Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) continues to strengthen its commitment to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through international academic collaboration. One of these efforts was realized through a workshop entitled “Global Goals, Local Realities: Rethinking the SDGs in Indonesia,” which involved students from Western Sydney University (WSU), Australia, during their academic visit to UNY.

The workshop, featuring Nur Azizah, Ph.D. and Dewi Eka Murniati, Ph.D. as speakers, served as a cross-national discussion forum on the progress of SDG implementation in Indonesia, global challenges, and strategies for accelerating sustainable development at both local and national levels. The activity was attended by Western Sydney University students, namely Kaitlyn Ava Barrell, Caitlyn Marie Bremner, Jude Henry Horne, Freya Ella Pinney-Konetschnik, and Caitlin Ann Sloan. During the program, the students were accompanied by WSU staff members Donna Marie James and Kathleen Ellen Openshaw, as part of strengthening international academic cooperation between the two institutions.

In their presentations, the speakers explained that the SDGs, or the 2030 Agenda, encompass 17 goals and 169 targets of sustainable development covering social, economic, and environmental dimensions. However, globally, the achievement of these targets continues to face serious challenges. Currently, only around 17 percent of SDG targets are on track, while challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts, poverty, and food crises have slowed progress and even caused setbacks in several development sectors.

In the Asia-Pacific region, SDG implementation is also considered suboptimal. Based on estimates by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), all SDG targets in the region are projected to be achieved only by 2062, approximately 32 years beyond the 2030 Agenda deadline.

Nevertheless, Indonesia has shown relatively encouraging achievements compared to the global average. Based on data from the Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN/Bappenas) in 2024, out of 224 available SDG indicators, 62 percent have reached their targets, while 14 percent show positive progress toward achievement. Overall, approximately 76 percent of Indonesia’s SDG indicators have demonstrated progress, although several indicators still require greater attention.

Some of Indonesia’s notable achievements include a reduction in poverty rates and strengthened social protection (SDG 1 and SDG 8), expanded healthcare access through BPJS Kesehatan (National Health Insurance) (SDG 3), improved access to education (SDG 4), strengthened gender equality policies (SDG 5), as well as efforts to address climate change and environmental conservation (SDGs 13, 14, and 15).

However, the implementation of SDGs in Indonesia still faces complex challenges. Regional inequality, vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, development financing gaps, digital misinformation, pollution, and cybersecurity threats remain strategic issues that require collective attention.

As part of acceleration efforts, Indonesia continues to integrate SDG targets into national and regional policies, including the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), the strengthening of Village SDGs programs, and the establishment of SDGs Centers at various universities as hubs for research, innovation, and capacity building in sustainable development.

Through this international workshop, UNY not only strengthened its global collaboration network but also created opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and perspectives among countries regarding sustainable development challenges. The activity also supports the achievement of SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through strengthened higher education collaboration and the exchange of global perspectives.