Delegate A: “And cats? Can we include cats?” Chairperson: “Yes, of course. We support the wellbeing of dogs and cats.”
The cynical reader will probably be saying “hey, haven’t they already tried that, like, thousands of times before, and it hasn’t worked?” Well, actually no. Something strange happened with the MDGs — they kind of worked! Across all of the goals progress was made, some of it impressive. This is a flippant and facetious view, but it is not far from the truth. The missing middle — the miracle bit — is the measurement and tracking part. The SDGs build on this “measurable” approach and also include one thing the MDGs did not. The private sector. Private sector engagement is acknowledged as critical if the SDGs are to have any hope of success. There are four elements underpinning this engagement.