Capacity Building

Capacity building represents a fundamental approach in the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global objectives adopted by the United Nations in 2015 aimed at addressing various global challenges. The concept of capacity-building revolves around enhancing the skills, abilities, processes, and resources of individuals, communities, and institutions, enabling them to tackle a wide array of issues more effectively.

One of the most direct mentions of capacity building in the SDGs is found in Goal 17, which focuses on strengthening global partnerships to support sustainable development. Specifically, target 17.9 of this goal emphasizes the need for international support in building capacities in developing countries. This is essential for these countries to not only participate in, but also contribute meaningfully to, the global sustainable development agenda.

However, the significance of capacity building extends far beyond SDG 17. It plays a pivotal role in virtually all the other goals due to its cross-cutting nature. For instance, in SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, capacity building is crucial for empowering educators and learners. By enhancing teaching methodologies and learning environments, and providing access to necessary resources and training, capacity building directly contributes to improving the quality of education.

In the context of SDG 8, which focuses on promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, capacity building is key in equipping the workforce with the necessary skills. This includes vocational training, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship skills, which are vital in the rapidly changing labor market. Such capacity enhancement leads to better job opportunities, increased productivity, and economic growth, particularly in developing economies.

Similarly, for SDG 13, which is centered on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, capacity building is indispensable. Developing technical skills and knowledge, particularly in the area of environmental management, renewable energy technologies, and climate resilience, is crucial for both mitigating climate change and adapting to its inevitable impacts. This involves training individuals and communities, as well as strengthening institutional capabilities to develop and implement effective climate strategies.

Moreover, capacity building is instrumental in achieving other SDGs, such as SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). By empowering communities with the skills and resources they need, capacity building fosters self-reliance and enables people to address the root causes of poverty, improve health outcomes, and promote gender equality and women's empowerment.

Capacity building is not just an isolated objective within the SDGs but a fundamental strategy that underpins the entire framework. Its holistic approach ensures that efforts in one area support and reinforce progress in others, creating a more integrated and effective path towards sustainable development. It requires a concerted effort from various stakeholders, including governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, and local communities, to share knowledge, expertise, and resources. This collaborative approach is essential for building capacities that are sustainable, context-specific, and aligned with the diverse needs and challenges faced by different countries and communities.

In this brief perspective piece, a rural sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) program is described in the hopes that dissemination will lead to increased numbers of rural SANEs, increased reporting of sexual assaults in rural and underserved communities, increased prosecution rates of sexual assault perpetrators, and program sustainability through the provision of a nurse-centered approach to training and support. This article contributes SDGs 3, 5, 9, and 16.
An innovative approach towards the holistic and multidisciplinary study of the victimization of women by drug-facilitated sexual assault has been developed. This phenomenon constitutes a significant problem given the narrowing of the gender gap in drug use over the last few decades and the widespread presence of psychoactive substances worldwide. As violence against women and drug misuse intersect in this phenomenon, this intersectional nature emphasizes the need for a novel approach that enables us to go beyond the studies carried out to date.
Elsevier,

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Volume 75, October 2020

Bride burning is a distinct and continuous type of gender-based violence that jeopardizes the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for gender equality, human rights, and justice.
Each year the RELX Environmental Challenge is awarded to projects that best demonstrate how they can provide sustainable access to safe water or sanitation. In the past decade, the company has awarded $750,000 to projects and solutions that improve the world’s water quality and sanitation. This article, using innovative parallax storytelling technology, looks at the tangible impact of the RELX Environmental Challenge.
The SDG Impact of COVID-19 podcast series gathers expert opinion exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals. In this segment, we get the view of Joan Walley, Chair of the Aldersgate Group and former Labour MP.

The new 2030 sustainable development agenda is likely to dominate policy and academic debates at both national and international levels over next 15 years and beyond. It is, therefore, a crucial time to critically reflect how the SDGs are likely to shape - and be shaped by - the wider research community. Each peer-reviewed paper will address the common question of: “how is the SDG agenda influencing scholarly debates in different research areas, and vice-versa?”.

Background: Hepatitis B causes more than 800 000 deaths globally each year. Perinatal infections are a major driver of this burden but can be prevented by vaccination within 24 h of birth. Currently, only 44% of newborn babies in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) receive a timely birth dose. We investigated the effects and cost-effectiveness of implementing ambient storage of hepatitis B vaccines under a controlled temperature chain (CTC) protocol and the use of compact prefilled auto-disable (CPAD) devices for community births.
As the world of research moves towards open access, publishers have a further task – ensuring the knowledge gap between the Global North and Global South continues to close. Contributing to SDGs 10 and 17, this paper provides an evidence base supporting practical recommendations towards the equitable and inclusive shift towards open access
Background: The WHO elimination strategy for hepatitis C virus advocates scaling up screening and treatment to reduce global hepatitis C incidence by 80% by 2030, but little is known about how this reduction could be achieved and the costs of doing so. We aimed to evaluate the effects and cost of different strategies to scale up screening and treatment of hepatitis C in Pakistan and determine what is required to meet WHO elimination targets for incidence.
Furthering SDGs 5 and 10, this report aims to better understand the role gender plays in the global research enterprise and inspire evidence-based policy driven by powerful data. It examines research participation, career progression and perceptions across the European Union and 15 countries globally in 26 subject areas. The report concludes that while the participation of women in research is increasing overall, inequality remains across geographies and subject areas in terms of publication outputs, citations, awarded grants and collaborations.

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