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GAO Audits and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the United States and 192 other members of the United Nations (UN) signed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which seeks to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are 17 SDGs and 169 targets that address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development includes a balance of social, economic and environmental sustainability. As of June 2022, the United States has made available a repository of SDG indicator data.

Audit Work and the SDGs

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development noted that governments have responsibility to follow-up and review the progress made in implementing the SDGs and targets at national, regional and global levels.

The 197 members of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), including the U.S. GAO, play an important role in reviewing progress toward the SDGs, as reflected in the INTOSAI Strategic Plan. One of INTOSAI’s Strategic Priorities is to contribute to the follow-up and review of the SDGs within the context of each nation’s specific sustainable development efforts and SAIs’ individual mandates.

Through audits and consistent with its mandates and priorities, the U.S. GAO conducts work that can help U.S. policymakers understand progress, monitor implementation, and identify improvement opportunities across the full set of the SDGs and the nation’s development efforts. Although the U.S. GAO has not been asked to conduct audits specifically focused on the status of SDG implementation, the agency has issued reports that are relevant to all 17 SDGs across a broad range of government programs.  

 Key Insights:

In fiscal year 2021, GAO issued a variety of products relevant to all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In total, GAO issued 383 products relevant to UN SDGs, representing 68% (383 of 563) of the total products issued that year. 

SPEL Charts

Examples in the table below are taken from our review of products that were relevant to SDGs. Note that GAO products may pertain to multiple SDGs.

UN Sustainable Development Goal and Examples of Related GAO Work

No poverty
  1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere 

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-45, Federal Social Safety Net Programs: Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs
  • GAO-21-470, Areas with High Poverty: Changing How the 10-20-30 Funding Formula Is Applied Could Increase Impact in Persistent-Poverty Counties

 
Zero Hunger

      2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-593, Chronic Health Conditions: Federal Strategy Needed to Coordinate Diet-Related Efforts
  • GAO-21-548, Global Food Security: Improved Monitoring Framework Needed to Assess and Report on Feed the Future's Performance
SDG 3
  1. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-93, Rural Hospital Closures: Affected Residents Had Reduced Access to Health Care Services

  • GAO-21-476, Veterans Community Care Program: VA Took Action on Veterans' Access to Care, but COVID-19 Highlighted Continued Scheduling Challenges
SDG 4

      4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-5, Higher Education: Department of Education Should Further Assess College Access Grant Programs

  • GAO-21-199, K-12 Education: Observations on States' School Improvement Efforts
SDG 5
  1. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-190, International Trade: Observations On Whether Women's Rights and Economic Interests Are Protected or Promoted by U.S. Trade Preference Programs

  • GAO-21-67, Gender Pay Differences: The Pay Gap for Federal Workers Has Continued to Narrow, but Better Quality Data on Promotions Are Needed
SDG 6

      6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-78, Drinking Water: EPA Could Use Available Data to Better Identify Neighborhoods at Risk of Lead Exposure

  • GAO-21-290, Clean Water Act: EPA Needs to Better Assess and Disclose Quality of Compliance and Enforcement Data
SDG 7
  1. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-54, Puerto Rico Electricity: FEMA and HUD Have Not Approved Long-Term Projects and Need to Implement Recommendations to Address Uncertainties and Enhance Resilience

  • GAO-21-274, Electricity Grid: Opportunities Exist for DOE to Better Support Utilities in Improving Resilience to Hurricanes
SDG 8

      8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-53, Human Trafficking: Agencies Have Taken Steps to Strengthen International Anti-trafficking Projects

  • GAO-21-269, Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development: USAID Needs to Develop a Targeting Process and Improve the Reliability of Its Monitoring
SDG 9

      9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-596, Federal Real Property Asset Management: Additional Direction in Government-wide Guidance Could Enhance Natural Disaster Resilience

  • GAO-21-436: Climate Resilience: Options to Enhance the Resilience of Federally Funded Roads and Reduce Fiscal Exposure
SDG 10
  1. Reduce inequality within and among countries

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-470, Areas with High Poverty: Changing How the 10-20-30 Funding Formula Is Applied Could Increase Impact in Persistent-Poverty Counties

  • GAO-21-30, Opportunity Zones: Improved Oversight Needed to Evaluate Tax Expenditure Performance
SDG 11
  1. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-110, Native American Cultural Resources: Improved Information Could Enhance Agencies' Efforts to Analyze and Respond to Risks of Theft and Damage

  • GAO-21-264: Puerto Rico Recovery: FEMA Made Progress in Approving Projects, But Should Identify and Assess Risks to the Recovery
SDG 12
  1. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-87, Recycling: Building on Existing Federal Efforts Could Help Address Cross-Cutting Challenges

  • GAO-21-298, Hardrock Mining Management: Selected Countries, U.S. States, and Tribes Have Different Governance Structures but Primarily Use Leasing
SDG 13
  1. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-346, Electricity Grid Resilience: Climate Change Is Expected to Have Far-reaching Effects and DOE and FERC Should Take Actions

  • GAO-21-46, Climate Resilience: DOD Coordinates with Communities, but Needs to Assess the Performance of Related Grant Programs
SDG 14

      14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, sea and marine resources for sustainable development

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-258, Coastal Barrier Resources Act: Fish and Wildlife Service Should Better Ensure It Carries Out Required Consultation and Mapping Activities

  • GAO-21-268: Defense Cleanup: Efforts at Former Military Sites on Vieques and Culebra, Puerto Rico, Are Expected to Continue through 2032
SDG 15

      15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-241, Farm Programs: USDA Should Take Additional Steps to Ensure Compliance with Wetland Conservation Provisions

  • GAO-21-139R, Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Agencies Work to Address Human Rights Abuse Allegations in Overseas Conservation Programs
SDG 16

      16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-177: Disaster Recovery: HUD Should Take Additional Action to Assess Community Development Block Grant Fraud Risks

  • GAO-21-14, Rule of Law Assistance: State and USAID Could Improve Monitoring Efforts
SDG 17

      17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Fiscal Year 2021 Examples:

  • GAO-21-359: Global Health Security: USAID and CDC Funding, Activities, and Assessments of Countries' Capacities to Address Infectious Disease Threats before COVID-19 Onset

  • GAO-21-239, Venezuela: Additional Tracking Could Aid Treasury's Efforts to Mitigate Any Adverse Impacts U.S. Sanctions Might Have on Humanitarian Assistance

Source: GAO analysis; United Nations (icons).