Engaging the disenfranchised: developing countries and civil society in international governance for sustainable development: an agenda for research

This report presents a research agenda to investigate the problems and questions surrounding the participation of both delegates from developing nations, and civil society actors—particularly those from the developing world—in international regimes for sustainable development.

The report discusses what it means for each of these groups to be disenfranchised, and outline the specific barriers that prevent effective engagement. It also examines the specific challenges that the marginalisation of these actors poses for sustainable development governance.

In conclusion the report notes that:

• if effective policies are to be drafted to address these problems, then the process through which they are created must be considered legitimate, democratic and transparent
• meeting these challenges will demand institutional reform, so that governance structures adequately reflect the scale of environmental problems, and the interrelationships between the three pillars of sustainable development
• the importance of addressing both the rules currently governing participation, and the norms that underpin them should be recognised
• the first critical set of challenges calls for rethinking the meaning of participation, and the level of influence required for legitimate and effective multilateral governance
• for representatives of developing nations, this means ensuring their ability to influence policy discussions.
• for civil society, rethinking participation will require assessing the legitimacy and accountability of those civil society actors currently involved in international policy– making, and theorising how the future engagement of civil society as a whole can be more equitable and representative
• in the end these reforms will catalyse more fruitful multilateral discussions, and in the end, promote the implementation of policies that move closer toward the goals of sustainable development.