According to Haoliang Xu, Assistant Secretary General of UNDP, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are facing significant challenges. Here are some insights into the status of the SDGs provided by Xu:

• Firstly, progress towards achieving the SDGs has been uneven across different regions and countries. Some countries have made considerable progress while others have lagged behind.
• Xu states that, globally, only 20% of SDG targets are on track to be reached by 2030.
• Xu notes that progress has been particularly slow on goals related to reducing inequality and ending poverty, which is a significant concern given that these goals are fundamental to achieving sustainable development.
• Another challenge is that increasing climate change impacts threaten to derail progress on the SDGs, as the most vulnerable countries and communities face the greatest threats from climate change.
• However, there have been some positive developments. For example, more than 1 billion people have lifted themselves out of extreme poverty since 1990, and the global under-five mortality rate has fallen in recent years.

Overall, while progress has been made towards achieving the SDGs, significant challenges remain, and urgent action is needed to ensure that the goals are reached by 2030.