The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have as from January 2016 replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be the main international mechanism for guiding development in all United Nations member states until 2030. These global goals concern a wide range of targets, including poverty alleviation, economic growth and environmental objectives. National governments, however, cannot realize these ambitious goals on their own. Collective and individual efforts at the local, national and international levels are necessary. Moreover, governments will need the broad involvement of other stakeholders, such as the private sector, the general public and civil society organizations (CSOs). Four critical roles were identified that CSOs can play in the “localization” of these goals. These roles were discussed and validated by two African think tank dialogues that involved civil society actors as well as other local and international experts.
