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Global Sustainable Development Governance: Institutional Challenges from a Theoretical Perspective

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  • Joyeeta Gupta

    (Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam)

Abstract

This paper submits that efforts to achieve sustainable development at global level call for, inter alia, institutional reform. It argues that there is no optimal institutional design, and that different schools of thought have different perspectives of the future. It briefly presents the history of institutional evolution in the area of sustainable development up to the latest developments in the context of the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development. This history sets the context for the rest of the discussions. It then presents a taxonomy of the various options suggested in the literature for improving the institutional structure of the United Nations in order to achieve sustainable development. This paper critically examines the feasibility of these options from the perspective of the different schools of thought in international relations theory. It argues that from the point of view of idealistic supranationalists, a hierarchic supranational environment and/or development organisation should be established to integrate and coordinate activities in the UN in order to promote sustainable development governance. It argues that from a realist/neo-realist and neo-liberal institutionalist approach, coordination, whether hierarchical or horizontal, is doomed to failure. From a historical materialist approach all efforts at institutional design are likely to lead to asymmetrical results reflecting global power relations. This paper concludes with a speculative argument that institutional design is not a question of the best architectural option, but calls for multiple pathways including strengthening of individual organisations, promoting the progressive development of the law of sustainable development, developing a high level advisory body to advise the Secretary General, promoting the concept of the decentralised network organisation and possibly finding ways to cluster regimes. The effectiveness of these multiple efforts are dependent on the support of civil society. In order for sustainable development to take the key concerns of developing countries into account, it is necessary that institutions are able to represent the variety of views of their members and that countries develop good policies domestically.

Suggested Citation

  • Joyeeta Gupta, 2002. "Global Sustainable Development Governance: Institutional Challenges from a Theoretical Perspective," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 2(4), pages 361-388, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ieaple:v:2:y:2002:i:4:d:10.1023_a:1021387308065
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1021387308065
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Duncan French, 2002. "The Role of the State and International Organizations inReconciling Sustainable Development and Globalization," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 135-150, June.
    2. Peter Newell, 2001. "New Environmental Architectures and the Search for Effectiveness," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 1(1), pages 35-44, February.
    3. Daniel Esty, 1994. "Greening the GATT: Trade, Environment, and the Future," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number 40, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Agni Kalfagianni & Oran R. Young, 2022. "The politics of multilateral environmental agreements lessons from 20 years of INEA," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 245-262, June.
    2. Edith Kauffer & Carmen Maganda, 2022. "The adoption of global water norms in Central America: What separates normative coherence from normative hegemony?," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(S1), June.
    3. Charles Chester & William Moomaw, 2008. "A taxonomy of collaborative governance: a guide to understanding the diversity of international and domestic conservation accords," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 187-206, September.
    4. Sebastian Oberthür & Thomas Gehring, 2004. "Reforming International Environmental Governance: An Institutionalist Critique of the Proposal for a World Environment Organisation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 359-381, December.
    5. Maria Federica Cordova & Andrea Celone, 2019. "SDGs and Innovation in the Business Context Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-14, December.

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