In September 2015, the heads of state and government of the United Nations (UN) Member States are scheduled to decide on the Post-2015 agenda. This is to include not only a list of universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also a mechanism for monitoring and review. What would the review mechanism have to look like to contribute to the implementation of sustainable development? Marianne Beisheim, researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) examines the debate taking place over the review process, highlights the positions of selected key actors, discusses criteria for designing a review, and applies these to analyze and assess existing review systems. Finally, she develops specific proposals for a universal, state-led, participatory, multi-level “Commit and Review” process that could serve as a central component of the follow-up process for the Post-2015 goals.

Author: Marianne Beisheim, German Institute for International and Security Affairs