Briefing Paper 28. After the MDGs – what then?

This paper examines some of the debates taking place as we approach 2015, the target date for attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It provides reflections, drawn from discussions with donor agencies and international NGOs, on what the focus will be for international development work after that date. Will it be more of the same – nationally based targets to reduce poverty? Will it be a more refined approach with targets reflecting the specific needs of diverse groups of the poor? Or will it be something radically different, involving a revolution in the way we think about how to overcome problems of poverty and marginalisation?