Agreed upon by UN member States and designed “to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity”, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 are commendable objectives indeed. But three years after they came into effect, progress has been sluggish, particularly in Mexico. What is going wrong?
Albeit not the only cause, the capture of the State by corporate elites goes a long way towards explaining the problem. Undue corporate influence on State institutions and policy decision-makers undermines the State’s ability to promote economic growth, reduce poverty and inequality, and protect the environment.
The capture of the State is both the cause and the effect of the stark disparities of wealth which beset Mexico and which the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda acknowledges as one of the “huge challenges” facing sustainable development. While the Mexican economy is now the world’s 15th largest, Mexico ranks 17 in the most unequal country index in terms of distribution of wealth.
