Oldal 98 [98]
OCR
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).
