Why War-Affected Regions Such as Tigray Are Central to the 2030 Agenda and the 2026 High Level Political Forum
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is founded on the commitment to "leave no one behind." This pledge is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity. As the international community enters the final years before the 2030 deadline, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will depend largely on whether meaningful progress can be made in fragile and war-affected settings. War has become one of the most significant barriers to sustainable development, reversing decades of gains in health, education, gender equality, infrastructure, governance, and poverty reduction. Consequently, regions such as Tigray are not peripheral to the global development agenda—they are central to its success. The SDGs particularly selected for in-depth review during the 2026 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) from July 7-15, 2026, illustrate the interconnected nature of recovery in postwar and fragile settings. Progress toward SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sa...
