scholarly journals Multi-stakeholder Initiative for Sustainable Development: An English School Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Verdinand Robertua Siahaan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Multinational Corporation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
English School ◽  
World Summit ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

AbstrakKolaborasi perusahaan multinasional, organisasi masyarakat sipil dan pemerintah sangat penting untuk melaksanakan pembangunan berkelanjutan. Munculnya inisiatif multi-stakeholder dianggap sebagai solusi untuk membawa pelaku yang berbeda bekerja sama dalam melindungi lingkungan dan pengelolaan pembangunan. Namun, kritikus berpendapat bahwa MSIs mengalami kekurangan akuntabilitas, legitimasi dan efektivitas. Penelitian ini akan menggunakan English School Theory (EST) untuk mengatasi perdebatan dengan menggunakan studi kasus tahun 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) atau konferensi Johannesburg. Pertanyaan penelitian ini adalah bagaimana memahami MSIs untuk pembangunan berkelanjutan menggunakan EST. Artikel ini menggunakan kerangka kerja konseptual untuk mengevaluasi legitimasi, efektivitas dan akuntabilitas MSIs untuk pembangunan berkelanjutan.Kata kunci : korporasi multinasional, multi-stakeholder initiative AbstractCollaboration of multinational corporation, civil society organizations and governments is critical in implementing sustainable development. Emergence of multi-stakeholder initiatives is considered as a solution to bring different actors work together in protecting environment and managing development. However, the critics argue that MSIs are lack of accountability, legitimacy and effectiveness. This research will use English School Theory (EST) to address this debate with the case study of 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) or Johannesburg conference. The research question is on how to understand MSIs for sustainable development using EST. This article advances a conceptual framework for evaluating the legitimacy, effectiveness and accountability of MSIs for sustainable development.Keywords : multinational corporation, multi-stakeholder initiative

scholarly journals Accountability and governance in pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals: conceptualising how governments create value

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhash Abhayawansa ◽  
Carol A. Adams ◽  
Cristina Neesham
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
National Governments

PurposeDrawing on Adams (2017a) conceptualisation of value creation by organisations published in the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, the purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptualisation of how national governments can create value for society and the economy through their approach to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Design/methodology/approachAn initial conceptual framework was developed from literature situated at the intersection of accountability, public policy and sustainability/sustainable development. The authors' review of extant research on national policy development on value creation, sustainability and the SDGs identified gaps in (understanding of) approaches to national accountability and national governance (by state and civil society) processes. The subsequent thematic analysis of 164 written submissions made to the Australian Senate inquiry on the SDGs between December 2017 and March 2018, together with transcripts of five public hearings where 49 individuals and organisations appeared as witnesses during the second half of 2018, focussed on addressing these gaps.FindingsInput to the Australian Senate Inquiry on the SDGs overwhelmingly emphasised the importance of transparency and stakeholder participation in accountability systems, commenting on data gathering, measuring and communicating. There was an emphasis on the need to involve all parts of society, including business, investors and civil society, and for strong central co-ordination by the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. These data allowed the authors to refine the conceptualisation of how national governments can enhance social and economic value through a focus on the UN SDGs and their approach to accounting, accountability and governance.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications: for national governments in developing approaches to achieve sustainable development; and, for supranational bodies such as the UN in developing agreements, frameworks and guidance for national governments.Originality/valueBuilding on the extant literature about how global governance should be engaged to improve accountability in achieving the SDGs, the conceptual framework developed through the study shifts focus to national governance and accountability, and provides a blueprint for national governments to create value for the economy and society in the face of global sustainable development issues.

Ethical Appraisal of the Role of Civil Society in Nigeria

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Essien D. Essien
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Significant Implication ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Inclusive Society

Contemporary studies surrounding the creation of civil society in Africa have revealed two important findings. First, despite the effort of civil society organizations in supporting inclusive democratic governance, promoting participation, advocating for transparency and accountability, sustainable development and stability remain elusive due to the challenges of social exclusion. Second, institutions central to the exercise of governmental powers exhibit inefficiency, weakness, lack transparency, and low credibility which worsen extreme poverty, inequality, and deprivation. Drawing upon extensive contemporary literature on social exclusion and inclusive growth, this study examines the role of civil society organisations as a pathway for social inclusion and sustainable development. Findings reveal that the management and distribution of services in the Nigerian society is largely inefficient and exclusionary, leading to myriad of social problems. This study has a significant implication for cumulative research on the subject of inclusive society and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Dissent in Consensusland: An Agonistic Problematization of Multi-stakeholder Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 164 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Fougère ◽  
Nikodemus Solitander
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Palm Oil ◽  
Pressure Response ◽  
Business And Society ◽  
Transnational Governance ◽  
Political Csr ◽  
Democratic Control ◽  
Building Safety ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

AbstractMulti-stakeholder initiatives involve actors from several spheres of society (market, civil society and state) in collaborative arrangements to reach objectives typically related to sustainable development. In political CSR literature, these arrangements have been framed as improvements to transnational governance and as being somehow democratic. We draw on Mouffe’s works on agonistic pluralism to problematize the notion that consensus-led multi-stakeholder initiatives bring more democratic control on corporate power. We examine two initiatives which address two very different issue areas: the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety (The Accord). We map the different kinds of adversarial relations involved in connection with the issues meant to be governed by the two initiatives, and find those adversarial relations to take six main shapes, affecting the initiatives in different ways: (1) competing regulatory initiatives; (2) pressure-response relations within multi-stakeholder initiatives; (3) pressure-response relations between NGOs and states through multi-stakeholder initiatives; (4) collaboration and competition between multi-stakeholder initiatives and states; (5) pressure-response relations between civil society actors and multi-stakeholder initiatives; and (6) counter-hegemonic movements against multi-stakeholder initiatives as hegemonic projects. We conclude that multi-stakeholder initiatives cannot be democratic by themselves, and we argue that business and society researchers should not look at democracy or politics only internally to these initiatives, but rather study how issue areas are regulated through interactions between a variety of actors—both within and without the multi-stakeholder initiatives—who get to have a legitimate voice in this regulation.

scholarly journals Social Media for Enhancing Civil Society and Disaster Relief: Usage by Local Municipalities in Japan

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Muneo Kaigo ◽  
Leslie Tkach-Kawasaki
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Municipal Governments ◽  
Social Networking Services ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Local Municipalities ◽  
Local Municipality

This main focus of this article is a case study that analyzes social media usage by a local municipality in Japan, and on the possibilities and problems of complementary communication channels such as social networking services for promoting civil society activities and linking civil society organizations. We examine how in the past, Japanese municipalities have been using social media and social networking services for enhancing civil society and how social networking services are a potential tool that can provide vital information and connect citizens, municipal governments and civil society. This article focuses on the first phase of the Tsukuba Civic Activities Cyber-Square [Tsukuba Shimin Katsudō no Hiroba] on Facebook Experiment in 2012 and how it functioned during and after the May 6, 2012 Tsukuba city tornado disaster for the subsequent relief and support activities during May 2012.

scholarly journals Collective Action on Public Goods for Sustainable Development: Ethics in Action

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-27
Author(s):  
Lichia Y iu ◽  
Raymond Saner ◽  
Roland Bardy
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Public Goods ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Stakeholder Group ◽  
Moral Foundation ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Private And Public

Maintaining and expanding public goods is synonymous with promoting sustainable development but discussions are needed to clarify how policies need to be coordinated to enable collective action on public goods. Collective action for Public Goods will only be successful if all who partake in such actions can gain complimentary benefits that would be either more costly or impossible to achieve without the collective effort. Such complementary benefits are possible provided all stakeholders contributing to the public good of social peace and social cohesion cooperate with each other and preserve this and other public goods be they citizens, civil society organizations, all public authorities and all business firms. This concerted effort for a good cause can certainly be coined “ethics in action” – a notion which exhibits the moral foundation of the private and public choices inherent in sustainable development implementation of which interactions amongst stakeholders are no longer transactional, but rather aspiring toward greater good. Civil society organizations are key stakeholders producing, maintaining, and benefitting from Public Goods. They should strive for full inclusion, as there are many people who are either excluded or under-provided with respect to public goods. Public authorities, another key stakeholder group, need to cooperate with other stakeholders through collaborative frameworks and mechanisms for collective action that bind states and international organizations at a global scale. Another important stakeholder group, private and public enterprises need to operate within a level playing field globally, conduct business based on Responsible Business criteria and be welcomed to contribute to Public Goods creation in a sustainable and proactive manner without causing negative impacts due to their business activities. This paper presents and discusses how collective action can be achieved through concerted efforts by all members of society aiming to produce and maintain public goods essential for the sustained and equitable functioning of society. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development serves as a shared roadmap in achieving a shared future. Keywords: Collective Action, Public Goods, Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, UN Agenda 2030.

scholarly journals Discovering the Future Canadians Want: Insights from the We Canada Cross-Country Tour

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Nasteska and V. Wee
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Earth Summit ◽  
Environment And Development ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Heads Of State

In 1972, the first United Nations Conference on Human Environment (UNCED) was held in Stockholm, Sweden. At the conference, government officials from industrialized and developing nations met alongside civil society organizations to create the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “This conference put environmental issues on the international agenda for the first time, and marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics. It has also been recognized as the beginning of modern political and public awareness of global environmental issues” (Baylis & Smith, 2005, pp. 454-455). Twenty years later, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro. One hundred and seventy two government officials participated, of which 108 were heads of state (United Nations, 1992, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, para. 1). This conference was one of the largest gatherings of heads of state, civil society organizations, and individuals in human history to date. Stakeholders met with the purpose of charting a course for a more sustainable future. From the conference emerged agreements, most notably Agenda 21, which created a framework for developing global, national, and regional plans for sustainability. The Rio Earth Summit has since stood as an example of what is possible when governments and citizens work together. The outcomes of this conference still affect human lives today, mainly through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings, which led to the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally binding agreement to cut down carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Earth Summit 2012 or Rio+20, is regarded as one of the most crucial events in United Nations history and has been referred to by the Secretary General of the United Nations (2011), Ban Ki-moon, as “the most important global meeting on sustainable development in our time" (The Future We Want, p 2).

scholarly journals Sustainable Financial Partnerships for the SDGs: The Case of Social Impact Bonds

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Rizzello ◽  
Abdellah Kabli
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Impact Bonds ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Stakeholder Partnerships ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development brought the critical challenge of how private capital can support its new goals—the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—to the attention of finance, business and policy actors. Impact finance instruments, which aim to obtain both financial and positive social/environmental returns simultaneously, can serve as effective institutional mechanisms to support the financing of SDGs. Social impact bonds (SIBs) are part of this emerging field. SIBs represent multi-stakeholder partnerships, built on outcome-based contracts, designed to harness private impact-oriented investors, service providers and public entities to address social or environmental problems. SDG 17 considers partnerships priority instruments for the achievement of SDs targets. This paper provides an exploratory analysis into the field of Social Impact Bonds and aims to (i) understand how such instruments are suitable for involving sustainable economy actors in SDG-based partnerships; (ii) determine the interplay between SIBs and SDGs. In order to address these questions, the article presents a multiple case study that includes a cross case analysis of four SIBs experienced in different social policy areas and different countries. As secondary step, the study matches phases and activities of SDG-based financial partnerships derived from a literature review with those experienced by each SIB case study. The results show that SIBs are fully compliant with SDG-based financial partnership structures derived from the literature, and their architecture reveals a high degree of SDG investment readiness. The originality of the research consists of including SIBs in the analysis of the new financial tools for the achievement of the SDGs, and extending them into the field of partnerships for the Goals, at the center of SDG 17. The paper fills the significant gap in the current research related to the issues of financing sustainable development and financial sector instruments on sustainability.

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