Role of media towards achieving SDGs by 2030 in Uganda

23 May 2024, 9:20 pm

By Annet Nakato

United Nations Association of Uganda UNAU has asked journalists to incur more efforts towards exposing the gaps that hinder the attainment of the sustainable development goals by 2030 by reporting about them constantly.

The call was made by the Secretary General United Nations of Uganda Richard Baguma during the engagement meeting with the media at Nob View Hotel in Ntinda, Kampala.

According to the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and SDG Centre for Africa, Uganda is more than 50 percent of the way towards achieving SDGs by 2030.

Among the 52 African countries, Uganda ranks the 18th position with an overall score of 54.88 (compared to the regional average of 52.7 in 2020). In 2019, Uganda’s progress on SDGs was ranked 140 out of 162 countries with a global index score of 52.6 per cent declining from 125th position out of 156 countries in 2018.

According to the SDG Global Index, Uganda’s achievement is average, with moderate performance on SDGs 3 of Good Health and Wellbeing, Decent work and Economic Growth goals number 8, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure goals 9, Climate Action Goal 13 and Life on Land goal 15.

SDGs 2 of Zero Hunger, goal number 5 of Gender Equality and 6 Clean Water and Sanitation have stagnated, and the country is off-track in achieving SDGs No Poverty goal 1, Sustainable Cities and Communities goals number 11, and 16 of Peace and Justice and Strong Institutions.

Secretary General of United Nations Association of Uganda Richard Baguma notes that the media has pivotal role in contributing to all efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development goals including creating awareness, knowledge and understanding of deeper issues that hinder development.

Baguma adds that United Nations Association of Uganda being a partner in collecting views for Voluntary National Report concerning Sustainable Development Goals, they found it crucial to engage with the media to get to know issues that hinder the media in contributing towards achieving sustainable development goals by 2030.

He adds that the media can expose things that may be done by duty-bearers in different sectors that hinder attaining sustainable development goals and hold people entrusted with governance accountable.

Baguma further states that the media is not doing all it is supposed to do by pushing concerned people towards implementation of strategies that aim at achieving sustainable development goals.

However, the media should be credited for the contribution in explaining issues that relate to sustainable development goals such as simplifying issues that are related to sustainable development goals for the ordinary Ugandans to understand them better.