The lessons learnt from the failures of the Millenium Development Goals (MDG’s) will drive the implementation of the new global 15-year plan.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) endorsed by the United Nations in September 2015 aim to improve on the shortfalls of the MDG’s.
The SDG’s are a new set of goals adopted by United Nation members to achieve over the next 15 years.
SDG’s Coordinator in the United Nations Development Program to PNG, Pio Smith, says while there have been many successes of the MDG’s, implemented from 2000 to 2015, it was also important to talk about the failures.
“To start with there was a lack of consultation at the inception and with that lack of consultation was a lack of ownership.
“The excluded some very important issues like the rule of law, governance, human rights. And they inadequately incorporated other issues such as the environment and productive employment or decent work.
“They also didn’t properly integrate the so-called three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environment. It was heavily focused on poverty, on the social aspects as opposed to the environment and using the economy as a stimulus for development,” said Smith.
He added the focus was mainly on developing countries and was very centric and was not universal, and lacked the data needed to progress the MDG’s.
Pio said the SDG’s were not another set of lofty documents concoted by the UN leaders but building on lessons learned and interventions learnt over the last 15 years.
He said for the SDG’s to work data collection and accountability needed to be taken seriously or else everyone would waste their time.
Smith said the ultimate goal of the SDG’s was to leave no one behind.
On September 25, 2015, the UN member countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.