The adoption of the Millennium Declaration in 2000 by all Member States of the United Nations was a defining moment for global development cooperation. In recognition of the need to translate this commitment into action, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted. The MDGs have defined a common framework of priorities for the development community.
In 2010, the UN General Assembly convened to review progress on the MDG targets and agreed on a concrete action plan to accelerate progress towards their full achievement by 2015. It also called on the UN System to lead the international discussion on post-2015 development agenda. In 2012, the UN Secretary General established a 26-member High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons to prepare a “bold yet practical development vision” for the Post-2015 development agenda with “shared responsibilities for all countries and with the fight against poverty and sustainable development at its core.”
The development dialogue seminar will focus on the outcomes of the post-2015 consultation processes that have now taken place at regional and national levels in Africa, and how the results of these consultation processes can guide future government policies and spending on social and economic development. The seminar will discuss the understanding of development priorities from perspectives of a range of state and non-state actors in Africa on the unfinished MDG agenda, new and neglected issues, and thinking on post-2015 development goals.
About the speaker
Dr Babatunde Omilola is the Economic Advisor with the UNDP in South Africa. Previously, he served as the UNDP Regional Poverty Reduction Practice Leader for Eastern and Southern Africa. Prior to joining UNDP, he worked with the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He has served as an Economic Advisor to many African governments and institutions. He holds both MPhil and DPhil degrees with specialty in Development Economics from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.