Barely two years remain before the 2015 deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), yet it has become painfully clear that many of the targets set out in the MDGs will not be met. With dialogue already underway on the form and content of a successor framework, it is imperative that a more effective sustainable development paradigm be agreed, one that avoids the pitfalls of the current process. While proposals on specific goals and targets are beginning to emerge, the global debate is currently centered on the principles and broad parameters that should underpin the new framework.