Governance and institutions

The departments, ministries, groups or governments that implement economic, social and environmental policies—like those reviewed in the previous chapters—are as important for achieving development goals as the policies themselves. There is evidence that developing countries that started MDG implementation with good policies and institutions have done better in achieving these goals (Go and Quijada, 2011). Institutions go beyond national Governments, although Governments play a fundamental role in integrating and working with all relevant institutions. The Millennium Declaration recognized that success in meeting development goals depends, inter alia, on good governance within each country. This chapter reviews the roles of national governance and institutions as critical enablers to achieving development goals, focusing on MDG efforts since 2000, as much as the available evidence permits. The review serves to draw lessons for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which will seek to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels (for example, as proposed in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16).

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development