From the Editor

Once in a Generation

World leaders will come together three times—in July, September, and December—to press for progress in the fight against poverty and to forge partnerships in support of better-quality life around the world.

In July, government officials and representatives from civil society organizations, donor groups, and the private sector will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to secure the financing needed to lift millions out of extreme poverty.

The global community assembles again in New York in September to review progress under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which expire this year, and to adopt new ones—the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—that map out development through 2030.

Finally, in December, participants at the United Nations summit on climate change in Paris will work toward a set of environmental targets aimed at ensuring a sustainable future.

Efforts such as these always generate debate and sometimes skepticism. The complexity of the proposed SDGs—17 in total with 169 subtargets—has prompted some critics to question their value.

But as IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde reminds us in this issue, the world has seen strong gains since the MDGs’ adoption in 2000. This year’s alignment of events, she argues, is a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to focus minds, forge partnerships, and find solutions.

This issue of F&D takes stock of the world’s development agenda, examining how we can best seize this opportunity.

Charles Kenny, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, looks at progress on the development agenda...

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