SDG-16 Promoting Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Intersectoral Challenges and Policy Recommendations for Peace and Development

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Purpose: Sustainable Development Goal 16 focuses attention on the global governance mission simultaneously to promote peace and development. Global governance aspirations for peace and development have, however, faced three main challenges. First, geopolitics, the resurgence of realism in theory and practice, the abdication of leadership by the great powers, and increasing contestation between them. Second, the problem of silos. Despite an ongoing and growing recognition of the interdependencies between the different manifestations of global governance aimed at reconciling conflicting interests, generating (and distributing) collective good, and providing security for all, policy communities have shown reluctance to engage across thematic and operational divides. Third, considerations of cultural relativism, exceptionalism, and exclusion. Certain countries, regions, and groups are seen as being excluded from the “universal” narrative, are forced to occupy a subaltern position to that of the great powers within the instruments of global governance, or hail from a different epistemological background, and are, therefore, marginalized by the dominant discourse. This article explores what progress has been made in response to these challenges, as well as what further needs to be done.
Method: This research project used a qualitative approach consisting of literature review and document analysis. The results of this study should be supplemented by quantitative and qualitative studies in the future. The literature review consists of a comprehensive assessment of scholarly academic publications from competing perspectives in the fields of political and moral philosophy, public administration, and international relations. The document survey is mainly related to the policy documentation output of national governments and international organizations, as well as media reports.
Results: This article embraces the advances in intersectoral discourse and global governance policy recommendations, including international commissions, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and conceptualizations of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN), but emphasizes that this platform needs to be expanded in two directions; simultaneously championing all three sides of the nexus (rather than just any two of them), and mainstreaming human-centering in all governance policymaking. It further advocates taking an “overlapping consensus” approach that better reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the global community than does a one size fits all universalist approach and considers the potential for hybridity between perspectives. Finally, it reflects on the need for the empowerment of regional and subaltern voices, and leadership from these policy communities.
Conclusion: This article examines the evolution of attempts to promote peace and development through the instruments of global governance. It focuses on the intersectoral nature of challenges and thus policy prescription responses. These have culminated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular in SDG-16: Promoting Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, and in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN). These global governance initiatives have, however, faced the continuing challenges of geopolitics, silos, and relativism. Hence this article advocates searching for an overlapping consensus which empowers local and subaltern voices and addresses simultaneously all sides of the HDPN but with a particular emphasis on vulnerable individuals and groups - a lower case HDPN.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 3. Intersectorality and Universality
• 4. The HDPN
• 5. Human-centering in Global Development Governance
• 6. The Case for Relativism
• 7. Conclusion: Overlapping Consensus and Hybridization
• 8. References