attended by health professionals;
• Prenatal check-ups increased from 52% in 2000 to 80% in 2013.

Challenges:

• Inadequate vaccine coverage for infants;
• Increased number of teenage pregnancies;
• 18% of maternal deaths are among women between 10 and 19 years.

SDG Priorities:

• Addressing regional and ethnic disparities;
• Reducing child mortality;
• Ensuring access to quality basic social services;
• Reducing teenage pregnancy; 
• Improving sexual and reproductive health services.

Progress:

• 100% coverage rate in universal primary education.

Challenges:

• Insufficient coverage in secondary education. 

SDG priorities:

• Improving secondary education coverage;
• Addressing disruptions in rural areas caused by inadequate infrastructure, natural disasters and insecurity;
• Addressing gender and ethnic disparities.

Progress:

• Slightly stronger female political representation (2010-2014: 17.2% and 2014-2018: 23%);
• Women, on average, have slightly more years of schooling (10.1 years) in comparison to men (9.5 years).

Challenges:

• Women face an unemployment rate twice that of men and earn wages 21% lower, despite their higher educational levels.

SDG Priorities:

• Improving labour-market and addressing salary gaps; 
• Mainstreaming gender considerations (gender lens) into policies, budgets, normative and legal frameworks;
• Eradicating of all forms of violence against women (gender-based violence).

Progress:

• Increased access to improved water sources;
• Improved water access in urban areas as reported by 97.4% of the urban population.

Challenges:

• Decline in quality of water sanitation facilities due to increase in informal settlements, cost of sanitation infrastructure, low investment returns for private sector;
• Deforestation adversely affecting catchment areas and thus is a growing concern.

SDG Priorities:

• Forthcoming

Progress:

• Predominant use of hydropower energy.

Challenges:

• Growing extractive sector;

SDG priorities:

• Exploring other options for affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy sources.

Progress:

• Macro-economic stability;
• Low inflation;
• Strong economic growth.

Challenges:

• Drop in oil prices, which represents 50% of foreign trade revenues, could affect government capacity to finance peacebuilding and poverty reduction policies;
• Economic growth is dependent on extractive industries;
• Disparities across population groups and geographical areas;
• Youth and rural unemployment;
• Informal employment.

SDG priorities:

• Exploring options for innovative, inclusive and sustainable productive strategies;
• Addressing regional and ethnic disparities;
• Addressing youth unemployment and informal employment.

SDG priorities:

• Rehabilitating community infrastructure in municipalities most affected by the armed conflict;
• Implementing innovative ICT-based solutions for the effective provision of state services.

Challenges:

• Disparities across population groups and geographical areas;
• Under-representation of women, ethnic minorities and youth in decision-making processes.

SDG priorities:

• Addressing regional and ethnic disparities;
• Increasing the voice of rural women, young leaders and ethnic minorities.

Challenges:

• Vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change;
• Lack of gender-sensitive risk-prevention strategies.

SDG priorities:

• Developing and introducing gender-sensitive risk-prevention strategies.

Challenges:

• Growth of mining and energy sector increases the pressure on natural resources and traditional forms of rural production that depend on ecosystem services.

SDG priorities:

• Strengthening of livelihoods among the most vulnerable populations, particularly women, Afro-Colombians, and indigenous people, who live in places with the greatest biodiversity.

Progress:

• Decline in deforestation rate;
• Reliance on hydropower has kept carbon dioxide emissions low.

Challenges:

• Economic growth, dependent on extractive industries, creates environmental impacts, and disregards risks associated with climate change;  
• Steady rise in the number of cars in use in the years ahead as households grow wealthier will result in higher emissions and more air pollution.

SDG priorities:

• Reducing the environmental impact pf certain economic sectors, including the extractive industry, agriculture and cattle ranching; 
• Identifying carbon reduction potential across multiple production sectors;
• Implementing carbon reduction strategies.

Challenges:

• Water pollution as a result of growing extractive sector.  

SDG priorities:

• Promoting gender-sensitive conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;
• Developing alternatives for using biodiversity and ecosystem services based on best international practices in order to capitalize on environmental endowments of Colombia.

Progress:

• Decline in deforestation rate.

Challenges:

• Soil pollution as a result of growing extractive sector.

SDG priorities:

• Addressing climate change;
• Promoting gender-sensitive conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;
• Developing alternatives for using biodiversity and ecosystem services based on best international practices in order to capitalize on environmental endowments of Colombia.

Progress:

• A breakthrough in peace negotiations between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia;
• Decline in violence associated with the armed conflicts since the start of peace negotiations;
• Decentralization process is underway.

Challenges:

• Colombia remains the second most violent country in Latin America;
• Social conflicts over land property generated as a result of economic growth, dependent on extractive industries, urban development, cattle ranching, and land restitution;
• Lack of cultural and legal institutions for non-violent dispute settlements and conflict resolutions;
• Citizens of many regions face obstacles to benefiting from inclusive governance, rule of law and access to high-quality state services due to limited institutional capacity of the Government, lack of citizens’ capacity to claim their legal and human rights as well as lack of effective mechanisms to tackle corruption.

SDG priorities:

• Securing law, order and citizens’ access to “peace dividends” in the form of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights;
• Reducing inequalities and social and environmental conflicts;
• Improving the balance of power among the courts, the presidency and the Congress to increase confidence in democracy;
• Empowering citizens to participate in formulating and monitoring of subnational development plans;
• Enhancing transparency of state institutions through sustainable accountability processes;
• Enacting community-based conflict resolution mechanisms to build resilient communities capable of reconciliation and peaceful transformation of social and environmental conflicts.

SDG priorities:

• Becoming a member of OECD and a model for peacebuilding and social innovation;
• Positioning Colombia as a strategic ally to receive and channel South-South and triangular cooperation;  
• Fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration with UN, private sector, civil society and philanthropy to advance SDG agenda.