The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), set for the target year of 2015, have brought human development issues to the global centre-stage. The MDGs, which address issues ranging from poverty and hunger, health, education to environmental sustainability and global partnership, have provided a roadmap to governments towards a better future for the world. With the MDG deadline drawing near, the global conversation is slowly crystallising around a new set of goals, to be termed as 'Sustainable Development Goals'. However, there has been a lack of effective participation of the countries of Global South in this conversation. Since the MDGs were drawn up in 2000, many Southern countries have emerged as key players on the world stage. Therefore, it is imperative that the Southern voices are heard and have a leading role in setting the agenda for development in the post- 2015 years.

In the light of this international discourse and the urgent need for Southern voices to effectively participate in the global conversation around the post-2015 development agenda, this volume carries the voices of the experts and academicians in order to strengthen the recommendations for a Southern-led, Southern-focused post-2015 development agenda globally. It is hoped that the papers from across the globe, with an introduction, contained in this volume will help in building a momentum around shaping the agenda by engaging a diverse set of stake-holders.

This publication has been funded by Government of UK, Department for International Development under the Knowledge Partnership Programme (KPP), implemented by IPE Global Pvt. Ltd. However, the views expressed are of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies.