The Journey to the Sustainable Development Goals

The document outlines the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which ended in September 2015, to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda ending in 2030. It details the role of the 30-member Open Working Group (OWG) in creating 17 goals and 169 targets through a consultative process involving civil society. The text defines sustainable development based on the 1987 Brundtland report and discusses the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), which acknowledges that developed countries bear greater responsibility for environmental degradation. It also highlights South Africa's role in negotiating the SDGs via the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and its leadership of the G77+ China group.

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) differ from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in three primary ways: they address a changed global landscape including the global financial crisis and climate change, they were created through a broad-based consultative process involving the Open Working Group and civil society, and they apply to all countries regardless of development status.
• Sustainable development is defined by the 1987 Brundtland Commission report as the "ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," establishing a framework that links economic, social, and environmental concerns.
• The principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), originating from the 1992 Rio Declaration, asserts that while all states share a responsibility to protect the environment, developed countries bear a higher burden due to their historical contributions to environmental degradation and their superior financial and technological resources.
• South Africa's engagement with the SDGs is led by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), with its national position informed by the National Development Plan (NDP) and a focus on poverty, inequality, and job scarcity.
• Following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, critical unresolved issues include the Means of Implementation (MoI), the establishment of a formal monitoring process via a proposed High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and the decline of overseas donor aid (ODA) for middle-income countries.

APA

Kosciulek, D. (2015). The Journey to the Sustainable Development Goals. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/news/factsheet-the-journey-to-the-sustainable-development-goals/

Chicago

Kosciulek, Desirée. The Journey to the Sustainable Development Goals. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/news/factsheet-the-journey-to-the-sustainable-development-goals/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kosciulek |first1=Desirée |title=The Journey to the Sustainable Development Goals |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=16 September 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/news/factsheet-the-journey-to-the-sustainable-development-goals/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kosciulek2015journey, author = {Kosciulek, Desirée}, title = {{The Journey to the Sustainable Development Goals}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/news/factsheet-the-journey-to-the-sustainable-development-goals/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }