Script: Episode 4 Origin Story of SDGs

As 2015 was approaching, it was very clear that the U.N. desperately needed a successor for the
Millennium Development Goals, one which was going to overcome the challenges that plagued them as
the first step in 2012.
During the Rio Plus 20 conference, the U.N. formed two teams to build an elaborate agenda to replace
the MDGs for the UN's upcoming 2015 conference in New York.
The two teams where the U.N. task team, chaired by the prime minister of the U.K. and the presidents of
Liberia and Indonesia and the open working group managed by intergovernmental groups, the U.N. task
team was responsible for preparing the UN's post 2015 agenda, whereas the Open Working Group was
responsible for preparing new development goals and setting targets.
The Open Working Group, work with civil society organizations, consulted all member countries and
engaged the public using face to face and online meetings and door to door surveys.
Both groups working in parallel and combined their knowledge of this three year period, which is known
as the post 2015 development agenda, encompassing both the agenda and the goals and targets in
September 2015, during the conference in New York, after three years of negotiations and battles, the
U.N. showcased the blueprint to achieve a better and sustainable future for all known as the Sustainable
Development Goals, 193 countries of the U.N. Assembly committed to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals by 2030.
The stories consist of 17 goals and one hundred and sixty-nine targets. The core framework for the
sedges expands on the MDGs by linking the social, economic and environmental aspects of its goals.
The stories address the shortcomings of the MDGs by incorporating a broader and transformative
agenda.
The MDGs were largely focused on the targets for developing countries with funding from developed rich
countries.
However, the MDGs are for all countries developed or developing, all of whom are expected to work
together to achieve the universal goals and targets.
The MDGs also provided no specific role for civil society organizations, whereas the Saudis have
engaged exos from the beginning by consulting them during the three-year post development agenda
period.
Finally, the MDGs were drafted by technocrats who failed to consult global knowledge and expertise.
This meant that the MDGs were disconnected from ongoing global debates on development priorities.
On the other hand, the Stooges were drafted by an open working group which worked with countries and
organizations from all over the world.
Despite overcoming the challenges and criticisms of the MDGs, the question remains, are the studies
going to be successful while the Saudis provide a broader agenda than the MDGs with a potential for
course correction? Will this make a difference?
With transformative goals and target setting, there is a chance that countries might choose stories that
are easier to implement, requiring minimal national adaptation, which might result in only a handful of the
S.G. goals and targets receiving policy attention, effort and resources.
Few things are certain if the stories are to succeed, they will depend on continued advocacy for each of
its targets, promoting an inclusive approach to development and incorporating a more granular and local
approach.

And as new global challenges arise, like information warfare, surveillance, populism, technology-based
inequality and immigration, the stories and their interpretation will need to be adaptable.
The question is, is the UN flexible enough to do that or does the changing world need new goals to be
drafted more frequently than they are now?
Here's a quick recap as 2015 was approaching, the UN needed a new agenda to overcome the
challenges and criticisms of the MDGs, the UN formed two teams, the UN Task Team and the Open
Working Group, to develop a detailed agenda.
The UN presented the stages in 2015 consisting of 17 goals and one hundred and sixty-nine targets to
one hundred and ninety-three countries.
The stages addressed all the shortcomings of the MDGs. Continued advocacy promoting an inclusive
approach to development and incorporating a local approach are some of the ways the messages are
expected to succeed.
The question remains, are the studies going to be successful or will they be plagued by challenges
that prevent them from making any meaningful impact?