Disappointing intermediate balance of SDGs: call for global action

October 14, 2026

This week, world leaders meet in New York for the SDG Summit and the United Nations General Assembly. The agenda includes the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): the ambitious plan for a better world. And that is necessary because halfway through the term, the intermediate position is disappointing: Only 15% of the targets are on course. And hunger is even increasing, rather than ever.

SDGs: 17 ambitious targets.

In 2015, 193 countries made a bold plan for a better life for all 8 billion people in the world with 17 Objectives in the areas of poverty reduction, education, sustainability, equality, biodiversity, combating climate change and the end of hunger. The target year to achieve these objectives: 2030. Now, seven years after setting the targets, we’re halfway through this term.

Disappointing interim conclusion.

Halfway through the 2030 deadline, the assessment will be made. The intermediate position is not rosy. None of the targets seem to be fully achieved and only 15% of the targets are on track. Among other things, through COVID, the economic crisis, conflicts and natural violence, progress is stalling, or even deteriorating. For example, goal SDG 2 (a world without hunger) seems miles away, now that hunger has not declined since 2015, but increase again.

Call for action.

In the UN SDG Progress Report says Secretary-General António Guterres: If we do not act now, the 2030 Agenda could be the sad story of a missed opportunity for the world. The UN Summit calls for more action, more political will, more direction, more decisiveness and more (financial) commitment to turn the tide. Read more in this article by de Volkskrant.

Cuts on development cooperation.

The Netherlands is also calling on other countries to do more to save the SDGs at the UN summit in New York this week. At the same time, it appeared on Princess Day that the cabinet itself is saving 3.5 billion on the budget for global poverty reduction. This makes the SDGs even more out of reach. That must and can be changed.

What does The Hunger Project do.

The Hunger Project believes there’s another way. Because every day we see that SDG 2 is a world without hunger. Together with more than 500,000 trained local volunteers, we tackle hunger at the root.

In 11,800 villages in the poorest regions in 13 countries We invest in resilience, strengthen local food systems and promote smart and local solutions. Thus, we enable people to tackle themselves the unequal systems that cause and sustain hunger. It pays off.

As in theEpicentresin 9 African countries, where communities together improve their living conditions. More than 1 million inhabitants of 75 self-rescue epicentres This is why we are calling on the Commission and the Council to take action in this field.

Read more about our work on the SDGs.
Read more about our approach

"We need to think differently about solving hunger. It is time to invest in people and communities. And to change the global systems that only a few benefit from."

Rowlands Kaotcha

Director Africa, The Hunger Project

What can you do?

Are you with us? Take a step further, on the way to a world without hunger. Because it’s possible.

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