The Impact of Post-2015 Development Agenda on Other Developing Countries
Original, , 01-28-2016
Whether the 1992 environment-sustainable goals, or the 2000 MDGs, or 2015 SDGs, undoubtedly became or will become reference or even guidelines for the formulation of domestic development policies, influencing the modes of international development cooperation at the same time. Because of the big differences of development levels, development demands, national conditions and so on in different countries, the impacts of post-2015 development agenda on the domestic and foreign policies will vary in different countries.
Since the introduction of MDGs, the United Nations published “Millennium Development Goals Report” and “Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force Report”(《千年发展目标进度表》) annually to follow the MDGs progress.2013 reports showed that the progress of MDGs was very uneven between regions. East Asia was expected to achieve most of targets in 2015，but other regions could not.[1] Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, it was almost impossible for them to achieve any target before the deadline. In other words, most developing countries would not achieve MDGs as scheduled. This indicates that to achieve MDGs is still a main task for most developing countries after 2015. For this reason, in theory, for other developing countries except emerging economies, to fulfill post-2015 agenda will be a too ambitious goal. However, considering the reality, since most developing countries still need to focus on poverty reduction goals of MDGs, it will be very difficult for them to implement most of the targets in SDGs, particularly environmental objectives. So the development agenda after 2015 will become non-binding in fact. In other words, post-2015 agenda will not have great influence on the setting of domestic development goals in developing countries. Even influenced by the agenda, developing countries will mainly choose the lowest standards of SDGs, which in a large extent will become a simple continuation of MDGs.
[1]In the 16 specific targets examined, only East Asia performed well--2 targets were not expected to be achieved by 2015; North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean showed an ordinary performance--6 or 7 targets were not expected to be achieved; South Asia had a poor performance and 9 targets would be impossible to be achieved; and for West Asia, Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa, this figure was over 10, and 14 for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Original, , 01-28-2016
Whether the 1992 environment-sustainable goals, or the 2000 MDGs, or 2015 SDGs, undoubtedly became or will become reference or even guidelines for the formulation of domestic development policies, influencing the modes of international development cooperation at the same time. Because of the big differences of development levels, development demands, national conditions and so on in different countries, the impacts of post-2015 development agenda on the domestic and foreign policies will vary in different countries.
Since the introduction of MDGs, the United Nations published “Millennium Development Goals Report” and “Millennium Development Goals Gap Task Force Report”(《千年发展目标进度表》) annually to follow the MDGs progress.2013 reports showed that the progress of MDGs was very uneven between regions. East Asia was expected to achieve most of targets in 2015，but other regions could not.[1] Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, it was almost impossible for them to achieve any target before the deadline. In other words, most developing countries would not achieve MDGs as scheduled. This indicates that to achieve MDGs is still a main task for most developing countries after 2015. For this reason, in theory, for other developing countries except emerging economies, to fulfill post-2015 agenda will be a too ambitious goal. However, considering the reality, since most developing countries still need to focus on poverty reduction goals of MDGs, it will be very difficult for them to implement most of the targets in SDGs, particularly environmental objectives. So the development agenda after 2015 will become non-binding in fact. In other words, post-2015 agenda will not have great influence on the setting of domestic development goals in developing countries. Even influenced by the agenda, developing countries will mainly choose the lowest standards of SDGs, which in a large extent will become a simple continuation of MDGs.
[1]In the 16 specific targets examined, only East Asia performed well--2 targets were not expected to be achieved by 2015; North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean showed an ordinary performance--6 or 7 targets were not expected to be achieved; South Asia had a poor performance and 9 targets would be impossible to be achieved; and for West Asia, Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa, this figure was over 10, and 14 for Sub-Saharan Africa.
