Balances and Perspectives on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This research aims to assess recent progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Latin American and Caribbean countries, with special attention to the advances and challenges in the region. The motivation lies in the need to understand the current state of SDGs implementation, particularly SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The novelty of the study lies in its comparative and up-to-date approach, using data from the 2019-2023 Sustainable Development Reports to analyze 10 selected case studies. Unlike other studies, it focuses more deeply on the analysis of the SDG 11 targets. The methodology employed includes the analysis of 140 SDGs targets, processing the data obtained from the reports to assess progress and setbacks in their achievement. The results show that, although there has been a progressive increase in the achievement of the SDGs (from 57.1% in 2019 to 69.2% in 2023), more than 30% of the targets have not advanced or have regressed since 2015. This finding highlights the urgency of intensifying efforts to ensure a sustainable future. The research provides a balance that identifies key conditions, challenges, and opportunities, and proposes a reference framework for future monitoring of SDGs achievement, particularly in the context of urban sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean.