It often feels like our multilateral system is broken — or at least a little rusty. Syria crumbles as the world looks on.

Climate change decimates the abilities of the world’s poorest farmers to reap regular harvests and we cannot seemingly agree on how to respond despite overwhelming recognition of the problem.

However, for those concerned at the future of international co-operation, developments last week at the UN may provide comfort as Ban Ki-moon’s high level panel — co-chaired by the presidents of Indonesia and Liberia and the prime minister of the United Kingdom — unveil their plans for the next step in the global fight to end extreme poverty.

The Millennium Development Goals — internationally agreed targets to increase the length and quality of life of all people — were seen as a real and genuine act of multilateralism; the world working together to tackle a problem that shamed us all.

Despite much cynicism, the MDGs have shown that where agreement is reached in tandem with the political will to implement the vision, real and dramatic change will follow.

For example, the fourth MDG aimed to reduce child mortality by two-thirds. In 2011, 6.9 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday. This is still too many children but is far fewer than the 12 million who died before this age 20 years ago. It is clear that the MDGs have focused minds — and funding — to cut child deaths.

The world is also coming closer to achieving universal enrolment in primary education, with just over 90 per cent of children enrolled worldwide, nearly half of them girls. The MDG targets on education are, in large part, a reason why this has happened.

But progress in other areas has been patchy. The MDGs expire in just over a year and a half, and the process to agree a replacement could get bogged down in the kind of politicking that is sinking climate and trade talks.

If taken forward by UN member states, the recommendations in the new high level panel report have the potential to see a transformation in the prospects of children the world over. With political will, there can be an ambitious global agreement on what changes need to happen to reshape our world to the benefit of all — not just the few.

Fundamentally, it has a clear focus on eradicating extreme poverty and ending preventable child deaths by 2030. These are two issues that Save the Children has called for vocally and we welcome strongly.

The report includes issues that the MDGs left out, including sustainability — it is particularly important to bring debates about human development and environmental sustainability together — and conflict. And it deals head on with eliminating all forms of violence against children.

It also tackles the politically very thorny issue of inequality. While falling short of a standalone goal on income inequality, it says very clearly that targets will only be met if their benefits are felt within all key economic and social groups. In addition, it calls for structural transformation of our economies to make them more inclusive by doing things like regulating tax havens. This kind of systemic approach should address the roots of income inequality.

Of course, the report isn’t perfect and as this discussion continues, Save the Children would like to see a much stronger emphasis on universal access to high health quality services, including universal health coverage. We would like to see improved learning outcomes for all children in school. And there should also be further consideration of targets to address income inequality directly.

This success owes much to the composition and commitment of the panel itself. Learning the lessons of their own development experience and the European economic crisis, African and Asian representatives rightly fought hard to ensure an emphasis on sharing the benefits of growth, reducing inequalities and transforming economies to help lift their people out of poverty. 

It is now up to UN member states to take this agenda forward and ensure that it doesn’t become a hostage to narrow interests.

We must now ensure that we continue with the progress made by the MDGs, and this time that everyone benefits, even the hardest to reach children in the most remote areas of conflict-affected countries.

Hussein Halane is regional director, Save the Children Eastern Africa Office.