What should a high-level panel on the post-2015 global development agenda consider when it meets Tuesday (Sept. 25) at the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly? A nongovernmental organization working to alleviate poverty has some recommendations.
Getting governments, civil society and even the private sector to fix policies and actions around a set of objectives has been one of the “strengths” of the Millennium Development Goals, ActionAid U.K. said in a new paper titled, “Righting the MDGs.”
But the NGO said it is “difficult” to measure the success of the MDGs.
The MDGs lack ambition, aiming only to halve — not eradicate — “hunger and extreme poverty.” Also, the MDGs have a narrow focus and failed to address the “root causes of poverty,” the paper said.
With development circumstances changing, ActionAid U.K. proposes the panel take note of the following when shaping the new framework:
Put human rights at the heart of the framework.
Retain unmet goals, but push for greater ambition.
Include environmental concerns.
Make the new framework more universal, but more flexible in achieving goals. It should also be “backed up by strong accountability mechanisms.”
Explore other financing sources, including better tax collection in developing countries.
Jeffrey Sachs, economist and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s special adviser on the MDGs, told Devex in a recent interview the next framework should be built on the pillars of ending extreme poverty, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and good governance. Nobel Peace laureate Leymah Gbowee, meanwhile, said it might be best for governments to take one goal at a time and “effectively work with” it.
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