Global perspectives on club convergence: Unraveling the nexus of human and sustainable development in the face of corruption

Abstract

Human insecurity is omnipresent due to the negative effects of globalization and multi‐crisis. A global analysis based on club convergence was conducted for 162 countries and covers the period 2007–2021. The studied indicators are (i) sustainable development goals index (SDGI), (ii) human development index (HDI), and (iii) corruption perception index (CPI). The method used, which is based on the log t‐regression test, identifies both groups of countries that converge to different steady states and individual countries that diverge. The observation of the degree of interdependence of the three indicators shows that most clubs that countries, especially European countries, are making progress toward achieving the SDGs. However, in the case of Clubs 4 and 5 of the SDGI index, which are predominantly African countries that have the lowest average scores, the correlation between the HDI and the CPI index is negative. In this case, governments should focus their attention on measures to disseminate knowledge, develop skills, and transfer know‐how between Europe and Africa through strategic corridors. It is therefore necessary to implement targeted and integrated sustainable approaches to human security in the light of sustainable development and the fight against corruption.