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What comes after 2015?

Following criticism that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were not the outcome of wide consultation, the suc- cessor targets are now the subject of all manner of opportunities for everyone to provide input.

The UN has launched a ‘My World’ survey (www.myworld2015.org) which is intended to allow citizens from all over the world (so long, of course, that they are able to access the internet) to vote on issues they believe are priorities and should be addressed by world leaders. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a video message asking people to ‘... make a difference. Mark a difference.’

Then in early March there was a High Level Dialogue on Health in the Post- 2015 Development Agenda hosted in Gaborone. With a logo of a lot of people with their hands in the air and a slogan of ‘The World we Want 2015’ this Dia- logue was said to be the culmination of 6 months of consultation on how health should be addressed in the post-2015 development agenda. It formed a part of the UN Development Group-led efforts to catalyse a ‘global conversation’ on the post 2015 agenda through national, re- gional, and thematic consultations.

So for those of us who felt the MDGs ‘rather appeared from nowhere’, it is time to have your say now or forever hold your peace! Interestingly early feedback from the MyWorld survey is indicating that education is topping the agenda as being the issue that is most important in improving lives, with an honest and responsive government, health, water, sanitation, and job and food security also featuring strongly. Outcome of the High Level Dialogue seems to have been a consensus that the health-related MDGs (4, 5, and 6) had led the MDG agenda and brought unprecedented money and political profile to health. Significant gains have been recorded. But on the negative front it was felt that they had failed to encompass human rights, eq- uity, democracy, and governance. The lack of equity in particular was felt to be an important failing.

In my opinion the ‘successor goals’ need to become more people oriented. More well-supported civil society cham- pions of key causes will help take things to the next level. Top down has held the sway so far, but we now need to shift the emphasis and empower and trust civil society to take matters forward. Gov- ernment still has its vital role to play in providing the framework for action, but Africa’s horizon has changed dramati- cally since 2000 and civil society is now able and willing to tackle the key issues at the community level in a transparent and accountable way. The changing bur- den of disease also needs adding. The non-communicable diseases are with us.

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All best.

Bryan Pearson
bryan*@*fsg.co.uk