Post-2015 Development Goals

Book excerpt: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were launched at the UN General Assembly in 2001, and have had great influence on the field of international development. The Goals cover areas such as extreme poverty (i.e. living on less than US$1.25 per day), primary education, child and maternal mortality, and HIV/AIDS; each Goal is supported by underlying targets, most of which have a target date of 2015. In July 2012, the UN Secretary-General established a High-level Panel, tasked with making recommendations as to what should replace the MDGs after 2015. Under the MDGs, some of the targets are phrased in universal terms, but others are relative - on extreme poverty, for example, the target is not to eliminate it but to reduce it by half. The Prime Minister has argued that the post-2015 framework should aim for the elimination of extreme poverty, and the Committee agrees. Another key debate is whether the post-2015 framework should incorporate issues of environmental sustainability, again supported by the Committee. The MDGs undoubtedly had great resonance around the world. The simplicity and measurability of the MDGs, and the level of responsibility countries have taken for meeting them, have been crucial factors in their success. For those involved in developing the post-2015 framework, the most critical task is to ensure that these strengths are retained.