Abstract
The power dynamics in the global development agenda setting are known. Traditionally, debates are pitched on platforms glorifying how the developed Global North arm twists the developing Global South to comply and/or conform to specific policy positions. Through actor-network theory, document analysis, and critical discourse analysis, the chapter traces global development agenda setting mainly from the Rio+20 Summit whose outcome document is code-named “The Future We Want.” From Rio+20 emerged a global development road map leading to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (AfSD) and its 17 inseparable sustainable development goals (SDGs). A 3-year negotiation period was established, terminating in the new global sustainable development agenda that succeeded the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2016. Although the SDGs have received unanimous endorsement by global governments, their development was not as straightforward as many may think. With the rallying banner “Let no one be left behind,” the global goals indicator development caused a consultation storm that led to meeting venues avoiding New York. From the Our Common Future report of 1987, through the Rio Declaration of 1992, to the MDGs in 2000, and ultimately the 2030 AfSD concluded in 2015, this chapter chronicles how stakeholders came together in shaping the SDGs discourses and agendas. The key findings are that the 2030 AfSD presents a new and innovative approach to global governance, where goal setting is an essential strategy. Furthermore, the process produced nonbinding SDGs and weak institutional arrangements and gives an extensive leeway that states enjoy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Antwi-Agyei P, Dougill AJ, Agyekum TP, Stringer LC (2018) Alignment between nationally determined contributions and the sustainable development goals for West Africa. Clim Pol 18(10):1296–1312. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2018.1431199
Beisheim M, Simon N (2018) Multi-stakeholder partnerships for the SDGs: actors’ views on UN metagovernance. Glob Gov 24:497–515
Biermann F, Kanie N, Kim RE (2017) Global governance by goal-setting: the novel approach of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 26–27:26–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.01.010
Bowen KJ, Cradock-Henry NA, Koch F, Patterson J, Hayha T, Vogt J, Barbi F (2017) Implementing the “sustainable development goals”: towards addressing three key governance challenges – collective action, trade-offs, and accountability. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 26–27:90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.05.002
Burke S, Rurup BL (2019) Political thriller exposes the underbelly of global goals. Global Pol 10(1):137–138. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12640
Caballero P (2019) The SDGs: changing how development is understood. Global Pol 10(1): 138–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12629
Caliari A (2014) Analysis of Millennium Development Goal 8: a global partnership for development. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):275–287. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.883371
Cohen M (2014) The city is missing in the Millennium Development Goals. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):261–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.899564
Connelly S (2007) Mapping sustainable development as a contested concept. Local Environ 12(3):259–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549830601183289
De Beukelaer C (2014) Gross domestic problem: the politics behind the world’s most powerful number. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):290–291. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.906214
Elder E, Olsen SH (2019) The design of environmental priorities in the SDGs. Global Pol 10(1):70–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12596
Fioramonti L (2013) Gross domestic problem: the politics behind the world’s most powerful number. Zed Books, London/New York
Fukuda-Parr S (2014) Global goals as a policy tool: intended and unintended consequences. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):118–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.910180
Fukuda-Parr S, McNeill D (2019) Knowledge and politics in setting and measuring the SDGs: introduction to special issue. Global Pol 10(1):5–15
Fukuda-Parr S, Orr A (2014) The MDG hunger target and the competing frameworks of food security. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):147–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.896323
Fukuda-Parr S, Yamin AE, Greenstein J (2014) The power of numbers: a critical review of Millennium Development Goal targets for human development and human rights. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):105–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2013.864622
Gasper D, Shah A, Tankha S (2019) The framing of sustainable consumption and production in SDG 12. Global Pol 10(1):83–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12592
Gore C (2015) The post-2015 moment: towards sustainable development goals and a new global development paradigm. J Int Dev 27:717–732. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3109
Greenstein J, Gentilini U, Sumner A (2014) National or international poverty lines or both? Setting goals for income poverty after 2015. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):132–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.899565
High-Level Panel (2013) A new global partnership: eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development – the Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the post-2015 development agenda. United Nations, New York
HLPF (High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) (2014a) Issue briefs 1 – from Rio+20 to post-2015: towards an integrated and universal development agenda. HLPF, New York
HLPF (High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) (2014b) Issue briefs 2 – the regional dimension in the post-2015. HLPF, New York
HLPF (High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) (2014c) Issue briefs 3 – multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development. HLPF, New York
HLPF (High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) (2014d) Issue briefs 5 – from silos to integrated policy making. HLPF, New York
HLPF (High-Level Political Forum) (2013) High-Level Political Forum brings poverty and sustainability issues together at inaugural session. United Nations, New York
IAEG-SDGs (United Nations Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators) (2019) Tier classification for global SDG indicators 11 December 2019. IAEG-SDGs, New York
IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development) (2013) Summary of the first meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development: 24 September 2013. IISD, New York
Kapto S (2019) Layers of politics and power struggles in the SDG indicators process. Global Pol 10(1):134–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12630
Kararach G, Nhamo G, Mubila M, Nhamo S, Nhemachena C, Babu S (2018) Reflections on the Green Growth Index for developing countries: a focus of selected African countries. Dev Policy Rev 36:432–454. https://doi.org/10.3390/w906043810.1111/dpr.12265/full
Langford M, Winkler I (2014) Muddying the water? Assessing target-based approaches in development cooperation for water and sanitation. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):247–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.896321
Latour B (1999) On recalling ANT. In: Law J, Hassard J (eds) Actor network theory and after. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford
Leal Filho W, Tripathi SK, Andrade Guerra JBSOD, Giné-Garriga R, Orlovic Lovren V, Willats J (2019) Using the sustainable development goals towards a better understanding of sustainability challenges. Int J Sustain Dev World Ecol 26(2):179–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2018.1505674
Lehohla P (2019) Objectivity as distance or engagement: the riddle of SDG measurement. Global Pol 10(1):144–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12628
Liverman DM (2018) Geographic perspectives on development goals: constructive engagements and critical perspectives on the MDGs and the SDGs. Dialogues Hum Geogr 8(2):168–185. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820618780787
Marten R (2018) How states exerted power to create the Millennium Development Goals and how this shaped the global health agenda: lessons for the sustainable development goals and the future of global health. Glob Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2018.1468474
McNeill D (2019) The contested discourse of sustainable agriculture. Global Pol 10(1):16–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12603
Merry SE (2019) The sustainable development goals confront the infrastructure of measurement. Global Pol 10(1):146–148
Nattrass N (2014) Millennium Development Goal 6: AIDS and the international health agenda. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):232–246. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2013.877427
Nhamo G (2006) Actor/actant-network theory as emerging methodology for environmental policy research in southern Africa. South Afr J Environ Educ 23:34–47
Nhamo G (2013) Green economy readiness in South Africa: a focus on the national sphere of government. Int J Afr Renaiss Stud 8(1):115–142
Nhamo G (2014) From sustainable development through green growth to sustainable development plus. Int J Afr Renaiss Stud 9(2):20–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/18186874.2014.987953
Nhamo G (2017) New global sustainable development agenda: a focus on Africa. Sustain Dev 25:227–241. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1648
Nhamo G, Mjimba V (2020a) The context: SDGs and institutions of higher education. In: Nhamo G, Mjimba V (eds) Sustainable development goals and institutions of higher education. pp 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26157-3_1
Nhamo G, Mjimba V (2020b) Scaling up SDGs implementation: down the road to fast approaching 2030. In: Nhamo G, Mjimba V, Odularu GOA (eds) Scaling up SDGs implementation. pp 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33216-7_1
Nhamo G, Muchuru S, Nhamo S (2018a) Women’s needs in new global sustainable development policy agendas. Sustain Dev. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.1717/full
Nhamo G, Nhamo S, Nhemachena C (2018b) What gets measured gets done! Towards an Afro-barometer for tracking progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5. Agenda. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2018.1433365
Nhamo G, Nhemachena C, Nhamo S (2019a) Using ICT indicators to measure readiness of countries to implement Industry 4.0 and the SDGs. Environ Econ Policy Stud. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10018-019-00259-1
Nhamo G, Nhemachena C, Nhamo S (2019b) Is 2030 too soon for Africa to achieve the water and sanitation sustainable development goal? Sci Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.109
Ordaz E (2019) The SDGs indicators: a challenging task for the international statistical community. Global Pol 10(1):141–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12631
Ramaphosa CM (2020) President Cyril Ramaphosa: 2020 state of the nation address. https://www.gov.za/speeches/president-cyril-ramaphosa-2020-state-nation-address-13-feb-2020-0000. Accessed 16 Feb 2020
Razavi S (2019) Indicators as substitute for policy contestation and accountability? Some reflections on the 2030 agenda from the perspective of gender equality and women’s rights. Global Pol 10(1):149–152
Ruggiero ED, Choine JE, Cole DC (2014) The politics of agenda setting at the global level: key informant interviews regarding the International Labour Organization decent work agenda. Glob Health 10(56). http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/10/1/56
Sen G, Mukherjee A (2014) No empowerment without rights, no rights without politics: gender-equality, MDGs and the post-2015 development agenda. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):188–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.884057
UNCSD (United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development) (2012) The Future We Want. United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, Rio de Janeiro
UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) (2015) Sendai framework on disaster risk reduction (2015–2030). UNDRR Secretariat, New York
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) (2015) Paris Agreement. Bonn, UNFCCC Secretariat
United Nations (1987) Our Common Future. United Nations, New York
United Nations (2000) The Millennium Declaration. United Nations General Assembly, New York
United Nations (2001) The road map towards the implementation of the UN Millennium Declaration, report of the secretary general. UN 6 September 2001. A/56/326
United Nations (2013) Summary of the first meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development. United Nations High-Level Political Forum, New York
United Nations (2014) The millennium development goals report 2014. United Nations Secretariat, New York
United Nations (2015a) Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations Secretariat, New York
United Nations (2015b) Addis Ababa action agenda. United Nations Secretariat, New York
Unterhalter E (2014) Measuring education for the Millennium Development Goals: reflections on targets, indicators, and a post-2015 framework. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):176–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.880673
Unterhalter E (2019) The many meanings of quality education: politics of targets and indicators in SDG4. Global Pol 10(1):39–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12628
Van Der Hoeven R (2014) Full employment target: what lessons for a post-2015 development agenda? J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):161–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.883370
Vandemoortele J (2018) From simple-minded MDGs to muddle-headed SDGs. Dev Stud Res 5(1):83–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2018.1479647
Winkler IT, Satterthwaite ML (2017) Leaving no one behind? Persistent inequalities in the SDGs. Int J Hum Rights 21(8):1073–1097. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2017.1348702
Yamin AE, Boulanger VM (2014) Why global goals and indicators matter: the experience of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Millennium Development Goals. J Hum Dev Capab 15(2–3):218–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2014.896322
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Editors and the World Health Organization
About this entry
Cite this entry
Nhamo, G., Dube, K., Chikodzi, D. (2021). Sustainable Development Goals: Concept and Challenges of Global Development Goal Setting. In: Kickbusch, I., Ganten, D., Moeti, M. (eds) Handbook of Global Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45009-0_79
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45009-0_79
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-45008-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-45009-0
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences