Quick Perspective on UN Secretary-General’s Vision for a Post-2015 Agenda

The briefing evaluates the UN Secretary-General's vision for the post-2015 development agenda, endorsing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the integration of human rights and ecosystem health. While praising the report's narrative, the author identifies critical gaps in target specificity, the definition of partnerships, and the role of the private sector in accountability frameworks. It specifically notes the need for a technical review of the 169 targets to ensure they are quantified and time-bound, and calls for more concrete proposals on development finance and the relationship between climate finance and development aid.

• The UN Secretary-General's Synthesis Report endorses 17 goals and 169 targets for the post-2015 development agenda, aiming to link inclusive economic growth, human well-being, and the preservation of healthy ecosystems while centering the international human rights framework.
• A 'technical review' of the 169 targets is necessary because most currently lack quantification or deadlines, which is essential for driving action and ensuring accountability.
• The report lacks specificity in finance and partnerships; it does not propose higher aid targets for the most vulnerable countries, fails to define how to scale partnerships, and leaves the question of a review process for development finance institutions unanswered.
• The document supports the call to replace GDP with alternative measures of progress that incorporate environmental and social dimensions, alongside mandatory environmental, social and governance reporting for corporations.
• The proposed accountability framework is considered a good start but is missing a dedicated role for the private sector and lacks a concrete proposal to fund national data collection for baseline data.

APA

World Resources Institute (2014). Quick Perspective on UN Secretary-General’s Vision for a Post-2015 Agenda. https://www.wri.org/insights/quick-perspective-un-secretary-generals-vision-post-2015-agenda

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Quick Perspective on UN Secretary-General’s Vision for a Post-2015 Agenda. 2014. https://www.wri.org/insights/quick-perspective-un-secretary-generals-vision-post-2015-agenda.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Quick Perspective on UN Secretary-General’s Vision for a Post-2015 Agenda |date=10 December 2014 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/quick-perspective-un-secretary-generals-vision-post-2015-agenda |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2014quick, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Quick Perspective on UN Secretary-General’s Vision for a Post-2015 Agenda}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/quick-perspective-un-secretary-generals-vision-post-2015-agenda}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }