Millennium Development Goals

Introduction

The beginning of the new millennium saw world leaders gather at the UN General Assembly to shape a broad vision to fight poverty in all its dimensions. This vision translated into an inspiring framework of eight goals known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and it is these goals that have remained the overarching development framework for the world for the past 15 years. As we reach the end of the MDG period, the global community has reason to celebrate. The global mobilization behind the Millennium Development Goals has produced the most successful anti-poverty movement in history. Data and analysis presented in the MDG reports send a message of hope. With targeted interventions, sound strategies, adequate resources

The aim of this essay is to review the approaches of the MDGs and SDGs as development frameworks. This will be done by firstly assessing to the strengths and weaknesses of the MDGs as an action plan so as to evaluate the applicability and feasibility of these goals in a global perspective. From the weaknesses of the MDGs stems the proponents of the SDGs. The SDGs are seen as an improved extension to the MDGs and it is in this section that we provide motivation for a new set of goals including advantages of the restructured framework. Since the SDGs have not come into play, weaknesses are identified in the form of possible improvements or possible additional goals that could be added. The MDGs and SDGs obviously have areas of overlap and these indicate similarities in both approaches. Lastly recommendation is given with regard to what course of action serves as the best plan to addressing poverty and achieving sustainable global

They have proved to be a useful tool in the allocation of resources towards key global development priorities, improvements in policy monitoring and mobilizing global development cooperation. Simple and transparent targets have also meant that any subsequent global partnerships directed at poverty reduction and human development could be strengthened thus providing a basis for converging advocacy.

The MDG framework comes highly praised for its ability to identify the special needs of Africa, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other vulnerable regions, and fortify international commitments to address those needs. As a result, many developing countries have designed national development strategies explicitly oriented at achieving the MDGs and have aligned these objectives with other national