The International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) Asia-Pacific took part in the recent Catholic Social Forum, joining national and regional organizations from across the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the role of faith-based movements in advancing these global targets.

The SDGs, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, aim to address critical global issues, including poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation. However, nearly a decade after their adoption, the Asia-Pacific region continues to face serious challenges, and progress remains slow and uneven.

Slow Progress and Persistent Gaps

During the forum, participants reviewed the status of the SDGs in Asia-Pacific. While some progress has been made—notably in areas such as affordable and clean energy and innovation and infrastructure—other key goals, including clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, and climate action, have seen little to no improvement.

Overall, the region has achieved just 14.4% of the SDG targets, falling far short of the 50% milestone expected by 2025. Alarmingly, at the current rate of progress, Asia-Pacific countries are on track to miss 90% of the 118 SDG targets by 2030.

Governance, Inequality, and Climate Crisis

The forum highlighted weak political commitment, poor governance, and widening social and economic inequalities as major barriers to achieving the SDGs. In many countries, the gap between rich and poor continues to grow, while political instability further hampers the effective implementation of development policies.

Climate action, a particularly urgent priority for the region, has made the least progress of all the goals. As both a major contributor to global emissions and a victim of climate-induced disasters, the Asia-Pacific region faces severe environmental threats, making urgent climate action imperative.

Call for Action: Building Alliances for Change

Participants emphasized that achieving the SDGs requires strong political will, broader public awareness, and stronger collaboration between governments, civil society, faith-based organizations, and grassroots communities. The Catholic Church and faith movements like IYCW have a unique role to play in mobilizing communities, raising awareness, and demanding accountability from leaders.

The forum concluded with a call for strengthened partnerships between civil society organizations, political leaders, religious institutions, and the private sector, creating a united front to advance social justice and sustainable development in the region. As a movement rooted in the reality of young workers, IYCW Asia-Pacific reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the SDGs—focusing particularly on issues that directly impact young workers, such as decent work, fair wages, gender equality, climate justice, and social protection.

Writer: John Brian Geronimo