'It sells, but it does not fly': An early assessment of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development

In September 2015 the United Nations General Assembly formally accepted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More commonly known as the 'Sustainable Development Goals', the 2030 Agenda will reflect the values and direct the actions and the resources of the global development industry for the next decade and a half. We interviewed key informants - civil society representatives, government officials, and development practitioners - who were either part of or closely observed the process leading up to the publication of the SDGs. We asked them what their early assessment of Agenda 2030 was, and whether in their view, it would indeed, eliminate poverty, inequalities, and inequities by 2030. We have integrated these assessments with those published in the academic literature that has emerged since September 2015, to map the emerging narratives - critical and supportive. We have found some optimism about the broad outlines of the development project, but also significant scepticism about its detail. For the SDGs to be deemed a success, real development should aim to subvert reactionary elements, whilst at the same time working creatively, to forge new alliances in seeking out new agency. © 2017 Society for International Development.