Most African states are not on track in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Southern African region in particular lags behind in improving the socioeconomic outlook of its peoples, despite all Southern African Development Community member states having signed up to the MDGs, which are aimed at improving the lives of the region’s poorest and most vulnerable people by 2015.
Various commentators have attributed the lack of progress to the failure of the MDGs to address the structural drivers of poverty and inequality, as well as the limitations of a development agenda that delinks developing countries from the rest of the global economic system. It is also partly due to a lack of ownership and commitment to the goals by national governments and stakeholders.
The global agenda of 17 proposed Sustainable Development Goals on the other hand, aims to address the systemic and structural causes of poverty and inequality—but pertinent questions remain:
- Does this reflect a significant shift towards balance in the global order?
- Given the current migration crisis that has seen thousands of people displaced, are we really seeing rich countries supporting poorer ones to tackle global problems?
- Is the divide between developed and developing countries dissolving as many formerly underdeveloped countries move up the economic ladder?
Speakers
- Thabileng Mothabi is an economic and social justice researcher at the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa.
- Mandeep Tiwana is the head of policy and research at the global civil society alliance CIVICUS.
- Jason Hickle holds a fellowship at the London School of Economics.
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