The sustainable development goals that will guide the next 15 years of global development continue to inch toward finalization, following a multitude of advocacy campaigns, working group deliberations and widespread debate.
Yet prominent international development leaders are still raising serious concerns over goal variability, potential omissions and a disconnect between goal proposals and conditions on the ground. A barrage of such critiques isn’t surprising, considering the fast approaching U.N. summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda in September.
Meanwhile, other stakeholders are speaking up to praise the SDGs' ambition. As critiques and applause volley back and forth, it's hard to determine whether the glass is half empty, half full or will continue to slosh between the two until September.