Post-2015: Another chance to transform children’s lives

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

By Geeta Bandi-Philips, External Relations Manager, World Vision UK

When you look at your children, what comes to your mind? Do you think about their studies? Their clothes and maybe that you need to buy new school uniforms for them. Or that beautiful dress for your daughter or a T-shirt of your son’s favourite football team? Or do you sometimes just simply drift away and think about what they will be like in fifteen years time?

I certainly do all of the above. I plan for my children’s future, both immediate and distant. I talk to them about their aspirations and try my best to get a glimpse into their future fifteen years down the line in order to do the best I can as a mother.

By extraordinary luck, I get to do the same at work as well...this time it is not just about my own children but for millions around the world. I do it by working to influence the international process called Post-2015.

What is Post-2015?

In 2000, a set of global development goals to be achieved by 2015 were agreed to by countries around the world. These goals became known as the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and they have achieved so much in the past fourteen years. Since 1990 the proportion of people living on less than 80p per day has halved. More than two billion people have gained access to clean drinking water. And we've made many crucial gains in primary education, child survival, reductions in tuberculosis, malaria and HIV and AIDS.

Now as the MDGs come to an end in 2015, we have an amazing, once in a generation opportunity to set ourselves new goals to help our children achieve their full potential and be the best they can be. This international process is called Post-2015 and once established, these new goals will run until 2030.

We all know that the foundation for healthy, safe, sustainable and prosperous societies begins with healthy, safe, educated and cared for children. For the Post-2015 agenda to pull children out of poverty and improve their wellbeing we must make sure that new goals build on the progress we have made so far.

World Vision believes that the Post-2015 process should focus on a lifecycle approach which recognises that there are key moments in life that determine whether children have the opportunity to thrive or not. The first thousand days of each child’s life are critical as they lay the foundation on which their potential and that of their community’s is built. If we lost that small window of opportunity it cannot be recovered.

We are also acutely aware that of all the world’s children, the most vulnerable are those in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Millions of children live in fear for their lives and safety, have no access to the most basic nutrition, health care or education, and face little hope of a better future. The MDGs were unfortunately unable to reach these children successfully. Post-2015 gives us another chance to help transform their lives.

Read related post: The world we want to see for children after 2015

Read World Vision's recommendations for a post-2015 development agenda