We are living in a new era of development. There is growing recognition and proof that to make progress on global problems we need the ideas, expertise, and resources of every sector. Collaboration has been, and will continue to be, key to success in addressing some of the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.
We’ve seen the power of partnerships to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—eight goals established in 2000 to fight poverty and improve lives around the world. These common goals and concrete targets provided a framework for governments, businesses, civil society organizations, United Nations (UN) agencies, academia, and many others to act. Our collective efforts have resulted in tremendous gains in development.
As a leading example, the multi-stakeholder Every Woman Every Child movement, launched by the UN in 2010 to accelerate progress toward the MDGs focused on women’s and children’s health, has helped move these issues to the top of the agenda. Thanks in part to Every Woman Every Child, we are reducing the deaths of women and children faster than at any time in history. Each day 17,000 more children survive, and deaths of mothers have been cut by almost half since 1990. The private sector has been a key player in this, making contributions ranging from the provision of vaccines and medicines, to the generation of affordable, accessible technologies that are adapted to remote locations, and developing innovative mHealth insurance applications.
Set to conclude at the end of 2015, the MDGs have changed how we work on and think about global issues. By enabling all sectors to bring their strengths to the table—whether it’s an institution with expertise in distributing vaccines, a business with cutting-edge technologies, or a government which can improve policies—the sum becomes greater than the whole of its parts.
But, while the advances under the MDG framework have made enormous impact, we still have much work to do. Progress has varied, and many vulnerable populations affected by everything from conflict to climate change have been left behind. Recognizing the value of goal-setting and the lessons we’ve learned from the MDGs, the UN has set out to build a new set of goals with targets for 2030 to ensure all people can prosper and live in dignity while protecting the sustainability of our planet.
The road to shape this "post-2015" development agenda has already spanned over two years of inclusive consultations led by the UN across all sectors. Set for adoption during a UN Summit September 25-27, 2015—the new agenda will lay out a roadmap for ending extreme poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring all people can benefit from economic growth and opportunity. It is clear that in order to deliver on the new development agenda we need more effective and impactful partnerships among and across sectors.
Just as with the MDGs, all sectors will need to help drive successful implementation of the next set of global goals. Civil society—strong advocates for continued MDG progress as well as an ambitious new agenda—must now position itself to push for accountable implementation of the new agenda and also find the best ways to contribute to their success. The global action/2015 movement that has been created over the course of 2014 and officially launches on January 15th is a great example. By bringing nearly a thousand organizations together with one voice, action/2015 is setting a path for meaningful collaboration to achieve the new goals.
Young people—many of whom have lived their entire lives in the MDG era—are also a critical piece of where we go in the coming 15 years. Every fifteen year old has as much right as any of us to a voice on what the world should look like when he or she is 30. And young people want to have a say. Seventy percent of the respondents on the UN’s MyWorld survey about the post-2015 agenda were youth, voting for the issues that matter most to them in the coming years.
Finally, as we approach the January 21 to 24 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the private sector is also mobilizing to make a final push on the MDGs and determine how it can make an even greater impact in the post-2015 era. The contribution of business will be important to success on this new agenda. In addition to its ability to power equitable growth, the private sector can help develop a global constituency that is inspired by the new goals and contribute to the resources and partnerships necessary to implement them.
With all of these communities mobilizing, 2015 provides an historic opportunity to harness our collective strengths and capacities to ensure we build a better world all people deserve.
Susan Myers is Senior Vice President of the United Nations Foundation.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's January/February 2015 print edition.
a global affairs media network
2015: The Year We Need To Get It Right
January 22, 2015
We are living in a new era of development. There is growing recognition and proof that to make progress on global problems we need the ideas, expertise, and resources of every sector. Collaboration has been, and will continue to be, key to success in addressing some of the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.
We’ve seen the power of partnerships to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—eight goals established in 2000 to fight poverty and improve lives around the world. These common goals and concrete targets provided a framework for governments, businesses, civil society organizations, United Nations (UN) agencies, academia, and many others to act. Our collective efforts have resulted in tremendous gains in development.
As a leading example, the multi-stakeholder Every Woman Every Child movement, launched by the UN in 2010 to accelerate progress toward the MDGs focused on women’s and children’s health, has helped move these issues to the top of the agenda. Thanks in part to Every Woman Every Child, we are reducing the deaths of women and children faster than at any time in history. Each day 17,000 more children survive, and deaths of mothers have been cut by almost half since 1990. The private sector has been a key player in this, making contributions ranging from the provision of vaccines and medicines, to the generation of affordable, accessible technologies that are adapted to remote locations, and developing innovative mHealth insurance applications.
Set to conclude at the end of 2015, the MDGs have changed how we work on and think about global issues. By enabling all sectors to bring their strengths to the table—whether it’s an institution with expertise in distributing vaccines, a business with cutting-edge technologies, or a government which can improve policies—the sum becomes greater than the whole of its parts.
But, while the advances under the MDG framework have made enormous impact, we still have much work to do. Progress has varied, and many vulnerable populations affected by everything from conflict to climate change have been left behind. Recognizing the value of goal-setting and the lessons we’ve learned from the MDGs, the UN has set out to build a new set of goals with targets for 2030 to ensure all people can prosper and live in dignity while protecting the sustainability of our planet.
The road to shape this "post-2015" development agenda has already spanned over two years of inclusive consultations led by the UN across all sectors. Set for adoption during a UN Summit September 25-27, 2015—the new agenda will lay out a roadmap for ending extreme poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring all people can benefit from economic growth and opportunity. It is clear that in order to deliver on the new development agenda we need more effective and impactful partnerships among and across sectors.
Just as with the MDGs, all sectors will need to help drive successful implementation of the next set of global goals. Civil society—strong advocates for continued MDG progress as well as an ambitious new agenda—must now position itself to push for accountable implementation of the new agenda and also find the best ways to contribute to their success. The global action/2015 movement that has been created over the course of 2014 and officially launches on January 15th is a great example. By bringing nearly a thousand organizations together with one voice, action/2015 is setting a path for meaningful collaboration to achieve the new goals.
Young people—many of whom have lived their entire lives in the MDG era—are also a critical piece of where we go in the coming 15 years. Every fifteen year old has as much right as any of us to a voice on what the world should look like when he or she is 30. And young people want to have a say. Seventy percent of the respondents on the UN’s MyWorld survey about the post-2015 agenda were youth, voting for the issues that matter most to them in the coming years.
Finally, as we approach the January 21 to 24 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the private sector is also mobilizing to make a final push on the MDGs and determine how it can make an even greater impact in the post-2015 era. The contribution of business will be important to success on this new agenda. In addition to its ability to power equitable growth, the private sector can help develop a global constituency that is inspired by the new goals and contribute to the resources and partnerships necessary to implement them.
With all of these communities mobilizing, 2015 provides an historic opportunity to harness our collective strengths and capacities to ensure we build a better world all people deserve.
Susan Myers is Senior Vice President of the United Nations Foundation.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's January/February 2015 print edition.
