Beyond 2015: Starting the conceptual debate about the future of the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs

Event Type
Workshop

Location / Date
Bonn, 18.01.2010

Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Concept
In September 2010, a high-level Millennium+10 Event was held in New York to review progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Many challenges will persist beyond 2015, catalysts for MDG achievement need to be taken into account in discussions on the future of the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs, concretely: a reference framework for international development beyond 2015.

To contribute to that debate, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) organised a workshop on 18 January 2010 in Bonn to discuss the main challenges for international development up to and after 2015, to identify prerequisites and priorities for a potential post-2015 target system and to strengthen the conceptual foundations for a BMZ position on this. The discussions was focused on the following three questions:

• Should the protection of global public goods, such as climate, be integrated into a future agenda and how?
• How can the two chapters of the Millennium Declaration on peace, security and disarmament, and on human rights, democracy and good governance be better reflected in a future reference system for international development?
• Is there a need for additional social or economic goals after 2015 (e.g. social protection, socio-economic equity, pro-poor green economy)?

Introduction

Dirk Messner, DIE:
Welcome address

Ralf-Matthias Mohs, BMZ:
Opening address

Session 1: Conceptual reflections on the MDGs and on a future international development agenda

Chair: Erik Lundsgaarde

Jan Vandemoortele:
Philosophy behind the MDGs and degree of implementation

Adolf Kloke-Lesch, BMZ:
Objectives of BMZ for a post-2015 reference system

Ellen Wratten, DFID:
Objectives of DFID for a post-2015 reference system

Session 2: Opportunities and risks of universal, quantified, time-bound goals

Michael Grimm, University of Rotterdam:
Positive and negative effects of the MDG agenda

Session 3: Should the protection of global public goods be integrated into the agenda?

Simon Maxwell, ODI / Dirk Messner, DIE:
Goals for the mitigation of climate change, a better management of resources and a more sustainable use of energy

Session 4: How to integrate governance issues into the development agenda?

Jörg Faust, DIE / Sebastian Ziaja, DIE:
Taking care of Chapter 2 (Peace, security and disarmament) and Chapter 5 (Human rights, democracy and good governance) of the Millennium Declaration

Session 5: Is there a need for additional social or economic goals (social protection, equity, economic growth or economic productivity)?

Markus Loewe, DIE:
Developing the socio-economic profile of a future global development goals agenda

Summary discussion: How to move ahead?

The final round of discussion was meant to draw a conclusion from the preceding panels, to prepare a basis for the positioning of the BMZ with respect to the post-2015 reference framework and to discuss the following cross-cutting questions:

• How can the continous differentiation between developing countries be taken into account (with regards to income levels, solidity of statehood / fragility, political regime type etc.)? What does it mean for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of goals?
• How can the sustainability of progress towards the goals be guaranteed?
• What options are there to avoid the apparent trade-off between fast progress towards quantitative and qualitative goals?
• Who should be held responsible for the implementation of future goals?

Hinweis

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