Updated December 14, 2015
The Post-2015 Global Development Agenda
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) established
Figure 1. MDG Progress by Region, 2015
by the international community in the year 2000 sunset in
2015 and will be replaced by a new global development
agenda for the period 2016 through 2030. The “post-2015
development agenda,” as it is often called, has been the
subject of an extensive United Nations-led process and
debate that culminated in the establishment of a formal
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the 70th
session of the U.N. General Assembly on September 25,
2015. This In Focus provides a brief overview of the
MDGs, the new sustainable development goals (SDGs), key
events in the development and rollout of the post-2015
development agenda, and issues that may be of particular
interest to Congress.
The Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)
The MDGs are a group of eight broad development goals
agreed to by 189 U.N. member states—including the United
States—as part of the 2000 Millennium Declaration. They
are aspirational, and commitments are non-binding. The
Source: CRS analysis of MDG 2015 Progress Chart.
goals, which governments aimed to achieve by the end of
2015, are (1) eradicating extreme hunger and poverty; (2)
Note: Chart reflects the 16 of the 21 MDG targets for which data
achieving universal primary education; (3) promoting
gender equality and women’s empowerment; (4) reducing
are reported in the 2015 progress report.
the under-five child mortality rate; (5) reducing the
The Post-2015 Development Agenda
maternal mortality rate; (6) combating HIV/AIDS and other
diseases; (7) ensuring environmental sustainability; and (8)
As U.N. member states and other stakeholders made a final
developing a Global Partnership for Development. The
push to achieve the MDG targets in recent years, they
goals were further refined by 21 targets and 60 measurable
simultaneously began a process to establish a global
indicators for monitoring progress.
development agenda for the post-2015 period. Like the
MDGs, the recently adopted new agenda is non-binding,
Since 2000, governments have worked to achieve the
intended to focus global development efforts.
MDGs with mixed results. Goals related to reducing
extreme poverty, access to improved drinking water, and
The post-2015 agenda setting process began at the 2012
gender parity in elementary education, for example, have
U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, in Rio de
been achieved in many regions. Far less progress has been
Janeiro, which produced an outcome document that
reported on reducing maternal mortality, access to
assessed progress on the MDGs and recommended a
reproductive health, and women’s representation in national
process for developing a global post-2015 development
parliaments, among others. Data also indicates that progress
agenda. The intergovernmental processes established by the
toward the goals is unevenly distributed across regions and
Rio conference were completed at the end of 2014, and a
countries. India and China, for example, have made
synthesis report by the U.N. Secretary-General on the post-
considerable progress in achieving the MDGs, while many
2015 sustainable development agenda was released in
countries in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to meet few of
December 2014. The draft goals in that report were referred
the goals. For some of the goals and indicators, insufficient
to as the sustainable development goals (SDGs), named
data are available to measure progress.
after the process started in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the 2015 MDG progress report, the majority
U.S. Role. The United States engaged in the SDG
of MDGs are not likely to be fully achieved by the end of
development process primarily through Tony Pipa, U.S.
2015. Development experts and political leaders have
Special Coordinator for the Post-2015 Development
questioned whether the goals are realistic and appropriate,
Agenda, working with the U.S. Agency for International
whether donor funding and government accountability are
Development and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
adequate, and whether progress that has been made can be
State Department documents suggest that the U.S. focus in
attributed to the global goal-setting process.
SDG negotiations was on country ownership, the inclusion
of marginalized populations, data transparency, and the
equality of women and girls, among other things.
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The Post-2015 Global Development Agenda
Congress did not have a direct role in development or
consultation process and lessons learned from the MDGs
adoption of the SDGs, but may have a significant role in
about the complexity of development, critics assert that the
funding programs designed to support the SDGs.
consensus approach to developing the 2030 Agenda has
resulted in a product that is not specific enough to be
Sustainable Development Goals. The outcome of the post-
implementable or realistic enough to be achievable. Some
2015 development agenda process is the 2030 Agenda for
observers are also concerned that the concept of varying
Sustainable Development framework, which identifies 17
national targets may undermine accountability and that the
SDGs and 169 related targets. Several SDGs build upon the
key theme of the agenda, sustainability, is not well defined.
MDGs, raising the bar in areas where progress has been
made, while others emphasize new priorities. Most notably,
After years of planning, the post-2015 agenda development
the SDGs include goals related to peace and justice,
process culminated with multiple events in 2015:
infrastructure, and equality that were not in the MDGs, and
expand upon the goals related to extreme poverty and
On July 13, the Third International Conference on
environmental protection.
Financing for Development convened in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, where developed countries affirmed their
Figure 2. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
commitment to providing development assistance and
countries agreed to various measures to increase
domestic resource mobilization.
On September 25, the U.N. General Assembly convened
in New York, adopting the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
On November 30, global leaders convened in Paris at a
United Nations Climate Change Conference to negotiate
a global climate agreement, viewed by many as essential
to implementation of the SDGs. An agreement was
reached on December 12.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development takes effect
in January 2016.
Issues for Congress
As the world’s leading donor of official development
assistance, the United States will likely play a key role in
funding implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Most of this
funding would be appropriated by Congress through annual
State Department, Foreign Operations and Related
Source: CRS analysis of https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
Agencies appropriations legislation. Foreign aid funding is
content/documents/1579SDGs%20Proposal.pdf.
shaped by U.S. foreign policy and congressional priorities,
and it is unclear how much influence, if any, the SDGs will
have on U.S. funding priorities. U.S. foreign assistance
Aside from the specific goals, there are a few general ways
programs already align with the SDGs to a large degree, but
in which the SDGs appear to differ from the MDGs:
there may be areas of disagreement, particularly with
respect to climate change.
Universality. Whereas the MDGs were largely viewed
as developed country priorities for the developing
Domestically, Congress may consider whether legislative
world, the SDGs are intended to be universal, developed
action is appropriate to achieve the SDGs within the United
through an unprecedented global outreach process and
States. Many of the proposed SDGs are of limited relevance
applying to all countries. This means that the United
in the United States, where, for example, the vast majority
States and other developed countries will also be
of citizens have access to food, education, sanitation
assessed for progress against the targets.
services, and energy. However, the United States may not
Country specific. While there are global targets, as with currently meet targets on proposed goals related to
the MDGs, many SDG targets would be established at
inequality within countries, inclusive and safe cities, and
the country level, allowing success to be relative to each
representation of women in legislatures, among others. In
country’s starting point and unique challenges.
his address before the United Nations at the 2030 Agenda
summit, President Obama stated that the United States is
Broader financing. The MDGs were largely intended
committed to achieving the SDGs.
to be donor financed, while the SDGs focus more on
mobilizing domestic and private sector resources,
though foreign aid is still an important component.
Marian L. Lawson, Specialist in Foreign Assistance Policy
IF10249
While the expanded goals and shifting focus of the SDGs
are cited by some experts as reflecting the inclusive
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The Post-2015 Global Development Agenda
Disclaimer
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