Is there a lack of focus on SDGs with a current emphasis on foreign affairs?
The world has been shocked by the recent developments of Russia’s decisions against Ukrainian territory and has ultimately brought countries together stronger than ever. The constant focus on supporting Ukraine whilst trying to find peace amongst nations has become a big emphasis on governmental decision making. In what way has this emphasis had an impact on the nations focus on SDGs?
Firstly, we must look at the conflict alongside the SDG of peace and unity as this has been seen as one of the biggest contributors to the unbalancing of various other SDG’s that nations aim towards. The conflict has led to billions of foreign military and medical packages being sent to Ukraine, this being through medical equipment, weapons and ammunition. The start of this war showed the sheer strength of the unity between countries as countries began to pull together aid and military packages to be sent to Ukraine. If the conflict had been seen in a different light the extra weight wouldn’t have been put towards peace and unity which ultimately unbalanced the focus on the worlds SDG’s.
The impact conflict has had on poverty
One of the international SDG’s that has been affected by this imbalance is the look towards no poverty. No nation has no poverty within their economy but the less poverty the better for the population within that nation. Due to the conflict that has started within Ukraine, due to Russia invading the country, we have seen poverty within nations increase. This poverty hasn’t only been felt in the lower classes but across the board as many have seen a rise in inflation within the economy. Unfortunately, the rise in inflation also links to the SDG of no hunger within the population as the cost of food has also increased. This clearly shows the imbalance within the international focus on SDG’s that has been caused by the foreign conflict seen within Ukraine.
Economic impacts of conflict
Furthermore, the change of focus within the governmental spending has limited the economic growth within the nations as money is flowing towards foreign aid, national security and creating unity. The struggles within the economic growth has seen, inflation, extreme poverty, food insecurity, deglobalisation, and worsening environmental degradation The Long-lasting Economic Shock of War (imf.org). The economic limitations that are affecting the rest of the world has consequently lost some of the focus on these other factors that linked within then economy. For example, there was a large movement towards climate change and ways nations would come together and reduce the rate climate change was affecting our nations, however the lack of focus on this and the heightened focus on the destabilisation and conflict has seen a lack of positives within environmental change.
The energy crisis released by Russia
Additionally, one of the key moves Russia took against the western nations was stopping the supply of fuel and energy which caused energy shortages and fuel price increases globally. This is also an SDG that nations look towards as they want to meet demand for the fuel and energy consumption. We see record high fuel prices and must limit the amount of energy we are using to be able to pull through winter as a nation due to the imbalanced focus of the nations SDG’s. The war that Russia decided to start within Ukraine has had a huge impact on the global goals and the best emphasis on how to move forward as a world.
How do nations move forward from this?
So, how do we rebalance these SDG’s and what is the way forward for the nations across the world? There will be an emphasis initially on peace and justice whilst the conflict continues across the borders. This SDG at this moment in time is the most key to stabilise peace across the world, the lack of focus on this would have much heavier consequences further down the line for the world’s stability and safety. At this current time Ukraine needs the unity of nations and foreign support to continue to defend its land and people. Further down the line when the war either falls apart or the focus dies off the other SDG’s will then take further priority to rebalance the nations economy, try to reduce poverty and lower the impacts on climate change.
Overall, the war that Russia started in Ukraine has had a huge imbalance effect on the global focus of goals to move nations forward, ultimately creating poverty, hunger, environmental issues and a disturbance to world peace.