The Future

Much has changed since the Utstein Four burst onto the international scene twenty years ago: a resurgent nationalism and xenophobia are undermining efforts to address global problems. Yet, the world today in many respects is a better place than it was twenty years ago: the share of the global population living in absolute poverty is the lowest in human history; people are better educated and nourished, and live longer and healthier lives. Many challenges remain: while global inequality has declined, within country inequality has increased; women still fare worse than men in practically all aspects of the human condition; and climate change is inexorably marching on, threatening the very existence of humankind. Still, it has been said that a peaceful earth inhabited by about ten billion people without anyone suffering poverty is not a wild fantasy. It is feasible. That is what the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are about. Among the many things the U4 were credited with was their contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. The last chapter tries to draw lessons from the U4 experience of twenty years ago that can be useful in addressing the future challenges humanity faces in achieving the SDGs.