Tonga is one of three Pacific Islands countries that has achieved over half of its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with only two countries Cook Islands and Niue achieving all of the MDGs by the end of the first 15 year plan 2000-2015.

Hon. Dr ‘Aisake Eke, Tonga's Minister for Finance and National Planning, in his keynote address for a one-day symposium, said the new UN 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form a  “Global Agenda” that will guide Tonga during the next 15 years, “focusing on economic, social and environment issues.”

At the Fa’onelua Convention Centre on 18 November, he spoke about how Tonga’s Ministry of Finance and National Planning is aligning the SDGs with Tonga’s Strategic Development Framework II 2015-2025.

The UN 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which came  into effect in September 2015, is the second master plan that the UN has introduced.

Dr Eke said that the financial requirement is substantial, and “it does involve domestic and external; tax and non tax in order to implement the SDGs.”

Budget integration

Michaela Prokop, the UNDP Regional Programme Advisor on SDGs, who spoke on the topic of "The Global and Regional Processes and Transitioning from MDGs to SDGs" stressed the importance for Tonga to start “integrating its SDGs into its budgeting process.”

She also pointed out that Tonga’s 2015-2025 Strategic Development Framework II, is a shorter period than the 2015-2030 SDGs.

The UN 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals are:

1. No Poverty – End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. No hunger – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Good Health – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning
5. Gender Equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Clean water and Sanitation – Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
7. Clean Energy – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Good Jobs and Economic Growth – Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduced Inequalities – Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities – Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Responsible Consumption – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Protect the Planet – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Life below Water - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
15. Life on Land – Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
16. Peace justice and strong institutions  - Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
17. Partnerships for the Goals – Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

The first 15-years plan, the Millennium Development Goals, was introduced in 2000 with eight goals, soon after Tonga because it became a member of the UN in 1999.

At the deadline for the MDGs, the Pacific has recorded mixed outcomes with only two countries achieving all the MDGs, Cook Islands and Niue; three countries achieving at least half of the MDGs, Fiji, Palau and Tonga; while the rest of the countries achieved less than half of the goals, with three countries not achieving any of the MDGs, Kiribati, PNG and Solomon Islands.

Tonga’s achievement record of the eight Millennium Development Goals were:

1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger. - On Target.
2. Primary Education Achieve Universal - On Target.
3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower women –On Target. (This is despite the fact that Tonga backtracked on its commitment to ratify CEDAW).
4. Reduce child Mortality –On Target.
5. Improve Maternal Health – Below target.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, TB, and non-communicable Diseases – On Target
7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability – Near Target.
8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development. Develop further an open rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system – On target. Address the special needs of small Island developing states – On target.