Global Goals: Every Achievement Counts (Section 2: Global Goals)

GLOBAL GOALS
Every Achievement Counts
Social, Economic, Environment Development

Global Goals: Every Achievement Counts (Section 2: Global Goals)
Section 2: Global Goals
“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't
assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of
the sea.” ~ Antoine de Saint Exupery
First things first.
● East Meet West
● Sustainable Development Goals
● Belt Road Initiatives
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East Meet West
At the time of writing, two global powers are leading the world towards a better future.
Though the lead organization, direction and strategies might seem different, the end
goal is the same, as they both cover the People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and
Partnership, obviously stated or not. Ironically, one of the causes was initiated by the
United Nations in 2015, started from the West, and the other one was initiated by the
Chinese government of the People's Republic of China, which happened to be a nation
from the East. Though originated from two opposite sides of the world, both great
causes should be pursued as they are for the common good.
Be it cultural based, secular system based, religious based, or a balance act of all, it is
to visualize a common target, to call for collaborative, synergized global movements
marching towards a sustainable future together. We might be seeing the Romance of
The Three Kingdoms, the modern world version happening in our time as we are writing
this book.
For those who have yet to read the book - Romance of the Three Kingdoms - it is a
14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years
towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history,
starting in 169 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280. The focus of the
novel is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han
dynasty, which would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and
Eastern Wu . If history were to repeat itself, this is the closest I could relate to on what is
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happening on a global scale now.
At the time of writing, we have quite some challenging issues facing the world. Yet, this
could be the best of time for some, and this might be the worst of time for others. We
could be writing A Tale of Western Model, Chinese Model, and Religious Model at this
period of time. When it comes to social, economic, and environmental related
development, we can roughly group it into 3 major movements:
● Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) lead by United Nations (UN)
● One Belt One Road initiatives lead by Chinese government (China)
● Religious community movement
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_of_the_Three_Kingdoms

While the one led by UN and China are pretty clear on the lead organization, direction
and strategies, we have yet to see a clear positioning and strategic planning under the
grouping of Islamic based movement, though things are happening on a silos basis, at
the time of writing (around 2019-2020).
If we take a look at South East Asia, zooming in to Malaysia, given its strategic location
out of the Ring of Fire, with blessings of no big natural disaster such as earthquakes,
and a rich cultural heritage with abundant natural resources, this beautiful country
seems to be sitting on a goldmine. If we were to enlarge the scope around the region,
Nusantara, and even the whole South East Asia is one big continent full of opportunities
with its vibrant population and multi-ethnic culture.
Will this region seamlessly adapt to all or a combination of the Western, Chinese and
Islamic model, or to be molded into any single model, or any other possible outcomes,
only time will tell. Yet, we have to better prepare ourselves to face whatever is coming,
and be wise enough to make the best out of every situation we could be dealing with.
The future will definitely not only be about digitization or the digital world by itself. How
well are we going to embrace the unknown future as we progress towards a sustainable
world? Are we? Will some day in the future when our children look back and realize that
what was quoted in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities seems to be best describe
this era of ours?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the
age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the
season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the
winter of despair.” ~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was introduced by the United Nations (UN) in
2015 to transform our world into a better place. There are currently 17 goals which
covers 5 main pillars of People, Planet, Partnership, Peace, and Prosperity. The goals
focused on solving most of the great challenges faced by human beings, all living
creatures and the planet at the moment. The purpose of the goals is to provide a guided
and meaningful direction for the world to move towards 2030, as we strive our best to
solve global challenges through our collaborative efforts by aligning our activities and
businesses to achieve the goals while contributing to social, economic, and environment
development in a positive way. There are Targets and Indicators under each goal,
where Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world
aims to track whether these Targets are achieved.
Table: The Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 1 No Poverty End poverty in all its forms everywhere
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/poverty/
Goal 2 Zero Hunger End hunger, achieve food security and improved
nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/
Goal 3 Good Health and
Well-Being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at
all ages
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/
Goal 4 Quality Education Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/
Goal 5 Gender Equality Achieve gender equality and empower all women and
girls
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equ
ality/
Goal 6 Clean Water and
Sanitation
Ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-

sanitation/
Goal 7 Affordable and
Clean Energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/
Goal 8 Decent Work and
Economic
Growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic
growth, full and productive employment and decent
work for all
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/economic-
growth/
Goal 9 Industries,
Innovation and
Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/infrastructu
re-industrialization/
Goal 10 Reduced
Inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/inequality/
Goal 11 Sustainable
Cities and
Communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/
Goal 12 Responsible
Consumption and
Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production
patterns
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable
-consumption-production/
Goal 13 Climate Action Take urgent action to combat climate change and its
impacts
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-cha
nge/
Goal 14 Life Below Water Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and
marine resources for sustainable development
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/oceans/
Goal 15 Life On Land Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable manage forests,
combat desertification, halt and reverse land
degradation, halt biodiversity loss
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/biodiversity
/
Goal 16 Peace, Justice Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for

and Strong
Institutions
sustainable development, provide access to justice for
all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/peace-justi
ce/
Goal 17 Partnerships for
The Goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize
the global partnership for sustainable development
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/globalpartn
erships/
As seen from the 17 sustainable development goals listed above, they encompass a
universal, transformative and integrated agenda that heralds an historic turning point for
our world, as stated by the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The goals that aim
to end poverty, promote prosperity and people’s well-being while protecting the
environment by 2030 has been positioned as the People’s Agenda. This is a plan of
action for ending poverty in all its dimensions, irreversibly, everywhere, leaving no one
behind. “It seeks to ensure peace and prosperity, and forge partnerships with people
and the planet at the core. The integrated, interlinked and indivisible 17 Sustainable
Development Goals are the people’s goals and demonstrate the scale, universality and
ambition of this new agenda.” 2
Stated in the preamble of the document “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development” published by the United Nations in 2015 - “All countries and
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all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are
resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want to heal and
secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which
are urgently needed to shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path. As we
embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.”4
As ambitious as it sounds, how can it be put into practise with real actions creating
impactful results having all the stakeholders strive their best to achieve the goals? A
4
Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable
%20Development%20web.pdf
3
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication
2
Consensus Reached on New Sustainable Development Agenda to be adopted by World Leaders in
September
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/08/transforming-our-world-document-adoption

monitoring and evaluation body for check and balance, complemented by a tactical,
actionable approach leveraging advanced technologies is the solution.
The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) acts as the Secretariat for the
SDGs. DSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN system wide implementation of
the 2030 Agenda and on advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs .
5
In September 2019, the UN Secretary-General called on all sectors of society to
mobilize for a decade of action to generate an unstoppable movement pushing for the
required transformations . The Decade of Action calls for accelerating sustainable
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solutions to all the world’s biggest challenges on three levels:
● global action to secure greater leadership, more resources and smarter solutions
for the Sustainable Development Goals;
● local action embedding the needed transitions in the policies, budgets,
institutions and regulatory frameworks of governments, cities and local
authorities; and
● people's actions, including by youth, civil society, the media, the private sector,
unions, academia and other stakeholders.
The 17 Goals adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 are somehow interrelated,
being a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives
and prospects of everyone, everywhere. When you support any one of the SDGs, you
support at least a few others.
On a broader scope, the SDGs can be viewed from the 3 Dimensions or 5 Pillars
perspective. The 3 dimensions are social, economic, and environment. The 5 pillars are
people, planet, partnership, peace, and prosperity. Social, economic, and environment
correspond to people, prosperity, and planet respectively. Just like how grouping works
in any other field, the dimensions or the pillars are to provide ease of understanding and
easier comprehension to the mass.
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Decade of Action
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/decade-of-action/
5
https://sdgs.un.org/about

The bottom line is sustainability, which focuses on meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs .
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3 Dimensions of SDGs
The 3 dimensions look at the goals from people (social), planet (environment), and profit
(economic) perspectives, where these development dimensions - social re-engineering,
economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability - should be given equal
focus. An outcome where people and planet co-exist harmonically, sustained by
activities that bring shared prosperity to every stakeholder.
Add in the peace and partnership factors, and we have the 5 pillars of Sustainable
Development Goals. It’s a matter of grouping and perspectives, as shown in the
diagram.
Diagram: The Sustainable Development Goals Perspectives
Dimension Pillar
Social Environment Economic
People Planet Prosperity
Peace Partnership
Note that be it the 3 dimensions or 5 pillars, they aren't fixed and should be reviewed
and dynamically adjusted as we progress. It is just a matter of grouping and the
elements involved. They are more of a generic scope, providing direction and guidelines
for stakeholders to refer and align to. Also, some adjustment to existing goals, or even
more goals might be added later, such as new ones under the Peace and Partnership
pillars. The possibility of extending the timeline from 2030 to 2050 is also there, setting
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https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sustainability.asp

the progressive milestones. One after another, just as how SDG transformed itself from
the previous Millenium Development Goals (MDG) .
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5 Pillars of Sustainable Development
Table: The 5 Pillars of Sustainable Development Goals
Pillar Description Goals
People End poverty in all forms and ensure dignity and
equality.
1,2,3,4,5
Planet Protect our planet’s natural resources and climate
for future generations.
6,12,13,14,15
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Background on the goals
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/background.html

Prosperity Ensure prosperous and fulfilling lives in harmony
with nature.
7,8,9,10,11
Peace Foster peaceful, just and inclusive society. 16
Partnership Implement the agenda through a solid global
partnership.
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Remember that the goals are interlinked. Thus there could be a few goals under each
pillar, with a variety of combinations. The goals served under each pillar for different
organizations, corporations or even individuals might be different. It is possible to have
one action covering a few pillars at the same time as well. No limit to creativity and
innovation when it comes to contribution for common good.
For instance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - an organization of 190 countries,
working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate
international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and
reduce poverty around the world - has its own defined set of goals under each pillar, a
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bit different from what is suggested here. Though the IMF is committed to the SDGs,
and its engagement on the SDGs is aligned with the five SDG pillars of people,
prosperity, planet, peace, and partnership. IMF is supporting its members in their
implementation in areas relevant to its mandate of financial stability and sustainable and
inclusive economic growth .
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People Goal 1: No Poverty
Goal 2: Zero Hunger
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Goal 4: Quality Education
Goal 5: Gender Equality
At the end of the day, it’s all about people. Fostering inclusion to end poverty and
hunger in all forms while ensuring dignity and equality will uplift the living standard of all
people on this planet as a whole.
10
https://www.imf.org/en/Topics/SDG
9
https://www.imf.org/en/About

The goals as suggested above covers at least 3 of the 6 key areas where true wealth
can be generated - Food, Energy, Education, Shelter, Healthcare, Entertainment. Out of
these, education is the most important because it empowers people with the knowledge,
skills and values they need to build a better world. It is the most powerful weapon which
you can use to change the world, as Nelson Mandela said. Ex-United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has a similar view. When people ask about his
country’s transformation from poverty to prosperity, he answered that education was the
key, without hesitation. We cannot afford to waste the talents of a generation .
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The Chinese have a saying that no matter how poor a family is, education must not be
abandoned. It doesn’t have to be a formal system. Most of the time, education just
needs a good teacher and a willing student. It doesn’t have to be big buildings with
extensive facilities. It can be as simple as two chairs and a table, or simply a floor mat.
Now, with technology, you can even put the whole school into a phone. As the meme of
a kid holding a phone in his hand saying, “They said no phone inside the school, now
the school is inside the phone!”. The key is the passing of knowledge and experience.
The legacy.
In terms of sustainability, education is the key to eliminating gender inequality, to
reducing poverty, to creating a sustainable planet, to preventing needless deaths and
illness, and to fostering peace . In this knowledge-based and sharing economy era,
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nations will be able to maintain their economic competitiveness and global prosperity
through a sound education policy and approach.
Ending challenges like extreme poverty and hunger, inclusive development will not only
require addressing the underlying complex issues of fragility, conflict, and displacement.
The looming threat of climate change must also be taken into consideration . This
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leads us to the next pillar of SDG, Planet.
13
The Sustainable Development Goals In 2019: People, Planet, Prosperity In Focus
https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/the-sustainable-development-goals-in-2019-people-planet-prosperity-in
-focus/
12
Education: The Most Powerful Weapon for Changing the World
https://blog.usaid.gov/2013/04/education-the-most-powerful-weapon/
11
Global Education First Initiative - Statement from the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
September 2012
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/gefi/about/an-initiative-of-the-sg/

Planet Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 13: Climate Action
Goal 14: Life Below Water
Goal 15: Life on Land
We don’t need a PhD to be aware that our environment is heating up gradually
compared to a few centuries ago. Polars are melting, sea level is rising. Yet the water
crisis is real where we have to deal with polluted water more than ever before. While
one area is having extreme dry heat, another side of the same planet might be facing
the challenges of flash flood, all due to the changing climate as we know it. And the list
goes on.
Mother Earth is sick and we are the cause of the problems. Rather than protecting and
preserving the natural resources, we are exploiting it like there is no tomorrow.
Take-make-waste without considering the consequences it might bring to us and our
future generations. Note that proverb which says, we do not inherit the Earth from our
ancestors: we borrow it from our children.
The irresponsible consumption of our planet’s resources must stop. Unless we are all
ready for a mass migration to other planets or become space voyagers as portrayed in
some movies, planet Earth will remain our motherland, the one and only liveable place
we have in this period of time. Engaging in climate action is the best way to protect our
planet’s natural resources for future generations. When it comes to usage of natural
resources like water, legacy forestry, minerals etc Earth produces, responsible
innovation that leads to sustainable production which is part of the circular economy will
ensure our children with a livable planet where they can safely stay.
Prosperity Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 10: Reduced Inequality
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Ensure prosperous and fulfilling lives in harmony with nature through supporting growth,
jobs and poverty reduction is crucial when it comes to economic sustainability. The key
is true wealth. The fundamentals must be strong enough to contain the huge value that
is to be created.
Let’s start with energy, as it powers the world. How we harvest natural resources and
turn them into green, renewable energy that is accessible by everyone matters. There
has got to be a transparent, fair and open mechanism for shared prosperity among
every stakeholder on this planet. Not necessary to be in terms of monetary rewards but
more on rights of access and usage for basic needs. How can we measure poverty and
thus react accordingly in order to achieve measurable shared prosperity? The World
Bank’s approach might be good guidance.
World Bank’s report titled “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: Piecing Together the
Poverty Puzzle” defined shared prosperity in terms of both absolute poverty and
inequality. Stated in the FAQ section, simply adding up the national poverty rates of
each country when we want to identify how many people in the world live in extreme
poverty would mean using a different yardstick to identify who is poor in each country.
We need a poverty line that measures poverty in all countries by the same standard .
14
Note: For more individual country poverty data, The Poverty and Equity Data Portal ,
15
which is the World Bank Group’s comprehensive source for the latest data on poverty,
inequality, and shared prosperity is one good reference.
When it comes to shared prosperity and income distribution, one of the most talked
about ideas that has quite a huge support is the concept of Universal Basic Income
(UBI). On a nation-state level, the Malaysian government has its own localised Shared
Prosperity Vision 2030 , which is a commitment to make Malaysia a nation that can
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achieve sustainable growth along with fair and equitable distribution across income
16
Shared Prosperity Vision 2030
https://www.pmo.gov.my/2019/10/shared-prosperity-vision-2030-2/
15
http://povertydata.worldbank.org
14
Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle - Frequently Asked
Questions
https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/brief/poverty-and-shared-prosperity-2018-piecing-together-the-po
verty-puzzle-frequently-asked-questions

groups, ethnicities, regions and supply chains to provide a decent standard of living for
all citizens by 2030 .
17
Prosperity is colour blind. It must not discriminate against anyone. While many of the
trials and progress show that It is possible to achieve fairer distribution of income by
making tough policy choices, it should not come at the cost of growth, private sector
mobilisation and a competitive economy .
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Through reduction of inequality, providing well planned industry and infrastructure,
where decent jobs can be offered, economic growth is given. Shared prosperity can be
achieved and sustainable cities and communities will not be just a dream. Invest in
people, because higher spending on education will not only benefit unskilled workers,
but also bring up a self-sustained workforce.
Peace Goal 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
There won’t be sustainable development without peace, and vice versa. Conflict not
only threatens human rights, but also our development gains. Evident and facts show
that conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great
threat to sustainable development .
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To work towards a better future, we need to understand how and why the world is
changing . Data tells a lot. Take a look at data shown on Our World in Data (an
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organization whose work is to make the knowledge on the big problems accessible and
understandable)’s website. Information on topics such as War and Peace, Terrorism,
Homicides, Violence Against & Rights for Children and many more will let us have a
better understanding of how it is possible to make progress against the large problems
20
https://ourworldindata.org/about
19
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/peace-justice/
18
Ideas: Tough policy choices needed for Malaysia to achieve Shared Prosperity Vision 2030
https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/ideas-tough-policy-choices-needed-malaysia-achieve-shared-pro
sperity-vision-2030
17
PM affirms commitment towards Shared Prosperity Vision 2030
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/09/30/pm-affirms-commitment-towards-shared-prosperity-v
ision-2030

we are facing. We have the expertise and resources to do much better, reducing the
suffering in the world.
Entrenched corruption is economically pernicious, undermining the ability of countries to
deliver inclusive and sustainable economic growth. International organizations and
institutions like the IMF and the World Bank can mobilize their resources, knowledge
base and experience to help countries strengthen their regulatory frameworks and
institutions in terms of tackling public fund mismanagement and corruption related
issues. The goal here is to be candid, rigorous, transparent, and evenhanded. There
should be progressively fewer dark corners left for corruption to hide as we march
towards a better future for all .
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Reduced violence and even zero conflict with well defined, good code of conduct bring
further peace. Thus, strengthening institutions and governance, tackling corruption to
foster peaceful, just and inclusive society should be highly promoted. Glocalisation is
the key, which is to promote peaceful societies at national levels, as well as peaceful
cooperation at the international level .
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Partnership Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
Inclusive partnerships is the key to a successful development agenda. Solid global
partnership will strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the goals for
sustainable development, especially when it comes to mobilizing financing and reaching
the furthest behind.
When it comes to financing the SDGs, the ability and capacity of resource mobilization
from multiple sources is crucial to reaching the goals. Besides domestic revenue
mobilization, international support to developing countries and least developed
countries can help to decrease the development gap between countries.
Taxation, as one source of financing the SDGs, specifically through international
cooperation on tax will create new opportunities while at the same time, bring new
22
Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
https://sdg-tracker.org/peace-justice
21
Shining a Bright Light into the Dark Corners of Weak Governance and
Corruptionhttps://blogs.imf.org/2018/04/22/shining-a-bright-light-into-the-dark-corners-of-weak-governanc
e-and-corruption/

challenges. Opportunities arise through tax automation that comes with a more
transparent and better resource allocation. Challenges include but are not limited to
privacy concern and policy efficiency. With the implementation of Automatic Exchange
of Information, the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project, and the strengthening of the
United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters , rest
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assured we will witness an era of unprecedented international cooperation on tax.
Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure,
can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and
income . We are looking at global supply chain and distribution channels here. Note
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that "Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable
multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the
conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda" had been made one of
the targets under Goal 17. To achieve this target, international trade and cross border
payments can be more vibrant, effective and secure leveraging the advanced
technology, coupled with relevant and up to date policies.
Policy coordination and institutional coherence will enhance global macroeconomic
stability. Global technology facilitation mechanism will increase efficiency of
multi-stakeholder collaboration. Communication among public, public-private and civil
society can be effectively channelled, thus a more optimized resource allocation and
distribution is made possible. With the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable
data, measurements of progress can be done, thus fulfilling the monitoring and
accountability of overall progress.
What next for the SDGs? As we march into the last 10 years before the due date of
2030, it will be the Decade of Delivery for SDGs, where action speaks louder than
words. The willingness of stakeholders to participate and contribute their parts
accordingly will determine the level of success 10 years down the road.
Another interesting question would be, will global partnership retain only to the SDGs
ecosystem? Obviously not, and shouldn’t be. This led us to another seemingly global
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Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/infrastructure-industrialization/
23
Platform Partners’ Statement at the Closing of the Conference on Taxation and SDGs
https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2018/02/16/pr1856-platform-for-collaboration-on-tax-first-global-conf
erence-on-taxation-and-sdgs

scale movement, initiated by China - the idea of One Belt One Road, better known as
the Belt Road Initiative.
Belt Road Initiatives
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), formerly known as One Belt One Road (OBOR), also
referred to as the New Silk Road, is the short form for the Silk Road Economic Belt and
the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road. It is a two-pronged infrastructure development over
land and maritime area. The “belt” of the BRI refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt, a
tangle of rail and highway routes currently vining their way untidily across the continent
from eastern China to Scandinavia. The “road” is the Maritime Silk Road, a shipping
lane that will connect Quanzhou to Venice, with prospective stops along the way in
Malaysia, Ethiopia and Egypt .
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The Chinese adopted this global development strategy in 2013. It is a mega
infrastructure project that involves investment and development and investment across
countries and global organizations in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The plan is to make it
easier for the world to trade with China, by funding roads, railways, pipelines, and other
infrastructure projects in countries related to the BRI .
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It is worth noting that besides the physical infrastructure, fifty special economic zones
which modeled after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone that China launched in 1980
during its economic reforms under leader Deng Xiaoping are also in the pipeline . The
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new maritime silk road, modeled after the historical route centuries ago is expected to
not only bringing tangible benefits to neighbors along the route, but also to be a new
driving force for the prosperity of the entire East Asian region .
28
28
Xi in call for building of new 'maritime silk road'
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-10/04/content_17008940.htm
27
China’s Massive Belt and Road Initiative
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-massive-belt-and-road-initiative
26
China's trillion dollar plan to dominate global trade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvXROXiIpvQ&vl=en
25
Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere Into the Center of the World Economy?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/29/magazine/china-globalization-kazakhstan.html

The target completion date of the project has been set to 2049, which coincides with the
100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Incorporated into the Constitution
of the People's Republic of China in 2017, this government led initiative in forging new
partnerships is characterized by win-win cooperation and building a community of
shared future .
29
Unlike the SDGs which has its root through the implementation of the Millenium
Development Goals (MDGs), with vast experience and skillset contribution from all
member states under the UN flag, BRI may be the most talked about yet least defined
buzzword of the decade. We have yet to see a clearer set of well defined goals like the
SDGs for BRI, thus a different set of challenges might arise in the implementation of the
project. Theoretical vagueness will translate into practical confusion when it goes to the
ground. However, confident is with China given its successful rose from an
impoverished communist country to a capitalist superpower on the strength of its
pragmatism and adaptability - the two qualities most needed in such a turbulent time.
30
While tools like progress monitoring systems are still being developed for the BRI, aids
analysis of BRI by showing how it has changed countries’ bilateral economic
relationships with China over time has been made available by the Council on Foreign
Relations (CFR). The CFR Belt and Road Tracker, which focuses on three Belt and
Road indicators - imports from China, foreign direct investment (FDI) from China, and
external debt to China - for participant countries shows how the BRI has changed
countries’ bilateral economic relationships with China over time . Compared to most
31
SDGs dashboards, it seems more like an economic indicator tool than a mere progress
monitoring tool for goal achievement. However, since the initial focus for BRI had been
positioned to economic and trade related matters, it makes sense to have the three
indicators being the baseline of the analysis.
A stable and strong Chinese government will keep the BRI progress well and refined
over time. At the 2019 Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China’s President Xi Jinping
said the Belt and Road initiative aims exactly to bring about a community with a shared
31
Belt and Road Tracker
https://www.cfr.org/article/belt-and-road-tracker
30
Demystifying Belt and Road - The Struggle to Define China’s “Project of the Century”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2019-05-22/demystifying-belt-and-road
29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative

future for mankind. Quoted from Xinhua report , the targets and goals for the future
32
development of BRI include:
- Uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared
benefits,
- Open, green and clean approaches, and
- High standard, livelihood improving and sustainable development.
The Chinese approach in global goals setting might seems to have that touching stones
to cross the river philosophy, things are progressing and calibration is being done
33
along the way. Act in spite of uncertainty is a total opposite of what the SDGs have with
17 clearly defined goals that come with respective targets and indicators.
The Third Force
As stated, besides the Western world initiated SDGs led by the UN and other global
agencies such as IMF and the World Bank, the other similar movements by the Chinese
government under the BRI flagships and upcoming forces that could be positioning
themselves based on religion or other ideologies are poised to give the world some
directions steering towards the future. Most religions and widely adopted ideologies
share the common value for global good, such as caring, loving, mutual respect etc.
The problems lie within bad actors who try to exploit these to gain self interest. People’s
level of understanding and their ability to relate will protect them from intentional
manipulation .
34
It's more than just social, economics and environmental issues. International scale
projects or movements will hardly go without controversies, both foreign and domestic.
To truly understand the global scenes and trends shaping our world we need a
big-picture view.
34
The Power to Relate
http://socialenterpriseguide.com/the-power-to-relate/
33
The China Puzzle: “Touching Stones to Cross The River”
https://public.wsu.edu/~hallagan/EconS391/weeks/week4/chinapuzzle.pdf
32
Xinhua Special: Xi Jinping at the Belt and Road Forum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BjO9Ig2R4Q

Neither public nor private sector can achieve the goals alone. Be it the SDGs or the
BRI, or any global scale goals, they can only be realized with strong global partnerships
and cooperation. As what had been stated in Goal 17 of the SDGs - Partnership for
Success, a successful development agenda requires inclusive partnerships — at the
global, regional, national and local levels — built upon principles and values, and upon
a shared vision and shared goals placing people and the planet at the centre .
35
How do we put these into practise? Glocalisation and Factivism hold the keys.
Public-Private-People Partnerships that involve all the stakeholders must be put in place
strategically. It can be a top down approach, where we start from a global perspective
and zoom down to a local approach, or vice versa.
Glocalisation
What does it take to enable lasting impact in the world, such that millions of people
experience meaningful improvements in their lives and communities? A global
philanthropic collaborative supporting locally-rooted coalitions working to achieve impact
at scale. For instance, take what Co-Impact, a global collaborative on systems change,
is working on in the Global South . This global model for collaborative philanthropy and
36
social change at scale where the Rockefeller Foundation is a core partner is the
outcome of learned experience - in philanthropy, the private sector, government, and
non-profit global development work, the biggest problems require big partnerships .
37
As the saying goes - the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,
strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for
sustainable development can be a locally initiated movement. While we have seen
many success cases led by international organizations, we do not lack similar, smaller,
and localized movements that are contributing to the betterment of the societies.
For instance, Super Panda Team that started as a media project promoting filial piety
through the Declining Years book publication and other complementing activities. The
books are being distributed to schools strategically so that the idea of better treating the
silver age community will be planted during the early age of a generation, thus reducing
37
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/co-impact/
36
https://www.co-impact.org/
35
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/globalpartnerships

the possibilities of parents being sent to old folks home or worse, abandoned when
things get worse later in life.
Another example is the 448 Food Bank initiatives, where it began with a concept by
38
volunteering 4 hours a month and thus 48 hours a year to help the community in need.
The focus of 448 Food Bank is on food distribution, where the volunteers provide timely
help for families who lost income out of sudden, giving them a window period to resume
self-sustain ability.
Though both examples given share the similarity of serving the grass root level of the
society on a volunteering basis, one tends to try to fix the root of the problems while
another is more on immediate rescue to the needy group, for what their core
competency is and where their focus is on.
Both had started small, yet created the ripple effect enough to serve a substantial
number of local less fortunate people. Aligning these social works on a silos basis to the
global goals through a systematic approach will give us a clearer picture on how society
is doing and where the challenges are to be overcomed, supported by facts and figures.
This leads us to the next discussion point, factivism.
Factivism
To make a change in our world, we need to understand what’s happening. How good
are we doing? How far away are we from the goals? Where are the rooms for
improvement? To answer that with substance, we need accurate and up-to-date
information.39
Bono, the U2 singer declared his support for evidence-based action at a TED talk in
pursuit of an end to global poverty back in 2013 . According to Urban Dictionary, the
40
word "factivist" means activists campaigning to bring about a social or political change
40
'Factivism' for every field: why Bono is right to want more data and evidence
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/28/bono-ted-talk-facktivist-is-way-forward
39
https://factivism.globalgoals.org/
38
https://www.foodbank448.org/

based largely upon factual evidence . In short, a factivist is an "evidence-based
41
activist" in pursuit of a good cause.
For instance, to achieve SDG 2, ending hunger, a global hunger monitoring system42
that tracks and predicts hunger in near-real time and covers as many countries as
possible will be a handy tool. The HungerMapLIVE developed by The World Food
Programme (WFP) is one of such tools . Dashboard-like presentation of a specific
43
issue will make things clearer and easier to comprehend. Countries will be able to take
immediate action to keep trade flowing, to strengthen food supply chains and to
increase agricultural production. Thus, progressively eradicating hunger and achieving
food security.
While we don’t lack the common goals and tools to make things happen, how do we put
things into perspective, systematically so as check and balance can be done, thus keep
refining the process as we progress? Let’s take social work development as an
example. What is the real impact of social works? Had resources being distributed
effectively and fairly? If there is room for improvement, how can we do better?
Generally, charitable or giving back to society alike work such as Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) activities will involve three parties, the beneficiary, the contributor,
and the volunteer. Beneficiary is the one receiving the aid or help. Contributor is the one
who comes out with a resource or monetary donation. Volunteer can be a person or an
organizational entity managing the resource allocation, matching the Contributor’s
resources to the Beneficiary.
The common pain points for these entity are nonetheless:
● Beneficiary - What has been received might not be what is needed, even not
timely.
● Contributor - What happened to the money or goods I donated? Had it been put
into good use?
● Volunteer - Am I helping the right people? What had been done throughout the
years?
43
https://hungermap.wfp.org/
42
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8946bbc4090749c2aa1b6c1c80999bc6/page/page_13/?views=
view_27%2Cview_15
41
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Factivists

Effective resource allocation through a transparent, auditable system leveraging
emerging technologies is the answer to solving above mentioned challenges these
entities are facing. Imagine a perfect scenario where real impact is created through
effective resource matching, which we will dig further into under the Social Enterprise
section. For now, let’s look at it from the above mentioned entities’ perspective.
Beneficiaries are able to receive aid or help in a timely manner. For contributors, they
have a better picture of how the money or goods donated being allocated as
transparency is being provided through an open system. For volunteers, not only
effectiveness of services rendered can be increased, but the works and services being
done can be systematically and properly logged. In short, transparency leads to better
check and balance thus accountability of the ecosystem.
A consensus for transparency, accountability, efficiency, and even impact can be put in
place for the stakeholders under the ecosystem. All these can be made possible
through technology. But technology is not the only answer. A mission-driven company
will have to understand the societal problems of today and determine when they can be
solved by technology and when they require something more entirely .
44
The key is to create that Proof of Contribution mechanism. Stakeholders such as the
contributor, volunteer, and beneficiary will communicate effectively under a roof system.
Digitally logged and analysed for improvement as the community progresses. An AI
driven, Blockchain based Cognitive resource management system powered by Data,
ethically.
Table: The lenses and solutions for social development
Lenses Solutions
Transparency Openness. Public ledger.
Efficiency Timely community and location based
services.
Accountability Service and resource allocation log.
44
Mission-driven cryptocurrency requires an active commitment to equity
https://cointelegraph.com/news/mission-driven-cryptocurrency-requires-an-active-commitment-to-equity

Impact Key performance indexes and data
dashboard.
Analytics Data processing for predictive and
prescriptive analytics.
We have seen how glocalization can be done both ways, either the top down or bottom
up approach. The key is a global mindset with a localized approach. The world is
moving towards global citizenship alike setup, as people start to understand we are all
connected in a way or another. The butterfly effect, which stated that the sensitive
dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic
nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state, holds some truth in it.
The spread of pandemic in 2020 showed that viruses know no nation-state boundaries.
Cause and consequences.
All roads lead to Rome. Be it a simple act of kindness such as food donation and a
helping hand in critical time, to a larger cause like school the unschool and even bank
the unbanked, to the end goal of eliminating poverty and hunger etc, the principle
should be the same - to build a smart, secure, and sustainable future for all.
Smart, Secure, and Sustainable Future
What makes a city smart, secure, and sustainable? To answer this, we need to first
understand what does produce true wealth. Generally, there are six key areas where
true wealth is produced, namely food, energy, education, shelter, healthcare, and
entertainment. When a city is smart, resources can be allocated and distributed in an
optimized way for most productive and effective use. A smart city provides basic
security in terms of food, environment, and matters concerning the survival and
livelihood of the community. A city that is smarter and more secure will be more
sustainable when compared to other cities that don’t optimise resource usage.

Whether cities are prepared for the next crisis will depend on how much they can
advance data-driven inclusive and sustainable urban development .
45
As what Cecilia Skingsley, First Deputy Governor of Riksbank, the central bank of
Sweden mentioned in an Oct. 19 panel during DC Fintech Week 2020, a digital
conference on the governmental side of the financial technology sector called: Central
Banks, CBDCs and Cryptoeconomics , "The challenge is not so much technology in
46
itself, but it's more about — we have to choose what sort of policy objectives we want to
focus on, what is the problem we want to solve. Depending on what that is, and the
purposes we want to serve, then you choose the technology after that." J. Christopher
Giancarlo, former U.S. CFTC chairman had a similar viewpoint as he said during the
panel, “What matters is, which central bank successfully incorporates its societal values
in the successful development of CBDC."47
47
Leaders of global CBDC projects talk shop in panel today
https://cointelegraph.com/news/leaders-of-global-cbdc-projects-talk-shop-in-panel-today
46
https://www.dcfintechweek.org/agenda/
45
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8946bbc4090749c2aa1b6c1c80999bc6/page/page_21/?views=
view_27%2Cview_15

Resilient Cities
Smart city as a digital tool or technology strategy in achieving or assisting the
achievement of Sustainable Development Goals is a common narrative used by many
of the Malaysian governments' high level documents. This include the top-down plan of
the 11th Malaysia Plan (or 11MP) (2016–2020); National Physical Plan 3; National
Urbanisation Policy 2; Vision 2020; Green Technology Master Plan 2017–2030; Low
Carbon Cities Framework; and even the global agenda such as the New Urban Agenda
and the UN Habitat (Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Cities 2030).48
What makes a city “smart”? While definitions of smart city might vary from different
perspectives, it doesn’t run too far away from a city that is supposingly “smart”, secure,
and sustainable. While secure and sustainable might be pretty straightforward to be
understood, “smart” is quite debatable and wider in scope.
“A city well performing in a forward-looking way in economy, people, governance,
mobility, environment, and living, built on the smart combination of endowments and
activities of self-decisive, independent and aware citizens.” ~ (Giffinger et al., 2007)
“Cities that use ICT and technological advancement to address urban issues including
to improve quality of life, promote economic growth, develop sustainable and safe
environments and encourage efficient urban management practices.” ~ Malaysia Smart
City Framework (MSCF)49
Combined above two definitions of smart city, we have a common ground for people,
process, and technology.
49
Executive Summary, Malaysia Smart City Framework 2018
https://www.kpkt.gov.my/resources/index/user_1/GALERI/PDF_PENERBITAN/FRAMEWORK/FRAMEWO
RK_SMART_CITY_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf
48
Malaysia Smart City Framework: A Trusted Framework for Shaping Smart Malaysian Citizenship?
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343523311_Malaysia_Smart_City_Framework_A_Trusted_Fram
ework_for_Shaping_Smart_Malaysian_Citizenship

With advancement of technology, the future of work will definitely be very different from
what it is today. Many of today’s jobs will be gone, replaced by new job posts that we
might not even have thought of. Just as how Youtubers, Instagrammers etc could have
never been imagined by most of the people back in the 70s and 80s, during the early
days of the computer system and the initial formation of the internet as we know it
today.
The pandemic of 2020 has made people realize that though we are in the same strom,
not everyone is on the same boat. How do we make a social safety net big enough to
include everyone heading towards the same goal? Universal Basic Income (UBI) is one
of the main ideas that has the potential to ensure the basic survival needs of everybody.
Inclusivity - the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and
resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized- had been made
possible with emerging technologies, such as blockchain and AI.
Talking about financial inclusion, it won’t be better without digital inclusion that comes
with adequate education. Digital transformation is bringing everybody into the virtual
realm. Digital inclusion is a crucial part to onboard everyone and thus empower them
accordingly. People, process, technology. People come first, process facilitates,
technology being the enabler.
A city that is more resilient to physical, social, and economic shocks and stresses will be
better off as uncertainties become a growing part of the 21st century.
By capitalising on the efficiencies blockchain will bring to the world of identity and
credentials, the biggest beneficiaries look set to be the public administration, education
and healthcare sectors .
50
50
Time for trust: The trillion-dollar reasons to rethink blockchain
https://image.uk.info.pwc.com/lib/fe31117075640475701c74/m/2/434c46d2-a889-4fed-a030-c52964c71a
64.pdf

Tokenizing Real Estates
Future Cities: Digital Assets and Tokenization
What we have now is truly borderless, programmable money backed by immutable
computer systems based on pure logic & mathematics.
Tokenization is the process by which the real asset value of the property is represented
digitally on the blockchain in token form.
What problem is Tokenization trying to solve? Fractional ownership and Liquidity, some
overpriced and oversupply issues perhaps.
How? Create and mobilize new forms of capitals.
Challenges? Trust. Circulation. Legal.
Bringing Down Borders
If I were to develop a city, and I issue a token which has these 4 characteristic or
functions:
1) Security
Token holders entitled to earn certain income or profit sharing for x number of tokens
hold over y amount of time.
2) Privileges
For upcoming or in-house projects, token holders are entitled to special price or
privileges.
3) Utility
Token holders can use their token to pay for services or products under an internal
environment, such as inter-city spendings.
4) Currency
This token is acceptable by other cities or entities other than the issuer.
Now, tell me what breed of “money” shall we identify this token?

The key is programmable money. Money is an idea. We could have this term Cryptoken,
a combination of cryptocurrencies and tokenization, as technology brings down borders.
It is good that we have the direction of coming up with a technical and policy framework
for programmable money first.
Implementation wise, it is do-able technically due to its programmable nature.
Take the analogy of a simplified illustration of daily life of a working male adult:
Early morning as he steps into the office, he will play the role as an employee of the
company, where his action will be bound by company rules and (common) work culture.
After office hours, as he transits back from company to home, he would be bound by
social etiquette and city rules along the way.
At home, he could be playing the role of a husband, and a father to his children, where
family values play the major factor defining the activities he could be carrying.
Condition of a situation may define the role and characteristic of an entity, thus resulting
in the activities and produce the consequences.
Quantum elements exist in the thought process.
Chapter Summary
Though the idea of bringing about a community with a shared future may not be
something new, it is still the right practise and the right way to go. Be it originated from
West or East or any part of the world, the leadership characteristic and quality must be
there to bring our civilization to another level. Having said, no double standard, to lead
by example, to walk the talk etc, just to name a few.
Shared common future has to be on the basis of doing things together. Joint forces
nature leads us towards solving global issues on a common ground. This cannot be
done by a single country separately. The world is connected naturally and not
segregated by geopolitical boundaries, which is man made.

Experience sharing, knowledge exchange, progress monitoring from a global
perspective with localised flavour for more targeted reaction in responding to social,
economic, and environmental challenges will accelerate the achievement towards
reaching the goals. While the World Economic Forum started The Great Reset initiative
amid the pandemic in 2020 to improve the state of the world , are we to follow the path
51
of The Great Lockdown -> The Great Awareness -> The Great Reset -> New World
Order remains an open end at the time of writing. A thing for sure is we all want a better
and sustainable future, not only for ourselves but generations to come. For the survival
and thriving of mankind.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. A purpose driven journey with
a clear direction and goals will increase the chances of success. Clarity leads to power.
● Make things happen - draft the blueprint framework, make a prototype, proceed
with development and growth.
● Get things done - deliver minimum viable product, proof-of-concepts.
● Only results matter - not only action speaks louder than words, fact based results
supported by real numbers with substance counts.
Glocalization and factivism are two, out of many possible methods of achieving the
goals. Two ways communication, be it local parties adapt to global movement or
factivism moved by local initiatives towards global scale through ripple effects. Stand
firm local, expand global. Think global, act local. Just like you don’t clean up the streets
if you can’t even tidy up your house.
Goals without a plan will be just wishes. Dream of a better world without actualizing it
remains a fantasy. Secret to success is to start something somewhere, somehow once
the goals are set. As strong as we believe that there has never been a problem with the
resources and that the problems lie within distribution, the same goes to actualizing the
goals - there has never been a problem with the know-how, the problems lie within all
that is needed to succeed - strong will, clear direction, and determined execution.
51
https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/

Our Team (Authors)
Koh How Tze
Experienced in ICT system development and
integration, and digital media landscape. Currently a
business strategist specialized in digital transformation
related consultation, serving clients from governmental
organizations, MNCs and SMEs.
LinkedIn | Facebook
Joyline Chai
Actively involved in community and social services,
Malaysia’s SDG Pioneer, with a business background
specialized in Property Management Services,
Corporate Training, and Corporate Branding &
Marketing Consultancy.
LinkedIn | Facebook
Razleena Rindu
She combined both her passion in street selling and
addiction in exploring into the internet world, which led
her to E-commerce since 2005. In addition, she also
loves to educate people into going digital from learning
new languages and to share her spontaneous
marketing strategies.

This book is part of the development blueprint for a technology driven social impact
project. For further info or collaboration possibilities, kindly get in touch with us at
projectdecacorn@gmail.com or visit any of our web portal here:
http://www.thesdgs2030.com http://www.socialcapital.asia http://www.socialenterpriseguide.com

Further Readings:
Global Goals: Every Achievement Counts (Section 1: Sustainable Development)
https://www.slideshare.net/howtze/global-goals-every-achievement-counts-section-1-sustainabl
e-development
Global Goals: Every Achievement Counts | Content Structure Preview & Briefing
https://www.slideshare.net/howtze/global-goals-every-achievement-counts-content-structure-pre
view-briefing
Global Goals: 5 pillars of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
https://www.slideshare.net/howtze/global-goals-5-pillars-of-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs
Reinventing Capitalism In The Age of Big Data (Reading Notes)
https://www.slideshare.net/howtze/reinventing-capitalism-in-the-age-of-big-data-reading-notes

Global Goals: Every Achievement Counts (Section 2: Global Goals)

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