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96 I Gábor Szabó and Szabolcs Diósi
as no surprise since Europe is among the few regions around the world
where poverty and inegualities are relatively low, and access to health care
and treatment is almost universal.
Over the past five years, most EU countries have been able to achieve
further progress in areas where they were already in a leading position. For
instance, the Union - being a global leader in education - still manages to
improve its SDG4 results every year.’ Since Member States recognise that
quality education is one ofthe key drivers for a prosperous and sustainable
future, they effectively foster the critical areas of the education agenda (e.g.
quality education in early childhood, promotion of work-based adult learning,
lifelong learning programmes, or digital competences).
Ihe Member States are also more and more committed to advancing
the education agenda in a more global sense. They promote equal access to
learning opportunities for adolescents living in other countries." France,
for instance, invested around 1.5 million euros over the 2016-2018 period
in different educational programmes in Cameroon, Senegal, and Togo. Or,
in the context of EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative, Hungary is funding an
extended scholarship programme called Stipendium Hungaricum, which
provides opportunity for thousands of students from developing countries
to enrol in Hungarian universities.
However, in terms of global leadership and active SDG diplomacy, the EU’s
real dominant position can be found in connection to the 16" Sustainable
Development Goal (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Since the signing
of the Paris Treaty in 1951, European integration has served as the most
successful peace project in recorded history. Through close supranational
cooperation, it has created unprecedented wealth, high social standards, and
unparalleled opportunities for the people inside its borders.
In contrast to this, many countries continue to face armed conflicts and
violence across the world, and billions of people suffer from weak institutions,
lack of access to justice, and breaches of fundamental freedoms. The principles
of the EU’s SDG-related global policies are deeply rooted in the belief in
universal human rights and the respect for the rule of law. The Union is
directed by those values when attempting to help other countries achieve
the 16th Sustainable Development Goal (e.g. to establish accountable and
transparent institutions, including independent and impartial judicial systems;
promote the rule of law; ensure free and fair elections, etc.).
Despite the many successes, however, even EU Member States are facing
great challenges in achieving all the established SDGs. As a matter of fact,
all EU countries are still lagging behind in attaining all the 17 Sustainable
° The 4" SDG is Quality Education, which aims to ensure access to equitable and quality
education through all stages of life.
It is crucial to launch similar education initiatives, as today around 58 per cent of children
and adolescents worldwide (approximately 617 million people) are not achieving minimum
proficiency in reading and mathematics (United Nations 2018, 6-7).