2015

The United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, September 20-22, 2010, is fast approaching. At this meeting, world leaders will take stock of the work to achieve the MDGs and they will discuss how further to strengthen the efforts to achieve the eight goals by 2015.

There is, however, another discussion beginning to emerge concerning the experience with the Goals. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the MDGs, and should similar targets be developed for the post-2015 period? One substantial contribution to this debate has been published in a DIIS Report by Richard Manning, former chair of OECD's Development Assistance Committee.

Based on a fortnight's stay at DIIS and subsequent support from Department for International Development, UK, Richard Manning has drafted a report addressing these questions. In the video spot below, he explains why he took up the task of writing the report.

Apart from Richard Manning’s contribution, the experience with the MDGs has also been discussed in Denmark at two conferences in Parliament. In May, FN-Forbundet (Danish United Nations Association) organised a seminar where the Development Minister, Søren Pind, expressed his support for the goals. At another conference organised by Liberal International in August, leader of the Danish political opposition party Radikale Venstre, Ms. Margrethe Vestager, called the MDGs “the most promising promise” and attacked the government for cutting down on aid.

At both occasions, Lars Engberg-Pedersen, senior researcher at DIIS, made a presentation highlighting the importance of the MDGs in the contemporary divided world. Despite their substantial weaknesses, the MDGs constitute an agenda that can unite world leaders and that may be turned into a more effective framework for future development cooperation.