Germany’s role in the 2030 Agenda: a view from South Africa

The paper examines the role of Germany in supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development from a South African perspective. It highlights the tension between the need for global public goods and a rising trend of protectionism in the North. The author argues that Germany, as a resilient economy with a history of positive engagement with developing countries, is uniquely positioned to facilitate partnerships and advocate for structural reforms—such as addressing illicit financial flows—to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are met.

• The 2030 Agenda differs from the Millennium Development Goals by applying to all nations, including industrialised ones, and acknowledging that sustainable development requires respecting planetary boundaries.
• South Africa emphasizes five priorities for the developed North regarding the 2030 Agenda: building on MDG unfinished business, respecting common but differentiated responsibilities in resource allocation, establishing a binding timetable for upscaling Official Development Assistance (ODA), keeping climate finance separate from ODA, and ensuring effective global partnerships.
• Germany is viewed as uniquely capable of bridging North-South differences due to its economic resilience and history of constructive engagement with developing countries, which contrasts with the current rise of protectionist rhetoric in other developed nations.
• To increase development funding, the document suggests a strategy of making smarter use of existing resources and using public funds to leverage private sector contributions, a policy long held by German development Ministers.
• The author recommends that Germany use its 2017 G20 chair to integrate the 2030 Agenda and advocate for issues critical to developing economies, specifically the regulation of illicit financial flows and commercial tax evasion, such as abusive transfer pricing.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2017). Germany’s role in the 2030 Agenda: a view from South Africa. https://saiia.org.za/research/germanys-role-in-the-2030-agenda-a-view-from-south-africa/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Germany’s role in the 2030 Agenda: a view from South Africa. 2017. https://saiia.org.za/research/germanys-role-in-the-2030-agenda-a-view-from-south-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Germany’s role in the 2030 Agenda: a view from South Africa |date=25 January 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/germanys-role-in-the-2030-agenda-a-view-from-south-africa/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2017germanys, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Germany’s role in the 2030 Agenda: a view from South Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/germanys-role-in-the-2030-agenda-a-view-from-south-africa/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }