The Millennium Development Goals and local processes: hitting the target or missing the point?

This compilation of articles focuses on the local processes that can deliver the MDGs with regard to poverty reduction and sustainable resource use. It addresses the following questions:

• How can international agencies ensure support for the local processes needed to achieve the MDGs on the ground?
• What changes are needed in monitoring progress towards meeting the MDGs?
• If governments and international agencies focus more on the MDGs, what might be marginalised, especially regarding civil and political rights, decentralisation and democracy?

Articles of the compilation include:

• "The Millennium Development Goals and poverty reduction", by David Satterthwaite, suggests that a lot more attention should be given to supporting local processes that deliver for the poor and that are accountable to the poor.
• "Beyond inaccurate crisis narratives: meeting the water and sanitation MDGs", by Gordon McGranahan, points out that there is a need to find the best way of securing international support for the local initiatives, rather than defining what those initiatives will look like.
• "Feeding the Future? Agri-food systems and the Millennium Development Goals", by John Thompson, makes it clear that greater efforts must be made to find the "keys to inclusion" for small and medium producers, processors and traders in the global market place.
• "How will West African countries meet the MDGs?", by Camilla Toulmin and Bara Guèye, points out that a firm commitment from national government and donor partners is needed to build the capacities to making local governance accountable and effective, because a local level approach is the only feasible way forward in achieving the MDGs.