In June 2018, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved the country’s first Action Plan to achieve the 2030 Agenda, making various poverty-reduction initiatives possible both domestically and abroad. Seven years later, the Action Plan for Spanish Cooperation has evolved into an essential resource that will influence the country’s future foreign policy. At its heart is the last Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), number 17, which commits to building partnerships in an effort to meet the other 16 goals. Here are some updates on SDG 17 in Spain, and how the country uses partnerships to reduce poverty in an impactful way.

Positive Updates on SDG 17 in Spain

As countries have considered how to sustain such large-scale endeavors as no poverty and zero hunger, some have come to view localization of the SDGs as necessary for their impact to reach its fullest potential. Some of the strongest partnerships for achieving these goals are evident in Spain’s network of more than 600 local entities and stakeholders, all working on a community basis to achieve the goals on a national scale.

UIC, for example, a Barcelona university, holds an annual SDG conference inviting students to present research-based solutions aligned with the goals. UIC scored a win for SDG 17 with the creation of an Observatory for Sustainable Recovery in Catalonia, which, in December 2024, released a bioethics code for public authorities based on new research.

In 2024, Spain became the first country to undergo three Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in compliance with the UN, which indicate milestones in progress towards the 2030 Agenda and provide a guideline for other countries to reference when implementing the SDGs.

Spain has approved another Master Plan since its first one, as of July 2024, with a focus on foreign aid and cooperation. “We are one of the most serious governments in the world in rolling out the 2030 Agenda,” says Second Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz.

Legal Framework Plays a Central Role in SDG Initiatives

Spain’s 2024-2027 Action Plan traces back to previous policies, such as Law 1/2023 on Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity, that have laid the groundwork for the government’s contributions to Agenda 2030. “This new Master Plan is not a mere continuation of previous Plans,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares Bueno. “It…[ensures] that, through our cooperation actions, we are able to tackle the major global crises facing today’s world…” 

Law 1/2023 revolves around social, ecological and economic policy. The law affirms Spain’s compliance with the 2016 Paris Agreement, encourages alignment with the EU and legislates 0.7% as the portion of the country’s gross domestic product allotted towards foreign aid (Spain’s current allocation is 0.25% of its GDP for this purpose).

This is a significant step towards realizing Agenda 2030 on a global scale because currently, only four countries are achieving this figure. An important goal set by Spain’s new Action Plan is the assignment of 10% of its Official Development Assistance to humanitarian efforts. In 2024, the country’s ODA funding was worth $4.4 billion in 2024.

Spanish Partnerships are Paving the Way to 2030

In the past, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)’s partnerships with other European, African and Latin American governments have funded efforts related to promoting employment, education and humanitarian aid. AECID’s partnership with THAMM, a program launched in Egypt, held workshops in December 2022 through February 2023 for 96 participants to address employment instability and poverty as a root cause of irregular migration. Irregular migration occurs when emigrants leave their country without using the existing, proper legal framework. Disparities in training and access to steady employment, which impact marginalized women, children and the disabled, can cause emigrants to use less secure migration routes that can expose them to risk of human trafficking. In January 2023, Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno traveled to several countries within West Africa and the Sahel to address recent and irregular migration from these priority regions to Spain.

Spain’s August 2024 Strategy for Africa is a product of cooperation between Spanish and African governments, businesses and organizations and will include five overarching objectives and 100 courses of action to achieve them. The Strategy involves partnerships with Niger, Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau that will benefit impoverished groups in these regions.

Who Benefits? 

During the minister’s time in Guinea-Bissau, he visited the Simao Mendes National Hospital, where AECID is currently funding two projects. CIDEAL, a partner of AECID, has launched eight projects in Guinea-Bissau that provide training to vulnerable youth and support women in agriculture.

Similarly, Spain recently designated €180 million in funding to promote employment opportunities for Senegalese youth, and funded the 2024 Tierra Forme initiative to professionally train 500 young people.

Currently, Senegal is a top origin country of irregular migration to Spain, and efforts like Tierra Forme reduce the need for workers to look abroad for reliable wages. AECID’s partnerships with West Africa and the Sahel foster entrepreneurship, making vulnerable groups more resilient to disruptive life events that can cause poverty.

Strong Institutions for SDG 17 Spell Out Future Success

In summary, these recent updates on SDG 17 in Spain show how local initiatives to unify for the 17 SDGs are translating to long-standing, global solutions. While there’s much progress to be made in terms of being on track to achieve the goals by 2030, Spain’s commitment to social, ecological and economic policy for its local communities and foreign partners sheds light on a productive diplomacy that other countries can replicate.

– Isla Hansen

Isla is based in Spokane, WA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr