POLITICAL ECONOMY Introducing economic development:

FOR DEVELOPMENT A global perspective -W4

THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2000–2015; AND
THE 2015–2030 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Millennium Development goals (MDGs): Eight goals adopted by the United
Nations in 2000, a blueprint for the subsequent 15 years (to 2015)
‒ Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
‒ Achieve universal primary education
‒ Promote gender equality and empower women
‒ Reduce child mortality
‒ Improve maternal health
‒ Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
‒ Ensure environmental sustainability
‒ Develop a global partnership for development
MDG RETROSPECTIVE: WAS THE GLASS HALF
FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Shorthand: “Halving Poverty” (and Halving Hunger)
Income poverty target reached – by official definition of fraction living under $1 a
day equivalent (now adjusted to $1.90)
Progress on hunger (fraction hungry fell from about 23% to 14%) but not halved –
and nearly 900 million still hungry
Under-5 Mortality dropped 41%: progress; but not nearly cut by two-thirds
Maternal deaths about halved – but not cut by three-quarters
Clean drinking water target met, and slum target met; sanitation goal not met
Great progress against several diseases including TB and malaria
Progress on enrollments, but universal goal not met - 57 million children still not in
primary school – generally the poorest
Development assistance is now probably falling in real terms
 SOME CRITICISMS THAT WERE RAISED
CONCERNING THE ORIGINAL MDGS
FRAMEWORK
Not ambitious enough, it merely projects past rates of improvement
Goals not prioritized; stove-piped: overlooks goal complementarity
Setting a specific end date could discourage aid if targets not met
The $1.25 a day poverty measure misses intensity of poverty
$1.25 (or $1.90 as purchasing-power adjusted) per day is too low a bar
Lack of goals on reducing rich country agricultural subsidies, which harm low income farmers in developing
countries
Nothing on improving legal and human rights of the poor
No goals for slowing climate change harming developing countries
Nothing on expanding gender equity outside of / beyond education
15 years was too long to prod early action and accountability of leaders
No goal on global social safety net guaranteeing minimums of life
Did not seem to apply to developed countries except as aid donors
For discussion: As you read about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to what extent were these MDGs
criticisms addressed?
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Adopted by the UN on 26 Sept. 2015
To be achieved by 2030
Features 17 goals, with 169 targets
Go to https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org and search for 'sdgs'
New Underlying Principles:
‒ Universality principle: Applies to every nation (with action
encouraged from every sector)
‒ Integration principle: Must achieve all goals; to do so account
for their interrelationships
‒ Transformation principle: Not “piecemeal” steps
TABLE 1.1
THE 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for
all
Goal 7. Ensure access for all to affordable, reliable, sustainable, modern energy
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable
industrialisation
Source: and foster innovation
United Nations. See: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals
Table 1.1
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Continued)
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development,
provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global
partnership for sustainable development
Source: United Nations. See: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals
Table 1.2
Global Ambitions: Selected Targets of the Sustainable
Development Goals*
1.1 By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently
measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day
2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people… to safe, nutritious and
sufficient food all year round
2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the
internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of
age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating
women…
3.1 By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per
100,000 live births
3.2 By 2030… reduce neonatal mortality [below] 12 per 1,000 live births and
under-5 mortality [below] 25 per 1,000 live births
3.8 Achieve universal health coverage… access to quality essential health-care…
affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
4.1 By 2030 ensure all girls and boys complete free, equitable, quality primary and
secondary education…
Table 1.2
Global Ambitions: Selected Targets of the Sustainable
Development Goals* (Continued)
4.2 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood
development, care and pre-primary education
5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private
spheres, including trafficking, sexual, other types of exploitation
5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and
female genital mutilation
6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable
drinking water for all
6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene…
with attention to the needs of women and girls
7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy
services
8.1 Sustain… at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the
least developed countries
Table 1.2
Global Ambitions: Selected Targets of the Sustainable
Development Goals* (Continued)
10.1 By 2030… sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population
at a rate higher than the national average
11.1 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and
basic services and upgrade slums
12.4 By 2020, achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and
wastes… reduce their release to air, water and soil
13.a [Mobilize] $100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing
countries in the context of meaningful [climate change] mitigation
16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and
torture of children
17.12 Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on
a lasting basis for all least-developed countries…
*For the full target list see the SDG website: https://www.gapminder.org/
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals
 DISCUSSION TOPIC: THE SDGS
What are some key similarities and differences between the SDGs and the
earlier MDGs?
To what extent do the same criticisms apply to SDGs as were raised in the
past concerning the MDGs?
If you think one or more criticisms are addressed – at least in part – please
explain
Example: How significant is adopting the “Universality” principle?
If you think a new criticism is relevant – specific to SDGs, or that applies
also to MDGs but not listed above – please specify; explain
Regardless of your specific views about the SDGs: do you think it is better to
have these goals [or perhaps even any goals] than not to specify
international development goals? How, or why not?
Do you have a proposal for how to remedy a problem that you specify or
that has been raised?
IPE604: POLITICAL ECONOMY FOR DEVELOPMENT
COURSE OVERVIEW
Assessment:

- The course is graded out of 100, including;

- 50 points for the final exam and 50 points for the continuous assessment

- 20 points for the mid-term

- 20 points for the assignments, quizzes, presentations, research papers, etc.)

- 10 points for attendance*

* Attendance is compulsory. Any student who misses more than 25% of all courses is not entitled to take the
exam.