By: Staff Writer
April 21, 2026
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said in a recent report that only 19 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on target in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region to meet the 2030 deadline.
ECLAC, in The 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean, said: “A turning point for the global economy and geopolitics, 2025 was marked by major disruptions, with a shift towards protectionism among key global economic powers, greater geopolitical rivalry revolving around competition for industrial and technological supremacy, a withdrawal from multilateral cooperation by countries that have been cornerstones of the system, and a move from a rules-based world order to a new reality of weaponized interdependence1 as an international relations strategy.
The backdrop against the final four years of SDG implementation is dependent on heightened uncertainty with a growing need for restructuring negotiations in trade and investment forums.
The report added: “Among the many factors that slowed progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the first decade following their adoption in 2015 were: weak institutional capacities, lack of prioritization of some goals, limited financing and fiscal space, the debt burden, slow global economic growth, the pandemic and cascading crises.
“Added to these are disruptions that lead to fragmentation of the global economy and reduce opportunities for collaboration among countries, creating an environment less conducive to growth and investment.
“These disruptions are manifold, ranging from the unilateral use of power to weaponize interdependence in a new era of globalization rooted in spheres of influence, to the weakening of the multilateral system and underfunding of the United Nations, and to nascent competition over currencies and the use of financial power.
“They heighten existing risks and pose new obstacles to progress towards the SDGs, such as: a reduction in official development assistance as developed countries redirect spending towards defence or other national priorities; long-term planning made difficult amid uncertainty and volatility; delays in vital global negotiations, such as reform of the financial system and agreements on inclusive social development and gender equality; withdrawal from climate change commitments and inaction on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming; and the postponement or obstruction of efforts aimed at global governance of artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies.
“As this report shows, at the current pace of progress in Latin America and the Caribbean, only 19 percent of SDG targets are on track to be met in 2030; 42 percent of targets are moving in the right direction, but at an insufficient pace for achievement by 2030, and 39 percent have stalled or regressed relative to the 2015 baseline. These estimates are bleaker than those made in 2025.”