The latest United Nations Sustainable Development Report paints a grim picture: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), created by scientists, field experts and activists, and agreed by all nations are unlikely to be achieved. This is a bitter confirmation of what experts have long feared. The negative impacts are already happening or are imminent. The SDGs — which we must achieve to continue living on this planet in a more or less civilized way — are being missed, likely due to financial constraints and lack of political will. And even if billions of people of the global society are working hard to archive them, often without any support from states and governments.
Nevertheless, the report's recommendations are far-reaching and visionary; for instance, a parliamentary UN assembly with budgetary control rights would be a true global institutional evolution. But will the governments give up power and agree to such an evolution?
The flop
This situation is all the more shameful since all the world's nations unanimously committed to these goals to ensure a civilized and sustainable future for humanity. If global consensus among all states is not enough to tackle humanity's existential challenges, it raises the concern that current global institutions and political structures may not be capable of handling such tasks. This is evident in other critical areas of international responsibility, such as ending wars, taking action against the impact of climate change, and reducing global inequality. The resulting issues, like massive destabilizing migration movements, are omnipresent.
Clearly, people of the global society must intensify their efforts beyond the usual political operations to tackle these tasks independently. There are enough solutions, expertise, and financial resources. What is lacking is the ability of institutions and leaders to resolve underlying conflicts in an intelligent, creative, and innovative manner before they escalate into major unsolvable crises. If goals like prosperity, peace, clean air, and sufficient food for all, are to be archived, the question arises: What to do with those who actively work against these goals?
The planet-wreckers
Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has referred to these destructive actors as "planet-wreckers". These individuals are primarily concerned with their own well-being, particularly money and individual status. Planet-wreckers block humanity's progress, damage their environment, and, when they gain political power, undermine the laws meant to protect society from them. They present themselves to their followers as tough guys, while in reality, they weaken their countries and people and provoke conflicts with their neighbours. They prevent the global community from efficiently working on pressing issues, and they like it. Narcissists, liars, manipulators, and murderers – in countries governed by such individuals, people are often oppressed and isolated to prevent them from dealing with the real impacts in their home: loss of prosperity, dead children in foreign wars, and pointless work for daily surviving. In line with SDG 16, which calls for peace, justice, and strong institutions, innovative and far-reaching solutions must be found to protect the planetary co-inhabitants from the harassment of the planet-wreckers and to send them where they are in better hands: to the ball pit, to psychotherapy, or sometimes to the International Criminal Court.
The power of responsibility
However, those who have so far turned away these days from those disgusting forces, and dedicated themselves more to research, arts, entrepreneurship, or simply work must now and finally take responsibility for shaping the future The historical challenge for global society now is to create institutions that give the billions of them a voice and encouraging them to take on the responsibility, that lies before them in the gutter.