Writing Participation into the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Later this week the U.N. will vote on the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of international development targets that will replace the Millennium Development Goals, which expire at the end of 2015. The 17 new commitments include goals related to eradicating poverty, building sustainable cities, combating climate change, and more. Interestingly, the SDGs were agreed upon in a decidedly more collaborative and participatory process than the Millennium Development Goals. This included everything from thematic consultations to door-to-door surveys.