Abstract:
Most developing and least developed countries are currently facing serious development
challenges that may enhanced if same old traditional development plans are still in
persistence. In the wake of the recently emerged global economic crises development
challenges are expected to increasing as a result of the adverse impact on the capabilities of
developed countries to offer needed assistance to developing countries. Since the 1992 Rio
Earth Summit and later the adoption of the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 and following the
declaration and adoption of the millennium development goals (MDG) in 2000 things on the
ground have not significantly improved. The United Nations’ recently released a report that
shows that most developing and least developed countries are far from reaching the MDG
targets set for the year 2015 (UN, 2010). The impacts are expected to exceed the continuous
widening of the gap between the developed and developing countries to the extent that might
badly affect sustainable development. After more than two decades from the adoption of the
notion “sustainable development”, it could be claimed the notion was portrayed in different
ways when comparing developed to developing countries. Developed countries treat
Sustainable development as an environmental concept placing the emphasis on intergenerational
equity focusing on future needs (Carter, 2001), while most developing countries
are placing emphasis on intra-generational equity focusing at present needs which are often
social and economic ones. Such different portrays played significant role in shaping the
capabilities of developing countries to meet the sustainable development challenges they are
facing and consequently in widening the gap between developing and developed nations.
