From the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063: Lessons for Africa

A promising start for the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 offer an opportunity for Africa to complete the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals. They provide important prototypes for States to develop and strengthen their national long-term development visions. Integrating the two agendas into a common framework, and ensuring that national development plans are adapted to them, will provide opportunities to promote policy coherence as well as minimize duplication and the reporting burden. This will also position development partners to support a single coherent set of development priorities. Development partners will need to support African States by devising a coherent framework that integrates both agendas in a balanced way.

The Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 come at time of renewed interest in national long-term development planning in Africa. These global and regional development frameworks promise hope for accelerated, inclusive and sustainable development in Africa. The international development aspirations, goals and targets create positive competition among member countries; they are also an important platform for rallying national development practitioners in government, civil society and the private sector as well as development partners towards a common cause.