This work consists in a critical examination of an argument which purports to prove that unless the mainstream model which dominates the development industry changes, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will become a missed opportunity to eradicate poverty. The work is structured into three sections (plus an introduction and a conclusion) as follows: section one provides an overview of the previous UN policy agenda, the Millennium Development Goals; section two examines the SDGs framework as articulated in the 2030 Agenda. Building upon the latter, section three inquires why socio-economic growth should be the sole measure of human progress.

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