Latest news with #SDR2025
AllAfrica
a day ago
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Can Asia lead a fractured and shifting world?
In a time when global trust is unravelling and crises overlap like fault lines, the world feels like a house with its foundations shifting. Climate change is accelerating faster than anticipated. Inequality is deepening. The international order is filled with noise but devoid of direction. Wars have returned to Europe and the Middle East. Major powers are polarizing internally, and solidarity between nations is losing its meaning. And yet, in the midst of this global turbulence, one region is quietly moving in the opposite direction: Asia. According to the Sustainable Development Report 2025, East and South Asia have recorded the fastest progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2015. Driven by rapid gains in poverty reduction, education and public health, the region now stands at the forefront of global SDG momentum. But this progress is emerging within a broken world. The war in Ukraine, ongoing conflict in Gaza, rising protectionism, and a breakdown in global financial fairness have disrupted supply chains, inflated food and energy prices, and forced many developing countries to choose between debt repayment and feeding their populations. The United States and Europe, preoccupied with domestic priorities and regional security, have stepped back from the role of global development champions. As the SDR 2025 warns, 'international spillovers and exposure to supply-chain disruptions' have become a defining threat to SDG progress, especially in conflict zones or economies under sanctions. The consequences are stark: globally, only around 17% of SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030. The rest are stagnating or regressing. This is not due to a lack of capacity or knowledge, but because of a crisis of solidarity, a collapse of financing and growing geopolitical instability. The Middle East and Eastern Europe are among the worst affected, showing sharp declines across key goals like SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). When development becomes collateral damage of political warfare, the world loses its shared compass. In contrast, East and South Asia stand as a counter-current. Countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam and even Uzbekistan have shown remarkable SDG momentum—reducing extreme poverty, expanding basic education, strengthening health systems, and investing in social protection. These aren't perfect stories, but they are real ones. They prove that transformation is possible—even amid fiscal constraints and global chaos. In a world coming apart at the seams, Asia is holding the thread. Indonesia, at the heart of this rising tide, occupies a unique position. Its SDG Index rank in 2025 stands at 77 out of 167—not top-tier, but steady. Not spectacular, but consistent. More importantly, Indonesia has consistently submitted its Voluntary National Reviews, showing institutional commitment to sustainable development. As a G20 member and the largest democracy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has the moral and strategic legitimacy to bridge the global divide—between developed and developing nations, between ambition and accountability. But leadership does not happen by default. It must be shaped. Not by economic numbers alone, but by the ability to offer direction. The world today is not short on technology or capital—it's short on compass. In the absence of credible global leadership, what's needed is not dominance, but direction. And that is where Asia's opportunity lies. Asia carries with it a deep memory of pain and resilience. Its past includes colonial wounds, mass poverty, natural disasters, and economic crises. But that history has given rise to a muscle of survival that is now evolving into a vision for transformation. Asia knows how to grow without waiting to be saved. Its cultures of collectivism, its internal diversity, and its experience navigating crisis without losing hope—these are not weaknesses. They are the very foundation of a different kind of leadership: one that is grounded rather than arrogant, inclusive rather than imposing. Yet, Asia's rise is not without its own dangers. Geopolitical tensions within the region—over the South China Sea, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula—threaten the very stability it has worked hard to preserve. The global conflicts it has so far weathered from a distance may begin to spill over. If Asia wants to lead a fractured world, it must first preserve peace in its own neighborhood. That means strengthening regional solidarity, reforming domestic financial systems, and investing in green transitions and social equity. Without these, momentum could turn to fragility. Indonesia again stands as a compelling example. Not because it has solved all problems, but because of where it stands: a democracy with scale, a regional influencer with credibility, and a cultural bridge that speaks to both the Global South and the world's economic powers. In a time when multilateralism is losing breath, Indonesia could help reimagine it—not through ideology, but through integrity. Five years remain until 2030. The window for meaningful global change is narrowing. And as traditional centers of influence turn inward, the world is looking elsewhere for guidance. It is not enough for Asia to rise economically. The question is whether it can rise with purpose. Whether it can offer not just speed, but direction. Not just hope, but action. Leadership today is not about controlling others. It's about holding space—space for cooperation, for healing, for shared futures. Asia may not have sought this moment. But the moment has arrived nonetheless. A vacuum of global guidance is dangerous. But it is also a rare opportunity—for a region that has long been underestimated to now step forward, not with triumphalism, but with vision. Asia is rising. But the world is not waiting. The question, then, is no longer whether Asia will be ready to lead. It is whether Asia will be willing—willing to be the voice of direction in a world that is asking, more urgently than ever: Who still knows where we're going? Setyo Budiantoro is sustainable development expert at The Prakarsa, MIT Sloan IDEAS fellow, advisory committee member of Fair Finance Asia and SDGs–ESG expert at Indonesian ESG Professional Association (IEPA).
Focus Malaysia
4 days ago
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
SDR 2025 and Malaysia: Adapting to the new defence landscape
THE release of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 marks a pivotal moment in the United Kingdom's (UK) military and strategic recalibration. It outlines a vision of a more agile, AI-enabled, and technologically dominant force, prepared for high-intensity conflicts and grey-zone threats alike. It doubles down on NATO leadership, increases readiness postures, and makes heavy commitments to defence industrial growth, innovation, and autonomy. For Malaysia, while the geostrategic theatre differs significantly from Europe, the undercurrents of SDR 2025 are deeply relevant. The Indo-Pacific is undergoing its own transformation: rising great power competition, cyber threats, grey-zone coercion, and the militarisation of disputed maritime areas particularly in the South China Sea. As such, the SDR 2025 offers critical lessons for Malaysia to consider, both in structure and substance. Increased readiness and force modernisation The UK's focus on 'readiness at scale' centres on enhancing the ability to rapidly deploy forces, shorten mobilisation timelines, and maintain equipment and personnel at a high level of combat preparedness. This strategic shift is supported by significant investments in logistics resilience, rapid deployment infrastructure, and a more capable reserve force, enabling the UK to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging threats across multiple domains. In contrast, Malaysia's current defence posture remains primarily oriented toward peacetime deterrence, border security, and internal stability. This traditional approach is increasingly insufficient given the growing complexity of regional security dynamics, particularly in the maritime domain and the broader Indo-Pacific theatre. To meet these evolving challenges, Malaysia must undertake a substantial recalibration of its force readiness model. One key step is to establish modular, rapid-reaction units that are capable of operating in hybrid threat environments. These units should be designed for quick deployment and tailored for operations in and around critical maritime choke-points such as the Strait of Malacca, where the risk of grey-zone activities and asymmetric threats is rising. Furthermore, Malaysia should increase investments in military mobility and logistics infrastructure, particularly in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) due to their proximity to potential flash-points in the South China Sea. Pre-positioned supplies, forward-operating facilities, and improved transport networks would significantly enhance operational flexibility and response times. Therefore, the expansion and modernisation of the Territorial Army (Askar Wataniah) should be a priority. This includes not only strengthening traditional reserve components but also creating new hybrid reserve forces trained in emerging domains such as cyber operations, drone warfare, and electronic warfare. These capabilities would allow Malaysia to build a more adaptive, resilient force structure better suited to the demands of modern conflict. Technology-led warfare and AI integration The SDR 2025 places strong emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), drones, uncrewed systems, and data as the foundation of modern combat power. The United Kingdom is actively investing in these areas, establishing a Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre, accelerating AI integration across all military domains, and expanding its arsenal of autonomous platforms, ranging from underwater drones to AI-powered intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Malaysia, however, remains behind the curve in adopting these transformative technologies. AI integration into defence systems, local drone manufacturing, and the digitalisation of battlefield operations are all still in their infancy. To address this gap, Malaysia must begin by establishing a dedicated Malaysian Defence AI Centre. This entity is potentially housed under the Defence Ministry's Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence (STRIDE) that could serve as the central hub for AI projects, defence-focused data analytics, and the coordination of emerging technology initiatives. Alongside this, Malaysia should develop a comprehensive national drone strategy tailored for defence needs. This strategy should prioritise the development and deployment of surveillance UAVs to enhance maritime domain awareness, particularly in contested waters, and explore capabilities such as loitering munitions and AI-assisted targeting systems to bolster operational effectiveness. Equally important is fostering a defence innovation ecosystem. Malaysia should incentivise local tech startups, university spin-offs, and research institutions to co-develop dual-use technologies that can be rapidly prototyped, tested, and fielded. Lessons can be drawn from Ukraine's model of agile defence innovation, where close collaboration between the military and civilian tech sectors has yielded impactful solutions in record time. Embracing such a model would position Malaysia to better respond to the fast-evolving nature of future warfare. A moment for strategic courage SDR 2025 serves as more than just a roadmap for the UK's military development as it signals a broader transformation in global defence thinking. The future of warfare is increasingly defined by digital technologies, autonomous systems, and resilient multinational alliances. While Malaysia may be geographically distant from NATO's operational theatres, it is undeniably situated within the Indo-Pacific, a region at the heart of emerging strategic competition. To remain relevant, secure, and operationally capable in this rapidly evolving environment, Malaysia must embrace a fundamental shift in its defence posture. This requires thinking innovatively, investing decisively in next-generation capabilities, partnering strategically with like-minded nations, and modernising urgently across all domains i.e., land, sea, air, cyber, and space. ‒ June 24, 2025 R. Paneir Selvam is the principal consultant of Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a think tank specialising in strategic national and geopolitical matters. The views expressed are solely of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Pipeline Journal
