Reflections on the Emerging Leaders Dialogue

When the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were first adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the world committed to “working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030” . While the goals were undoubtedly ambitious in their scope and significance, including ending poverty and achieving gender equality, the target date of 2030 seemed far enough down the track to provide time for meaningful implementation.

But now? 

In 2024, that target date is but a few years away, and the truth is that there is still a long path ahead of us if we are to transform the promise of the SDGs into reality. Last year, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals in New York that “the SDGs need a global rescue plan”.

This is plainly true when we look at our immediate region. The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2024 produced by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) acknowledges that achieving the targets by 2030 “will take an extraordinary collective effort”. The report finds that on the current trajectory, the Asia-Pacific region “will not meet any of the 17 SDGs by the agreed deadline” and “current estimates show that these will not be reached before 2062, at least 32 years behind schedule”. 

How do we begin to accelerate action so that we can advance the SDGs in our region? Importantly, how do we do this in a way that ensures inclusive growth and development and that strengthens social cohesion? The importance of this was highlighted last year at the 2nd ASEAN Ministerial Dialogue on Accelerating Action to Achieve the SDGs, with the Joint Statement reinforcing the need to “enhance regional cooperation and partnership to ensure that no one and no country is left behind”. 

Participating in the Emerging Leaders Dialogue at the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit has reinforced my view that the answer to this challenge does not lie exclusively in United Nations summits or other high-level gatherings of senior leaders, important as they are. A key part of the answer ultimately lies in empowering individuals and communities at the local level.   

This is consistent with the view expressed by the UN Secretary-General at the SDG Action Weekend, which was held in New York in September 2023. In his opening remarks, António Guterres stated: “[T]he SDGs will not be rescued in New York. They will be rescued in your communities.”  

Speaking with the 65 participants in the emerging leaders track at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne provided an insight into the very real difference that individuals can make to their communities, countries and regions. The participants represent the next generation of Southeast Asian and Australian leaders and have already achieved incredible things in a wide variety of areas. Initiatives such as providing access to finance for women-owned microbusinesses, investing in eco-friendly transportation, promoting community healthcare, or harnessing technology to scale ethical and responsible food production systems were just some of the positive examples of work discussed during the summit that these emerging leaders are currently undertaking in their local communities, and which are helping to promote inclusive and sustainable development in the region. 

It was inspiring to speak with so many emerging leaders whose focus is not exclusively centred on achieving career milestones and personal success, but instead on making a tangible and positive difference in the lives of others.

A key focus of the expert panel held during this session – which included Josh Burns MP, Solinn Lim, Ambassador Justin Mohamed, and Dr Pichamon Yeophantong – was acknowledging the importance of bringing government, business and civil society together to work in partnership, and with a clear focus on inclusion. This is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia where the importance of strengthening vibrant and inclusive civic space was a constant theme raised by participants throughout the workshops.

From the discussions throughout the summit, it was clear that many of the key challenges that we face today are shared challenges, extending beyond any one country and paying no regard to national borders. It is simply not possible for any country to solve these problems on their own.

This is certainly true when it comes to human rights. Whether we are thinking about the significant global challenge posed by human trafficking and modern slavery (where it is estimated that 29.3 million people live in modern slavery in Asia and the Pacific), concerns about shrinking civic space in the region, or the need to ensure that economic development is sustainable and not pursued at the expense of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, regional cooperation is absolutely essential. 

Practical and meaningful cooperation can be pursued through regional and national institutions – such as the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) like the Australian Human Rights Commission – which clearly have a critical role to play. But, in addition to developing and strengthening key institutions, we also need to harness the energy and commitment of individuals like the emerging leaders who participated in the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit if we are to have any realistic hope of achieving the transformative targets set out in the SDGs.

In reflecting on the Summit, I have kept returning to the famous words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

The challenges that we are facing in our region are significant, not least of them ensuring that we prioritise inclusive development so that no one is left behind. The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit – and particularly the Emerging Leaders Dialogue – was a timely reminder that we will only meet these shared challenges by working together in cooperation and with people-to-people ties forming the foundation of our partnership. 

Lorraine Finlay is Australian Human Rights Commissioner.

This article is part of a series of op-eds published in conjunction with the Emerging Leaders' Dialogue of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit convened in Melbourne between 4 and 6 March in a partnership between the Australian Government and Asialink.