Abstract
This chapter delves into the UN's orchestrating role in aligning sustainable development with global governance via the SDGs. It traces the evolution from Agenda 21 to the SDGs' 2015 adoption, showcasing the inclusive process and wide stakeholder consensus. The analysis covers the UN's success in mobilizing stakeholders, promoting partnerships, and embedding the SDGs in policy frameworks, while addressing the challenges like their non-binding nature, state disparities, and complex actor coordination. Recommendations include enhancing SDGs' legal frameworks, boosting support for developing nations, and strengthening monitoring and accountability. Highlighting the need to tackle inequalities, raise awareness, and adapt to new challenges, the chapter affirms the UN's essential role in steering global governance towards sustainable development, offering strategies to navigate the SDGs' complexities and enhance their implementation.
TopBackground
The UN's target-based global governance initiatives began in 1992 with Agenda 21, adopted at the Earth Summit, also known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Agenda 21 is a comprehensive action plan involving organizations within the UN system, governments, and major groups, addressing all areas affected by human interaction with the environment. It was adopted by more than 178 governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 3-14, 1992, along with the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Statement of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests (UN, 1992a).
Key Terms in this Chapter
International Development: It represents an interdisciplinary field that aims to ameliorate international inequalities and redistribute prosperity in sociological, economic, and political terms. Within the framework of human development, it aims to tackle all inequalities and underdevelopment problems, especially the fight against poverty.
International Cooperation: International cooperation refers to collaboration based on division of labor and partnership among national and international actors to achieve a common goal. It encompasses the joint actions of actors from local, regional, and international levels. Therefore, international cooperation is a process based on coordinated policies, strategies, and plans among actors.
Goal-setting Governance: This governance strategy involves integrating globally accepted goals into global governance, gathering, and coordinating actors around specific objectives. Goal-setting governance facilitates the development of multilateral solutions by leveraging the global governance structure to overcome challenges that arise in achieving these goals.
Global Governance: Global governance refers to institutions that coordinate the behavior and actions of the international system’s actors, help ensure cooperation, resolve disputes, and promote collective action. It requires the establishment, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of rules and conventions on issues with global repercussions.
Global Partnership: For parts of the world, it involves organizing all actors in the international arena, from individuals to international organizations. In this context, an international partnership involving various actors including international organizations, governments, civil society organizations, and private companies is being constructed to achieve the SDGs.
Sustainable Development: Sustainable development is built on three pillars: economic development, social inclusion, and environmental protection. It requires meeting the needs of today's societies without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs and without risking the planet's life. Sustainable development moves the fight against various problems such as economic inequality, social instability, and environmental destruction to the international policy agenda.