BARRY Abdoulaye Sadio 
Barrysadio370@gmail.com
Tel: 00224 623 15 20 90
Introduction
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who're furthest behind. The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls. The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.

To this end, many world powers and members of the United Nations like Russia join efforts through educational projects, business and technology partnerships to achieve these sustainable development goals in a number of developing countries, particularly in Africa.
In fact, the African continent is by far the most exposed to the dangers and uncertainties of the future.

The condition of schools and school infrastructure, their equipment, teacher hiring, pre-service and in-service teacher education, teachers’ living and working conditions, the content of school curricula, definition of education objectives, the size of the education budget, alignment of the education system with local and labor market needs, etc. are some of the fundamental parameters that determine the quality of education in any country.

In line with the Education 2030 agenda which is part of the 17 SDGs, Russia provides scholarships in engineering, medicine and technology to more than 3,000 students annually under its program run by Rossotrudnichestvo, Russia’s federal humanitarian cooperation agency. African students study in Moscow at the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, known as RUDN, which cooperates with universities across Africa, like the University of Nairobi, which is an excellent illustration.
As for SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being, Russia is well aware of the dire lack of healthcare infrastructure and medications as well as of more than 100 severe public health events hitting Africa every year according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and it never hesitates to respond effectively, helping with disease surveillance, first-line responder training, emergency medical kits and other essential equipment, and monitoring epidemiological trends.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia provided its Sputnik V vaccines to Guinea, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. Russia has also sent its experts to reinforce the efforts to combat Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Apart from this key SDG, climate change is nowadays the central issue and the major concern for the entire world. Tipping the natural equilibriums of temperature, water cycle, sea and air currents, climate change is responsible for profound environmental shifts. Its immediate consequences include the increased frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather conditions (floods, storms, cyclones, heatwaves, droughts and wildfires).

Some longer-term effects are also visible, such as melting ice and rising sea levels, progressing coastal erosion, desertification, dwindling resources, disruption of ecosystems and extinction of some species.
Whereas these effects can vary widely from one region to another, Africa appears to be one of the worst affected. It is important to remember, though, that climate change impacts the entire planet and these processes will intensify in the coming decades.

To address this alarming situation, Russia has promoted projects to protect water resources and forests in keeping with SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation. In 2022, Russia signed an agreement with the Republic of Congo to implement a sustainable rainforest management project in the Congo Basin (often referred to as the Earth’s second lung) that includes satellite monitoring. Besides, Russia encourages its companies that have international presence to create climate partnerships with developing countries, similar to the Climate Partnership of Russia, an association of Russian leading companies dedicated to mitigating the environmental impact of human activity and combating climate change. Since its inception in November 2015, over 30 Russian companies have joined the initiative. Its members participate regularly in UN climate conferences, while also contributing substantially to the climate agenda at home as the Partnership is the only business organization in Russia with a climate focus.

In terms of economic and energy cooperation, Russia is promoting nuclear energy as a low-carbon solution for Africa. For example, Russia’s Rosatom State Corporation has signed agreements with Egypt and Rwanda for the following projects:
Egypt: construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant consisting of 4 reactors with a combined capacity of 4.8 GW scheduled to be completed by 2030.
Rwanda: the 2023 agreement to create a Nuclear R&D and Training Center.

All these projects aim to meet the countries’ energy needs (SDG 7) and reduce carbon emissions.
Contributing to SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, are Russian mining majors like Alrosa (diamonds) and Rusal (aluminum) that operate in Angola, Guinea and the DRC. Revenues generated by their operations provide economic, environmental and social benefits, substantially reducing poverty in those countries. Some companies, like Alrosa in Angola, adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to fund local schools and hospitals.

As for reducing poverty and providing food security (SDG 1 and 2), Russia supplies 30% of wheat imported by Africa, namely to Egypt, Soudan and Nigeria, contributing to stable food prices.
However, reinforcement of SDG implementation requires an integrated approach involving governments, the private sector, civil society and citizens. Therefore, Russia, like other global powers, needs to establish its own organization for managing SDG initiatives and volunteers with capability to coordinate its activities for SDG delivery. To do so, this organization should engage with African states on the central and local government levels to promote integration of the SDGs into national and local strategies, then proceed to ensure efficient coordination between ministries and stakeholders, and, finally, follow up with establishing transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

In terms of financing and partnerships, its role will be to help mobilize innovative financing, encourage private investment and public-private partnerships, strengthen international cooperation for the transfer of technologies and resources, provide assistance with innovation and technologies, promote the development of sustainable technological solutions (renewables, smart farming, etc.), accelerate the digital transition for inclusive development, and support research and development to meet environmental and social challenges.

With regard to education, building on what Russia is already contributing with its thousands of scholarships, this organization will advocate the integration of SDGs into school and university curricula, arrange public awareness sessions on the importance of sustainable development, and run pilot programs to promote civic and youth engagement.

As for the economic and local development, the key actions should be to promote sustainable business models (circular economy, sustainable agriculture, etc.), strengthen the empowerment of local communities, and encourage responsible consumption and waste reduction.

Regarding the climate and environmental action, this organization will work with governments promoting ambitious policies to reduce CO2 emissions, protect biodiversity and restore ecosystems by adopting sustainable good practices in urban planning and natural resource management.

With respect to justice and social inclusion, it will champion further efforts to reduce inequalities by guaranteeing access to basic services (education, health and drinking water), by promoting gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable groups, and advocating and encouraging the strengthening of workers' rights, and the development of social and solidarity economy.
Thus, by adopting and implementing these proposals for solutions, Russia will continue to maintain its prime position and demonstrate its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Conclusion
To conclude, it must be noted that with catastrophic situations facing today’s world, Russia not only contributes to SDGs within the UN framework, but also develops and implements its own projects, helping to address global issues within the African continent and developing specific energy, education and security solutions that can be used to achieve SDGs beyond Africa as well.