Integrating Governance into the Sustainable Development Goals

to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the discussion on the Post-2015 Development Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is beginning to gather momentum. Existing literature on the MDGs points out that countries’ achievement of the goals varies significantly, given the general "one size fits all" nature of the MDGs (Vandermoortele 2011). Others also point out that MDGs lack overall objectives and perspectives on what needs to happen after the MDGs are achieved – namely, concrete plans and indicators for developing countries to leapfrog towards sustainability are missing. Taking this critique into account, the following three points have great importance for the post-2015 MDGs framework: (1) set global benchmarks as well as bottom-up goals in line with national circumstances that are practical and clear, (2) set universal goals for both developing and developed countries, including issues such as climate change, human rights and human security, and governance, along with strengthening cooperation among stakeholders, and (3) set intermediate goals and identify criteria for achievement of the goals (Poku et al. 2011; Moss 2010; Vandermoortele 2011;Guardian 2010; Koehler et al, 2012). Recently, there has been growing discussions supporting a convergence of development and environmental agendas in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Particularly, the discussion on the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which was set in motion through the outcome (The Future We Want) of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held in Rio de Janeiro, June 2012. In the outcome, governments agreed on the necessity of balancing economic, environmental, and social dimensions to achieve sustainable development. Secondly, the United Nations High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLPEP), which was created by a General Assembly resolution in 2010, has promoted a discourse favouring the complementarity of the SDGs and Post-2015 Development Agenda. While most of the countries agree to unify SDGs in the post-2015 process, it is still unclear how to integrate the two processes. Against this background, this paper considers the future discussions on the SDGs by analyzing a questionnaire on SDGs issued by the Secretariat for the SDG process, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA ) between October and November 2012. Furthermore, it also explores the implications on the future discussion points to be considered in future working meetings of the OWG. Integrating Governance into the Sustainable Development Goals