Abstract

This study assessed the performance of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) regional states regarding their respective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It examines the successes, challenges, and alignments to national policies and development plan to meet the 2030 agenda and suggested recommendations for accelerating the implementation of the SDGs. This study is a pursuit against the background of the negative impacts of COVID-19. The region is trying its best, but many gaps and limitations to their efforts still stand in their way. This study proposed concrete recommendations to inform policy design and strengthen partnerships between the governments and donors in ensuring that the GHA gets back on track regarding meeting the 2030 Global Agenda.   The region's countries fall among the world's poorest countries, save for Kenya, which is becoming a middle-income country. The Greater Horn of Africa is home to eight countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, and South Sudan. They are pursuing implementing their country's development plans, 2030 Visions, IGAD strategic regional objectives, and the A.U. Agenda 2063, in line with their commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This study analyzed the voluntary national reviews of five countries and their national development plans and other reports produced by independent agencies, institutions, and scholars to assess the level of progress, challenges, and breakthroughs as far as the global goals of the 2030 agenda are concerned. GHA is lagging and off-track as far as poverty and hunger eradication is concerned. To make it worse, most of its population still lives below the poverty line, struggling daily to make ends meet. This is because of many underlying causes, including leadership deficiency, the absence of strong institutions, and low production levels. However, job creation is failing to raise the living standards due to low family disposable incomes due to unemployment.

Key words: Sustainable development, off-track, agenda 2030, A.U agenda 2063, low-income countries, lower-middle-income countries.