Jordan ranks 67.4 out of 100 in UN Sustainable Development Goals report

AMMAN — Jordan tops the six Arab countries that achieved 66 per cent or above in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Report.

The report released by the World Government Summit Organisation in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government under the title “Arab Region Sustainable Development Goals Index 2022”, revealed that Jordan, Tunisia, the UAE, Algeria, Morocco and Oman lead the regional scores with a total index score of 66 per cent or above.

The objective of the report is to provide a data-driven practical tool for governments, policy makers and other stakeholders to view progress on SDGs and to highlight the implementation challenges and data gaps.

“The average score for the Arab region was 58.2 out of 100,” the report read, with Jordan ranking at 67.4 out of 100. 

None of the SDGs were achieved in Jordan; the assessment for Jordan’s SDG Dashboard was as listed below.

There are “significant challenges” remaining to achieve the following SDGs in Jordan, the report noted: Zero-hunger, good health and well-being, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, industry, innovation and infrastructure, partnerships for the goals, peace, just and strong institutions, responsible consumption and production, sustainable cities, and communities’ goals, according to the report.

The report noted that there are “some major challenges” to achieve the following objectives: Life below water, quality education, decent work and economic growth, gender equality and rescued inequality.

“The index increases country coverage by including Palestine, which has so far not been included in global reports,” the report added. 

The report, which adopted additional indicators for the region and expanded the research in quantity and quality, revealed that only three countries managed to achieve one of the 17 goals, highlighting the need for Arab countries “to unite and take fast steps to avoid falling behind the global deadline for achieving the goals by 2030”.

The report aims to measure progress made in achieving sustainable development goals, showcasing gaps in countries’ implementation and data. 

The index includes roughly 111 sub-indicators covering the 17 sustainable development goals. The Arab Region Index presents 29 additional sub-indicators that reflect regional priorities and challenges. The selection of these indicators was based on consultations with regional experts, according to the report. 

The report added that only three countries achieved one of the development goals, as “the UAE and Lebanon managed to achieve the first SDG of eradicating poverty”.