Millenium Development Goals Post-2015

In an earlier post I discussed the Millennium Development Goals and how they have been a guiding force in development work in the 21^st century. What is a huge discussion now is what is next as 2015 fast approaches? The world is being invited to submit what they think should be next, so your voice matters whether you are in the North or the South, developed world or developing. If you want to put in your thoughts go here and here

The Council on Foreign Relations has been exploring this topic and it is worth a read.

“In the March/April 2013 issue of Foreign Affairs, development scholar John McArthur, a former manager of the UN Millennium Project, reviews the history of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and takes stock of their progress. As he writes:

From 1981 to 1999, extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa rose from 52 percent of the population to 58 percent. But since the launch of the MDGs, it has declined sharply, to 48 percent in 2008. Much of this was likely driven by MDG-backed investments in healthier and better-educated work forces in the region. The global MDG campaign has also prompted support for small subsistence and cash-crop farms, which has boosted growth in many low-income countries, such as Malawi.

“Looking forward,” he argues, “the next generation of goals should maintain the accessible simplicity that has allowed the MDGs to succeed and also facilitate the creation of better accountability mechanisms both within and across governments.” You can read the full article here; other perspectives on the MDGs and the post-2015 agenda are available on the Development Channel here” (Council on Foreign Relations, 2013, http://blogs.cfr.org/development-channel/2013/02/28/new-from-cfr-foreign-affairs-on-the-millennium-development-goals/)

Ongoing discussions of the topic can be followed beginning with the blog below.

http://blogs.cfr.org/development-channel/2013/01/17/global-goals-for-human-rights-and-governance-after-2015/