Agenda 2030 has triggered a phalanx of initiatives to expand the scale and scope of activities and actors addressing global challenges. One increasingly scrutinized area is the use of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) in the fields of development and humanitarian aid. This paper examines three projects that have piloted DLT use cases, including cash‐based transfers to Syrian refugees by the World Food Programme; illegal child trafficking in Moldova by the United Nations Office for Project Services; and microlending to social enterprises in Brazil by Moeda. The paper explores the use of blockchain technology with a view to understanding its implications for governance. It argues that the decentralization and disintermediation associated with the blockchain are not a given outcome in the cases explored for this paper. Rather, the DLT projects under examination have centralizing tendencies that empower the state while replacing traditional intermediaries with new ones that have expertise in code and blockchain. The paper identifies limitations associated with DLT solutions and offers policy recommendations to enhance the use of DLTs to accelerate the achievement of the sustainable development goals. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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This study reviews the post‐2005 national development strategies of 50 countries from diverse income groups, geographical locations, human development tiers and official development assistance (ODA) levels to assess Millennium Development Goal (MDG) absorption into development planning. Reviewing Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and non‐PRSP national strategies, the majority of the development plans have either adopted the MDGs as planning tools or ‘localized’ them in a meaningful way, using diverse adaptation strategies. A high correlation is detected between the income group, PRSP status and ODA reliance of countries, and their propensity to incorporate MDGs in their planning instruments. However, MDG alignment is not coterminous with greater pro‐poor or MDG‐oriented policies. Countries that have not integrated MDGs into their national plans were as likely to allocate government funds to social sectors as MDG aligners.

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