Embark on a journey of collaboration and innovation as Nitish Barole, Jiayinaer Bolati and Reon Van der Merwe – three dynamic professionals from India, China and South Africa – share their transformative experiences from the 2023 Managing Global Governance (MGG) Academy at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn. Discover how this immersive program reshaped their perspectives on international cooperation, youth engagement, and sustainable development. Through their Change Maker Project, which was implemented between 6 and 24 November 2023, they navigated the intricate terrain of academia-civil society partnerships at the University of Applied Science Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, unraveling the secrets to fostering impactful collaborations. Join them as they delve into the tapestry of global challenges, unveiling actionable insights and strategies for building a brighter, more inclusive future.

Please introduce yourself:

Nitish: I am Nitish, a humanitarian professional from India, with over a decade of experience in peacebuilding and youth engagement. I founded Youth for Resilience and co-founded Impacting Youth, both dedicated to meaningful youth engagement and program design.

Jiayinaer: I am Jiayinaer, one of the three participants from China in the MGG Academy 2023. I am working on environmental science, international cooperation and sustainable development. I was on the same Change Maker Project team with Nitish and Reon, working on the “Knowledge co-production between research and international non-governmental organization (NGOs)” challenge.

Reon: I am Reon from South Africa, with ten years in youth development, specializing in multilateral organizations like BRICS, the United Nations, and the African Union. I focus on stakeholder engagement and creating spaces for youth to learn about international relations. I co-founded Impacting Youth, aiming to enhance youth-related initiatives through social impact consultancy.

What did the MGG Academy at IDOS mean for you and how did it impact you personally and professionally?

Jiayinaer: The MGG Academy is not just a learning experience, it is an adventure of a lifetime, doing the right thing with the right people at the right time. Through the Academy, I engaged with a diverse group of individuals who share a common goal of contributing to global sustainability.

Reon: The MGG Academy was a unique professional experience, offering a three-month period to step back and reflect on my career path. It provided insights into Europe’s approach to development, broadening my horizons and helping me understand global perspectives. Personally, it instilled resilience and equipped me with the skills needed to navigate the complex challenges of the development sector. Interacting with professionals from diverse backgrounds enriched my understanding of collaboration and the importance of inclusivity and diversity in our work. Overall, the Academy reshaped my perspective on Africa’s role in the global development discourse, emphasizing the need for African practitioners to contribute uniquely to global challenges.

Nitish: The MGG Academy was invaluable both personally and professionally. It offered opportunities to learn new skills, engage with professionals from various countries, and gain a deeper understanding of diverse topics. Personally, it promoted an appreciation for diversity, improving my outlook on teamwork and inclusion. Professionally, it emphasized the importance of collaboration on a global scale and provided insights into navigating multicultural environments. The MGG Academy was instrumental in shaping my growth within the development sector.

What was your Change Maker Project about and what are the most valuable insights from the action component of the Academy?

Nitish: We worked on identifying solutions for the International Centre for Sustainable Development (IZNE) at the University of Applied Science Bonn-Rhein-Sieg in order to address the challenge of building partnerships between research entities and international NGOs. They sought to integrate academia and industry to produce comprehensive knowledge. Our Change Maker Project addressed the struggle to form partnerships between these sectors. Through collaborative teamwork, we proposed ways to bridge the gap. This experience provided valuable insights into the complexities of research and academia, highlighting the importance of building trust and confidence in partnerships. Working in a diverse team during the Academy allowed us to exchange ideas and engage in high-level discussions. Despite the challenges, the project emphasized the need for patience and persistence in ensuring successful collaborations between research institutes and NGOs.

Jiayinaer: A wealth of information is available, but a lack of effective translation from academic language to practical, easily digestible formats for NGOs. The need for concise, easy-to-understand knowledge translation from academia to NGOs emerged as a crucial aspect of bridging the gap between research and practice. We saw a notable barrier between academia and NGOs, with each operating in separate spheres or even silos and having limited understanding of each other’s perspectives and needs. Creating spaces for interaction, dialogue, and networking between them was identified as essential for the joint co-production of knowledge by practitioners and researchers.

Reon: The Academy provided a valuable experience in using the Design Thinking process, which we now integrate into our work on youth engagement. Our project highlighted the challenges in aligning the priorities of academia and NGOs and understanding their mixed expectations. It offered insights into the dynamics of these relationships and their implications for future engagement. Additionally, we explored the potential of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance collaboration in the development sector. Overall, the project underscored the importance of understanding and navigating the complexities of interdisciplinary partnerships for effective knowledge production and action.

How can the co-production of evidence-based and actionable knowledge between academia and international NGOs be strengthened?

Reon: Strengthening the co-production of evidence-based knowledge between academia and NGOs requires a shift from the traditional one-way dissemination model to a collaborative, iterative process. Firstly, acknowledging the expertise of NGOs and involving them in research agenda-setting is crucial. Whole process collaboration, where NGOs are engaged from project conceptualization to implementation, ensures the relevance and usability of research findings. Effective science communication is also essential to make academic research understandable and actionable for NGOs. Facilitating networking opportunities between academia and NGOs allows for organic collaboration. Personal relationships play a vital role in initiating and maintaining partnerships. Moreover, institutional mechanisms like NGO advisory boards can institutionalize engagement and ensure ongoing communication. Overall, creating a culture of collaboration, involving NGOs from the outset, enhancing science communication, facilitating networking, and institutionalizing engagement are key strategies to strengthen the co-production of knowledge between academia and NGOs.

Jiayinaer: Enhancing the collaboration between academia and international NGOs to co-produce evidence-based and actionable knowledge requires promoting effective communication alongside encouraging interaction and mutual understanding. Clear and concise communication is essential to convey academic insights in accessible formats, facilitating broader comprehension and engagement. Establishing enduring partnerships based on mutual respect and shared goals is fundamental, and it involves creating platforms for ongoing dialogue, collaborative research, and knowledge-sharing forums. Promoting interdisciplinary approaches and facilitating capacity-building initiatives can further strengthen collaboration effectiveness. By harnessing the expertise of academia and NGOs and by embracing diverse perspectives, stakeholders can collectively generate impactful solutions to address complex global challenges.

What does the MGG Network mean to you?

Jiayinaer: The MGG Network serves as a platform where I am inspired, supported, and empowered to take action. It stimulates lifelong connections and collaborations, creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose among its members. Overall, the MGG Network is more than just a professional association, it is a community of changemakers striving to make a positive impact on the world.

Nitish: The MGG Network provides a valuable platform for collaboration and networking among professionals from diverse backgrounds and organizations. It enables individuals to learn from each other and work together on common goals. Through the Network, we can leverage each other’s expertise and resources to address complex challenges effectively. Impacting Youth, our initiative born out of our experience at MGG, aims to enhance youth engagement effectiveness. We recognized a growing need among organizations, including government agencies and corporations, to improve their youth initiatives. By providing tailored social impact consultancy services, we assist organizations in designing impactful programs for young people. Our focus is on empowering stakeholders, including NGOs, government agencies, and corporations to better engage with youth and create meaningful networks and opportunities for them. Drawing on our extensive experience and the Design Thinking process, we guide organizations in developing strategies and structures that ensure their youth initiatives achieve their intended outcomes. Through Impacting Youth, we strive to make a meaningful contribution to youth development initiatives worldwide, tapping into the valuable professional and motivational resources of the MGG Network.

How do you see the role of youth in international cooperation for sustainable development?

Reon: Youth engagement in international cooperation for sustainable development requires a shift from tokenistic participation to meaningful inclusion and ownership. Platforms like regional youth parliaments offer institutionalized spaces where young people can consistently voice their perspectives and contribute to decision-making processes. However, organizations need to move beyond ad hoc engagement and adopt a bottom-up approach that empowers youth as stakeholders rather than just beneficiaries. Moreover, effective communication and understanding youth’s needs and aspirations are crucial for meaningful involvement. As future leaders, young people bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and a sense of urgency to global challenges. By seeing them as partners in sustainable development efforts, we can harness their potential to drive positive change.

Jiayinaer: Youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they are the driving force behind international cooperation for sustainable development today. Their energy, creativity, and passion make them invaluable contributors to global efforts towards a more sustainable future. As catalysts for change, youth bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to address pressing global challenges. Their active engagement and creative strategies are instrumental in driving effective actions and raising awareness on a global scale. Empowering youth in international cooperation initiatives generates momentum for positive change across borders.

Nitish: There is a need for a paradigm shift towards genuine inclusion and empowerment, where young people are not just consulted but actively involved in decision-making processes. Our approach at Impacting Youth emphasizes co-designing and co-implementing programs with young people, ensuring their ownership and leadership. It is essential to incorporate youth perspectives and priorities into policy documents and initiatives from the start. This requires continuous monitoring and evaluation to track the impact of youth consultations and ensure their voices are heard and acted upon. By recognizing their agency in shaping the future, we can leverage their creativity, energy, and passion to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What other projects are you currently involved with? Can you tell us a few words about the Youth for Resilience organization in India and the YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa?

Nitish: I am the founder of Youth for Resilience, a global youth-led organization focusing on disaster risk reduction, climate change, and sustainable development. We empower young people through capacity-building and advocate for their meaningful engagement in decision-making processes. Additionally, I consult part-time with World Wide Fund (WWF) USA, designing and implementing programs for youth in Asia, Africa, and South America.

Reon: Alongside my work with Impacting Youth, I am a facilitator and learning designer, collaborating with various organizations to develop courses on personal and professional development. Currently, I am involved with the Young African Leaders Initiative as a facilitator, guiding young leaders through leadership development content. I also contribute to the Southern African Youth Forum, assisting in organizing flagship programs like the SADC Youth Parliament and Youth Forum, promoting regional integration and Pan-Africanism among youth in the South African Development Community (SADC) region.

What would be areas where China, India, Romania and South Africa could cooperate more to address the Sustainable Development Goals? What opportunities and challenges do you see for South-South and Triangular cooperation?

Jiayinaer: In addressing the SDGs, collaboration among these countries can strategically focus on key areas such as climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy development, and sustainable urbanization. By leveraging their respective strengths and resources, they can drive significant progress towards achieving shared development objectives. Challenges such as resource disparities and differing development priorities can be navigated through innovative approaches and strategic partnerships. South-South and Triangular cooperation provide promising avenues for mutual learning, capacity-building, and knowledge exchange. Strengthening partnerships through platforms like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) facilitates knowledge exchange and accelerates progress towards SDG attainment.

Nitish: China, India, Romania, and South Africa have opportunities for collaboration in addressing climate change, especially considering its significant impact globally. Sharing experiences, best practices, and lessons learned in dealing with climate change-related challenges, such as heatwaves, could be beneficial. Triangular cooperation, including South-South learning, presents opportunities for mutual growth and development, particularly at the youth level. However, challenges may include coordinating efforts among diverse stakeholders and ensuring equitable participation and benefit-sharing among participating countries. Nevertheless, leveraging triangular cooperation in areas like climate change could significantly contribute to achieving SDG 17 on partnerships for the goals.

Reon: A shift in global dynamics is evident, marked by multiple crises alongside the rise of diverse centers of influence. Historically, the United States and Europe dictated global cooperation, but recent developments, like the formation of BRICS, highlight the need for a more inclusive approach. Understanding the unique historical struggles of nations like China, India, Romania, and South Africa is crucial for effective cooperation. Initiatives such as the European Green Deal risk appearing paternalistic and almost colonial to some partners from the Global South, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and co-creative approach to cooperation. Challenges for cooperation include avoiding polarization and Cold War mentalities, particularly for countries like Romania straddling both sides of the global divide. The focus should be on building partnerships based on mutual respect, understanding, and shared goals, rather than perpetuating outdated dichotomies.

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This interview has been taken by Lutz Drieling for the Romanian International Development Review, which is published by the Romanian Association for International Cooperation and Development (ARCADIA). Lutz is originally from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany and currently a Research Fellow at the Făgăraș Research Institute in Southern Transylvania, Romania. Before completing his MA in International Public Affairs at the University of Bucharest last year, he obtained a BA in Sustainable Social Policy from the Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. The International Centre for Sustainable Development at Bonn-Rhine-Sieg University proposed the challenge for which Jiayinaer, Nitish and Reon developed the innovative solution in their Change Maker Project at IDOS. This interview was facilitated and coordinated by Roland Müller, Board Member at ARCADIA and also a participant in the 2023 MGG Academy.

The views presented in this article belong to their authors and are not reflecting the official position of ARCADIA and the Făgăraș Research Institute. The images in the photo gallery have been provided by the participants.

An interview with Roland Müller

An interview with Roland Müller

Date: February 19^th, 2024

Interviewer: Doina Bulearcă

Roland Müller is a Board Member of the Romanian Association for International Cooperation and Development (ARCADIA). Last year, he was a Managing Global Governance (MGG) Academy fellow at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn, Germany. This makes him and ARCADIA an integral part of the MGG Network today.

What is the MGG Academy all about, and how was your fellowship experience?

The main objective of the MGG Academy is to support and prepare future change-makers for a life dedicated to sustainable development. It is a highly competitive training and policy dialogue format that brings together outstanding professionals and leaders from government institutions, think tanks, academia, civil society, and the private sector in several emerging countries – Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa – and the European Union (EU).

The Academy has three components: knowledge, leadership, and action. Between mid-August and the beginning of December 2023, we were based in Bonn, but we also went to several leadership retreats in idyllic locations of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as on study trips to Berlin and Brussels. In Berlin, within the International Futures seminar, organized in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office, we undertook a full academic module centered on sustainable digitalization and negotiation training, all while being immersed in a diplomatic setting. The leadership retreats were a great opportunity to engage in team-building exercises and to develop soft skills.

In the current context of polycrisis and geopolitical tensions, the Academy represents an oasis for addressing global challenges by building trust, learning from diverse perspectives, and co-creating solutions. On a personal level, the exchange between the participants from eight countries and five continents made me more aware of the value of trust in international cooperation. The programme might have been structured around competence development, leadership, project management, and networking, but, in my opinion, what really lay at its heart was a concerted facilitation for establishing trustful relationships. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, starting last summer and well into the fall, friendships for a lifetime have been forged.

The Academy is organized and hosted by IDOS, one of the world’s leading research institutions and think tanks for global sustainable development, and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany’s full-fledged ministry dedicated to development cooperation. For three and a half months, it provided me and 20 other early to mid-career experts with the opportunity to exchange on global challenges, co-create knowledge, share learnings, and cooperate in diverse teams while growing further as leaders for sustainable development. I am grateful that I was one of the two EU professionals entrusted to feature in this innovative setting, although I did submit my feedback that Europe should be better represented in this format.

Beyond profound knowledge and leadership qualities, transformative change requires inclusive visionary action. In this regard, I particularly enjoyed how the course blended academic and leadership modules with applied project work. The Change Maker Project was somehow the crown jewel of the Academy because it welded almost everything we had learned before in the final stage of the programme. Focusing on the opportunities and challenges of global cooperation and transformation to sustainability in times of disruptive crisis was a privilege that obliged.

Of course, we also brought our own set of strengths and skills to the table, which benefited everyone. Knowledge cooperation and policy dialogue are two core areas of expertise in my professional profile that contribute greatly to implementing the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. I am happy that our challenge giver brought them up. To conclude, for me, the MGG experience was unique and wonderful because it occurred on a platform where sustainability meets development cooperation. Most of my research interests are to be found precisely at this intersection. IDOS certainly supports in numerous ways future change makers who are dedicated to the path of global cooperation and transformation to sustainability.

What else can you tell us about the Change Maker Project (CMP)?

The Academy and, specifically, the CMP enabled the participants to collaborate in small teams to develop and implement real-life sustainability solutions to real-life problems presented to us by different actors, from development agencies to UN entities, from academia to the private sector. Reflecting together and individually on the challenges of international cooperation and the needs of various stakeholders was the starting point of the project component. As we explored a concrete topic through the sensing journey and moved towards the sounding board – the presentation of the hands-on solutions – I became aware of how working in highly diverse teams played out. In the process, we applied the design thinking method for innovative problem solving, a method I knew little about before and which was a major take from the CMP. However, the action component of the Academy was as much about design thinking, project development, and project management as it was about a specific policy area or the experience of working together in a team.

The organizer of the MGG Academy itself brought the challenge my team worked on. The Decolonize working group at IDOS was interested in how they could further contribute to building fair and equal research partnerships, especially with partners from the Global South. I shared a strong interest in this topic because of the importance knowledge cooperation has for inclusive development. With three other colleagues from South Africa, Mexico, and Indonesia (Danai Tembo, Bruno Berthier, and Anta Nasution), I conducted several interviews with IDOS researchers, senior management, and a few external stakeholders to better understand the issue at hand. After reflecting on and reframing the problem tree, we proceeded to shape our sounding board with a list of opportunity areas that IDOS could consider in its research strategy and practice. We opted for an artistic intervention method to create an impactful message for our “recommendations” on more equitable and just research partnerships. After selecting a set of late 19^th and early 20^th century paintings depicting colonial scenes, we intervened on them so that the new artwork highlighted our proposed opportunity areas. I take great pride in how well our sounding board presentation was received.

Overall, the CMP was a great opportunity to bond as a team, exchange (sometimes conflicting) understandings, explore new methods and tools, and engage with a highly relevant theme. It has prepared me to further explore and apply postcolonial theories and perspectives on development in my activity.

When and where does the MGG Network come into action?

The Network became relevant in December when the course came to an end. Once you graduate from the MGG Academy, you and your institution will automatically become part of the MGG alumni network. It brings together alumni from all the previous generations – the 17th batch will graduate this year. This gives us access to a wide variety of academic and professional profiles. One of the purposes of the network is to continue to provide a space for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking. One’s initiative is key in this network, which also has an online platform. Members are encouraged to launch calls for partnerships and propose collaboration ideas, come together in research projects or organize online and offline events. The class of 2023 had a unique chance to get an early glimpse of what this means when the Global Network Conference took place in Bonn at the end of September. We also had the opportunity to interact, maybe not as much as I had wished, with the participants in the IDOS 59^th Postgraduate Course. This flagship programme was established in 1965 and enhanced the competence of master’s graduates aspiring to a career in international cooperation for development and sustainability.

The MGG alumni contribute an international network and a global perspective. We have developed our leadership competencies and possess a profound ability to address global governance issues in our institutions’ work. I hope that ARCADIA will benefit from this membership as I will further seek to strengthen its organizational capacity, search for new opportunities and forms of cooperation, respond to innovative ideas and concepts, and expand our partnerships in this vibrant global network. The specificity of the Network is that it provides a gateway to the so-called Global South, its views, needs, and concerns. It, therefore, provides a legitimate platform for action geared towards implementing the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The EU and the world need more of these platforms where diverse individual and institutional actors who embrace the values of the UN Charter can convene.

Who is eligible for this programme, and how can they apply?

The project is addressed to highly qualified young professionals working in a partner institution from the MGG Network or an institution interested in future participation. To apply, one must be a national or a permanent resident of one of the MGG partner countries – Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa – or the European Union. One should be around 25-40 years of age. The candidates should work or be concerned professionally with issues relevant to sustainable development. A minimum of three years of work experience (internships are also considered) is expected, and at least a master’s degree is deemed preferable. The application form can be found here: https://www.idos-research.de/en/training/managing-global-governance/mgg-application/.

Can the fellows work while attending the Academy?

The program is dedicated to people who are employed and professionally engaged. Applying for this program also requires the written support and consent of the employer. While maintaining employment status, one should take a break from the work tasks back home and intensely engage with the Academy programme. It is a full-time format, which is demanding but quite intellectually stimulating. It normally consists of (five) workdays that start at 9:30 AM and finish around 5 PM, with an hour and a half for lunch break. Sometimes, it can get intense, and you must calibrate your effort to avoid energy draining. The study trips and their rapid succession with academic modules and leadership sessions can be exhausting. The Change Makers Project also completely shifts the dynamic of the Academy from the rather passive end of attending and receiving to a space where one has to be active, independent yet collaborative, and responsible for one’s own schedule. If you do not calibrate your efforts well, you can get overwhelmed toward the end of the programme. The good news is that amazing coaches and tutors are available to assist at this stage and throughout the entire duration of the Academy.

What else do you think is important for potential candidates to know?

Each selected participant will receive free accommodation in a one-bedroom apartment in Bonn, and the travel expenses to Brussels and Berlin (but not from their home countries to Germany) will be covered. The programme funding also offers a monthly allowance of 800 EUR. The maximum number of participants is 22, with 2 to 4 fellows selected from each country. This year, the application deadline has been extended to March 10th.

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A retrospect for the Millenium Development Goals. What has been done so far?

(by Alexandra Sabou)

Two cross-cutting topics in the field of international development concern both the governmental and the non-governmental sector and the academia: firstly, the evaluation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) due to expire at the end of 2015 and secondly, the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 agenda designed to guide our efforts until 2030. For more than a decade already, the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have galvanized opinions and raised criticisms around the methods of improving our living conditions and ending poverty in the world. Following the 2000 Millennium Declaration put forward by the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, the MDGs were supposed to represent the crafted framework for promoting normative transformation in the global society. It is worth to mention that since their very beginning, they were meant to express ends for development, not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ recipe to solve the humankind problems put down on paper and unanimously recognized by all the UN members (Vandermoortele 2012, 8) . They have set a global call for improvement in order to halve extreme poverty (MDG 1), reduce child and maternal mortality (MDG 4, MDG 5) , combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (MDG 6), promote  gender equality (MDG 3), environmental sustainability  (MDG 7) and universal primary education (MDG 2). Beneath the eight goals stay several quantitative targets and many dozen indicators that are supposed to orient the actions and reactions of all the actors involved in the process. However, despite the fact that the eight cartoons or drawings that illustrate our prospects seem to universalize the targets, in some cases it is still very hard to set the bar too high and expect for quick and sustainable results.

The goals are about to expire on December 31, 2015 and the debate on what should come next is extremely provocative and effervescent at the global scale. Prior to come up with new recommendations for the post-2015 agenda, the world community should evaluate what has already been done.
Over the years, the international community has embraced several goals and campaigns aimed to reach several development goals, variously defined. For example, the UN campaigns ‘Education for All’ (1978) and ‘Health for All’ (1990) aimed to achieve universal primary education and access to healthcare by 2000 (McGillivray 2008, 1). Another very similar set of objectives were the International Development Goals (IDGs) set by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) within OECD, endorsed by the World Bank, IMF and UN in June 2000. However, the major difference between these campaigns aiming to set global objectives and the MDGs stays in the already worldwide recognized interdependent character of the latter. The MDGs were not set as a monolithic policy with a definite budget and a specific mapping out of responsibilities. Instead, they were supposed to function as a partnership between developed and developing countries, as it was stated in the declaration adopted by the General Assembly during the Millennium Summit held in New-York on 6-8 September 2000: “Only through broad and sustained efforts to create a shared future based upon our common humanity in all its diversity, can globalization be made fully inclusive and equitable” (UN General Assembly 2001). The Declaration itself is much broader than the eight MDGs and contains inter alia other commitments to key principles and values (i.e. freedom, tolerance, equality, solidarity, respect for nature, etc.) that should intrinsically go together with the goals to achieve wellbeing outcomes in all developing countries.

They were all reiterated on the ‘Road Map Towards the Implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration’ (UN General Assembly 2001) presented by Kofi Annan:

In practical terms, the MDGs have been officially launched as a mutually agreed-on partnership between developed and developing countries in March 2002, during the UN International Conference on Financing for Development held in Monterrey, Mexico, where world leaders highlighted the crucial importance of the ODA (the Official Development Assistance set at 0.70 percent of Gross National Income (GNI) of developed countries, compared to an average of 0.22 percent of GNI given to aid in 2000). Used wisely, aid is crucial if it is transferred to real investments (schools, hospitals, infrastructure, sanitation, etc.); however, the aid target of 0.7 percent was unlikely to be achieved considering the economic crisis affecting developed countries as well and the amount of debt forgiveness and humanitarian aid that are also part of the donor efforts. According to the latest reports (United Nation, The MDGs reports from 2013, 2014), in 2013 the ODA represented 0.3 percent of developed countries’ GNI and the US, the UK, Germany, France and Japan were the largest donors.  Only Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Luxembourg managed to exceed the ODA target of 0.7 percent of their GNI. Nonetheless, despite several critiques that address the architecture of the ODA and the real costs and commitments to the MDGs, the ‘little’ that has been done gives hope or, at least, provides us with analysis and substantial lessons for the new framework that is about to be established starting with 2016.

What has been done so far? 

(Sources: The MDGs Report, (United Nations 2014) and The Global Monitoring Report 2014/2015: Ending Poverty and Sharing Prosperity (World Bank 2014.).

 

MDGs	Current status
MDG1 – eradicate extreme poverty and hunger	Between 1990 and 2011, the share of people who live with less than one dollar/ day has been halved, reaching 1 billion in 2011.However, progress in reducing undernourishment and poverty remains uneven across regions and countries. Between 2011 and 2013, one in eight people in the world were estimated to have been suffering from hunger. The majority come from Sub-Saharan and South-Asian countries were poverty is prevalent: Country 1990 2005 2011 2015 2020 2030South Asia(%) 53.2 39.3 24.5 18.1 13.8 2.1Sub-Saharan Countries(%) 56.6 52.8 46.8 40.9 34.2 23.6 (Source: Global Monitoring Report 2014/2015: Ending Poverty and Sharing Prosperity, The World Bank (2014), p. 19) According to the World Bank, around 14.5 percent of the world’s population remained in extreme poverty. In the 1990s, East Asia had the greatest poverty rate; nowadays, Sub-Saharan countries and South Asia face the highest poverty rates. Prospects of reducing global poverty to below to 3 percent by 2030 are not optimistic for several countries from these areas. Nowadays, the world’s extreme poor are concentrated in 5 countries, mainly in China, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. (The Global Monitoring Report 2014, p.2) Prospects for 2030 don’t look good for 6 countries which, according to the World Bank will continue to face poverty rates above 30 percent: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Madagascar, Malawi and Zambia (The Global Monitoring Report 2014, p.21).
MDG2 – universal primary education	Despite important progress that has been made in the last couple of years, more than 700 million adults and 125 youth worldwide do not have basic reading, writing and numeracy skills. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, p.16)In the last decade, the net enrolment rate raised to an average of 80 percent. Moreover, the majority of out-of-school primary school aged children live in areas affected by conflicts: 20 percent in Southern Asia and 44 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. In these areas, girls face numerous problems entering and finishing primary school. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, pp.17-20). Moreover, finishing primary education is not at all sufficient to escape poverty and the vulnerability trap.In addition to this, some cultural factors play an important role in traditional societies. Religion and culture involve more research in order to give us the tools to advocate for education solutions or other investments.
MDG3 – Gender equality and women empowerment	All gender related disparities should be eliminated from all forms of education by 2015. The Gender Parity Index (GPI, which corresponds to the girls gross enrolment ration divided by the gross enrolment of boys) should correspond to 0,97-1,03%. Despite the fact that Northern Africa made important progress in raising the GPI from 0,82 to 0,96%, girls face several disadvantages comparing to same aged boys. It is confirmed that larger gender related disparities are met in secondary education than in primary. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, p.20Despite the fact that the gender gap in education has been met, disparities in the labor market are still persistent. The World Bank (data from 2010-2012) shows that the time related unemployment rate between men and women stays higher in Sub-Saharan countries (12,6 to 15,8 percent), Northern Africa (3,7 to 17,5%) and Southern Asia (12,0 to 20,6%).Moreover, between 2000 and 2013 women’s political participation increases and the proportion of women holding parliamentary seats in 2013 increased consistently (from 13 to 23% in Sub-Saharan countries, from 3 to 24% in Northern Africa). Rwanda has the greatest women representation in parliament (56%), North Africa and the Middle East are still reluctant to female participation in public life. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, p.23)
MDG4 – reducing child mortality rate	According to the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality estimations, between 1990 and 2012, the child mortality rate has been halved, being reduced to an average of 48 deaths per 1000 live births. In addition to this, the rate of under-five deaths decreased from 12,6m in 1990 to 6,6m in 2012. South Asia and Sub Saharan countries face major problems in reducing infant and under-five children mortality. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, p.26)The majority of the 6,6m deaths are due to infectious diseases (see MDG6), (such as malaria, measles, diarrhea and pneumonia), under- nutrition, weak-immunity systems and the lack of appropriate health services. (The Global Monitoring Report 2014, pp.168-169)
MDG5 – reducing maternal mortality	According to the UN Maternal Mortality Inter-Agency Group, the global maternal mortality ratio has been reduced by 45 percent. However, this doesn’t meet the MDG5 target to reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent. (The Global Monitoring Report 2014, p.170)More than 60 percent of maternal deaths have occurred in Sub-Saharan countries due to poor health infrastructure and lack of antenatal services, lack of sexual education, gender-based violence, under-nourishment, etc.Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate (1,100 maternal deaths to 100 000 births). Despite important improvements made in healthcare access for young mothers, the gap between rural and urban areas is still persistent. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, p.29)
MDG6 – Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases	According to calculations based on data from Health Nutrition and Population Statistics by Wealth Quintile, WB 2014, in 2012, approximatively 35m people were living with AIDS/HIV in the world. 58% were women and 3,3m were persons under 15 years old.The share of newly infected persons dropped by 33 percent between 2001 and 2012. Sub-Saharan countries are the most affected by HIV/AIDS and it remains the region where almost 70 percent (1,6m cases) of the estimated number of new infected cases have occurred in 2012. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, pp.35-36)In 2012, access to ART (the Antiretroviral therapy) has saved 1,6m people and 9,5m have received treatment. It is estimated that ART has averted almost 6,6m AIDS/HIV-related deaths between 1995 and 2012.Malaria is another sub-target or MDG6 and, according to estimations provided by the WHO, has killed almost 600,000 people in 2013. The majority of these deaths occurred among under-five children living in Sub-Saharan countries. (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, pp.37-38)
MDG7 – ensuring environmental sustainability	According to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center and World Development Indicators Database, global emissions of carbon dioxide have increased by 50 percent between 1990 and 2012. (The Global Monitoring Report 2014, p.176).By 2010, all countries stopped using ozone-depleting substances that affect our Ozone layer (because of the commitments made after the signature of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1987).The Red List Index has revealed that the biological diversity is threatened and there is a risk of extinction for many species (i.e. some mammal species, insect pollinators). (The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, pp.43-44)Despite the important progress made in improving sanitation facilities and adequate water access, better access to improved water sources is still a major problem in some areas such as the Sub-Saharan countries where the share of population with access to water sources raised from 48 per cent in 1990 to only 64 per cent in 2012. (The Global Monitoring Report 2014, p.176).
MDG8 – developing a global partnership for development	All the above mentioned MDGs (1 to 7) cannot be met without consistent aid for development coming in terms of a partnership between developed and developing countries. According to OECD, ODA provided by OECD and DAC, expressed in real terms, has dropped by 6 percent in 2010; moreover, as a share of their GNI, ODA provided by DAC members decreased bellow half of the target fixed by the UN (0,7 percent of their GNI). ((The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014, United Nations, 2014, pp.48-49)

Sustainable Development Goals: What now?

(by Adela Militaru)

Efforts of the international community to ambitiously meet the indicators of the MDGs until 2015 have generated a considerable progress so far, by engaging and mobilizing world leaders to adhere to the common development agenda which was readopted at the Rio +20 Summit in June 2012. The outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, “The future we want”, builds on the MDGs – their structure, the mechanisms of their implementation, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned¹, serving as a solid foundation to be integrated in the post-2015 development agenda. Its vision specifically highlights three dimensions standing at the core of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental sustainability. These dimensions are the driving forces behind the 17 SDGs, elaborated by the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals², which are ready to be adopted in September 2015, at the UN Summit in New York. In the next section, we shall take a closer look at the advancements proposed by the SDGs under these three dimensions, as a renewed commitment of the international community towards achieving the vision of a world that is “just, equitable and inclusive” (UN Open Working Group Proposal for SDGs).

SDGs and a world of development

The most crucial indicator of achieving economic sustainability, now standing out as “the single, most urgent task in all of the interconnected challenges of sustainable development”, is the eradication of extreme poverty (Sachs, 2014, p.482). As a legacy of the MDGs, the post-2015 development agenda strives to keep one of the fundamental promises that the UN has made to humanity: to end poverty, in all its forms, everywhere. It then comes as no surprise that this is the exact formulation of Goal 1, which is reinforced by Goal 2: end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Both these goals rely on the need for sustained economic growth and inclusive economic policies, of which employment creation is a precondition that remains in focus under the post-2015 agenda (see ILO, 2009; Melamed & Scott, 2011). To such end, several initiatives have been put in place, such as the International Labor Organization’s Decent Work Agenda, which encourages full and productive employment, decent working conditions, and social protection as cumulative measures for sustainable economic growth. These propositions are subsumed in Goal 8.

What seems to be a special focus of the post-2015 development agenda, under both the economic and environmental dimensions, is the role of current consumption and production patterns to ensure the sustainable management of global resources, which include the conservation of oceans, seas and marine resources (Goal 14), as well as terrestrial ecosystems, to halt biodiversity loss (Goal 15). The need for sustainable consumption and production has been highlighted under Goal 12. This goal is nonetheless mutually reinforcing with several other goals which promote environmental awareness and sustainability, as scientific evidence on the impact of industrialization on climate change is increasingly alerting the international community.

It is now a shared responsibility of multiple stakeholders, ranging from governments to civil society and businesses, to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, as set forth in Goal 13, and in doing so, to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation (Goal 9). Therefore, it is our common challenge to enhance our capacity to innovate our current economic, social and environmental practices, in order to propose achievable measures to support sustainable development for all, that are able to encompass the needs to ensure availability of water and sanitation for all (Goal 6), as well as access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (Goal 7). As the experience of implementing the MDGs has taught us, this endeavor is not bound to be easily achievable.

So far, the measures discussed have seen the economic and environmental dimensions at work, in the formulation of their corresponding goals. With regards to the social development aspect, we are still faced with profound discrepancies between the world’s inhabitants, despite the evolution based on the previous MDG agenda under some of these aspects. As posited by Goal 10, one of the post-2015 priorities for achieving sustainable development is to reduce inequality within and among countries, while at the same time making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable (Goal 11).

To this end, the SDGs bring significant advancements as compared to the previous MDG approach, insomuch as they incorporate some important suggestions of the critics of MDGs, who point out that concepts of equity and equality had been insufficiently addressed by the former Millennium agenda (Fehling et al., 2013). Generally, we can see an important paradigm shift whereby the process of elaboration of the SDGs responded to previous critical voices concerning the MDG’s limited approach to incorporating important human rights, reported by some voices as “missing targets” of the MDGs, i.e. decent work, governance, and peace and security (Melamed & Scott, 2011). In the same note of improvement, Goals 3 and 4 also seem to bring added value by aiming to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, and ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, respectively.

Clearly, the focus has moved from very specific targets to overarching measures promoting well-being, which indeed appear as more equitable and inclusive than their previous counterparts. Equality also continues to lie at the core of the post-2015 development agenda, and it appears as no surprise that achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls (Goal 5) should continue to represent a crucial target for social development. In order to secure all these advancements, it is fundamental to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, which prove enough resourceful in order to promote peaceful and inclusive societies and provide access to justice for all (Goal 16). In this respect, it also proves decisive to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development (Goal 17).

The value(s) of SDGs

Based on all previous advancements and reports of the past years, in 2013 the UN Secretary General published a report entitled “A life of dignity for all”. Dignity as a leading value in the fight against extreme poverty seems to be a fundamental milestone when speaking about the advancement of the post-2015 development agenda. In fact, at a closer look, what all SDGs seem to have in common is a value system that incorporates core values such as freedom, equality, peace, good governance, and respect for human rights and for nature. Achieving sustainability in ensuring a just and inclusive world is a commitment made by multiple stakeholders, not only for our own benefit, but also for that of future generations.

Many important directions which helped draft the current Sustainable Development Goals have emerged from the continuous interaction of science and policy, particularly through the mobilization of epistemic communities (or knowledge communities), described by Sachs (2014). However, having the knowledge on how sustainable development could be achieved is no guarantee in itself: as stated in the prototype Global Sustainable Development Report (2014), political will remains a necessary precondition for the successful implementation of any of the measures developed with a view to facilitate the enactment of the SDGs. Naturally, achieving long-term success of such complex agenda of sustainable development requires policy coherence on a large scale (UN Prototype Report, 2014), which in turn requires the condition of good governance (Sachs, 2014).

Therefore, the current value of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the post-2015 development agenda, lies in concentrating available knowledge, know-how, and long-term commitment from all sectors and stakeholders. All of these cannot be translated into achievable measures in the absence of political will, nor of good governance. But what we now know is that the SDGs are offering the world a common vision of the process of achieving sustainable development, in order to keep its promise of ensuring a life of dignity and well-being to all people, for generations to come.

References

Melamed, C., Scott, L. (2011). After 2015: progress and challenges for development, Background Note. Overseas Development Institute available from <http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/7061.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

Sachs, J.D. (2014). Chapter 14: Sustainable Development Goals. In The Age of Sustainable Development. pp. 481-512 Columbia University Press Online Access, available from <http://cupola.columbia.edu/age-of-sustainable-development/493>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

Fehling, M., Nelson, B., Venkatapuram. S. (2013). Limitations of the Millennium Development Goals: a literature review, available from  <www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877943>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

McGillivray, M. (2008). Achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Palgrave, London.

United Nations (2014). Prototype Global Sustainable Development Report. Online unedited edition. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, available from <sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1454Prototype%20Global%20SD%20Report.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

United Nations General Assembly Sept. 2001. Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration: report of the Secretary-General, UN Document no. A756/326. New York, available from <http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/56/a56326.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

United Nations (2014). The Millennium Development Goals Report, available from <http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2014%20MDG%20report/MDG%202014%20English%20web.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

The World Bank Group Flagship Report (2014). Ending Poverty and Sharing Responsability, available from  <http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/gmr/gmr2014/GMR_2014_Full_Report.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014

Vandermoortele, J. (2012). Advancing the UN Development Agenda Post-2015: Some Practical Suggestions, available from <http://www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/resources/DESA—post-2015-paper—Vandemoortele.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

¹ Review of the contributions of the MDG Agenda to foster development: Lessons for the post-2015 UN development agenda, Discussion Note. UN system task team on the post-2015 development agenda, available from < www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/mdg_assessment_Aug.pdf>, last accessed November 23, 2014.

²Open Working Group proposal for Sustainable Development Goals , for an overview, see <sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgsproposal.html>, document available at undocs.org/A/68/970, last accessed November 23, 2014.

Photo credits:

“Above, people carry drinking water in Bangladesh. ” by Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, UNDP.

The Romanian Development Review published by  The Romanian Association for International Cooperation and Development (ARCADIA) aims to serve as a forum of knowledge sharing opening thought-provoking debates on topics relevant to the field of international development. While connecting local and regional initiatives to the global context, the Review provides insightful contributions and coming trends dedicated to professionals working in the non-governmental and governmental sector, scholars and students interested in the discipline. Starting in November 2014, the review appears bi-annually and it is open-access.

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The current issue of The Romanian International Development Review published in November 2014 opens the discussion around the effectiveness and impact of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the sustainability of the new global objectives enshrined in the post-2015 Development Agenda.

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