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Sustainable development goals and good governance nexus: Implementation challenges in central Asia

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  • Colin Knox
  • Serik Orazgaliyev

Abstract

The Transforming the World 2030 agenda stresses the interconnectedness and indivisibility of sustainable development goals. This presents a major challenge for authoritarian states, specifically in implementing SDG16: promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing justice for all, and building effective and inclusive institutions. Existing research points to good governance as a sine qua non for implementing SDGs. Using Central Asia as a case study, we investigate the link between good governance and the implementation of SDGs in authoritarian states. We find variable but overall weak performance on governance indicators across Central Asia. If SDGs are indivisible, then autocracies are destined to fail the global sustainable development agenda because SDG16 challenges the type of regime in place. This is not to deny the SDG commitments made and some progress that has been achieved in these autocracies but rather to highlight that weak governance in autocratic states and those characteristics which define them are major impediments to long‐term sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Colin Knox & Serik Orazgaliyev, 2024. "Sustainable development goals and good governance nexus: Implementation challenges in central Asia," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(4), pages 237-251, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:padxxx:v:44:y:2024:i:4:p:237-251
    DOI: 10.1002/pad.2038
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ian C. Elliott & Jose A. Puppim de Oliveira & Alfred M. Wu, 2024. "Reflections on 75 years of Public Administration and Development," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(4), pages 233-236, October.
    2. Ali Hamid & Rayed Obaid Hammoud AlObaid, 2025. "Achieving sustainable development goals: do governance and foreign direct investment matter?," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.

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