UNU-MERIT Working Papers Series

Millennium Development Goals: Tool or token of global social governance?

Mueid Al Raee, Elvis Amoateng, Elvis Avenyo, Youssef Beshay, Mira Bierbaum, Charlotte Keijser & Rashmi Sinha #2014-024

In this paper we argue that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) experience suggests that Global Social Governance (GSG) exists and that the MDGs have been an effective tool in creating a global accountability framework despite shortcomings mainly arising in the formulation process. The paper first discusses the historical emergence of the MDGs, leading to questions of ownership and responsibilities of developing and developed countries respectively. Subsequently, we assess whether the MDGs comprehensively reflect development concepts and address the question whether the MDGs had an impact on national policies, and ultimately on people's lives. Eventually, these questions and their answers are intended to stimulate and inform discussions on the post-2015 development agenda as a - potentially improved - GSG tool.

JEL Classification: F53, I38

Keywords: Millennium Development Goals, Global Social Governance, post-2015 development agenda

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