Transformative Approaches Project (Explanations)
Inter-sectoral Strategic Dilemmas of Sustainable Development
Configuring strategic dilemmas in intersectoral dialogue
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See commentary and significance of 2-domain dilemma codes (Fig. 1b) used in the table below, as well as use of 3-domain codes in its icosidodecahedral representation (Fig. 3A and 3B). These are all parts of a separate report (Configuring Globally and Contending Locally: shaping the global network of local bargains by decoding and mapping Earth Summit inter-sectoral issues, 1992, 5 mb PDF). For other tables on strategies see: confidence ploys; value-based; typology for sustainable development; Chinese strategems
| Fig. 1a: Inter-sectoral Strategic Dilemmas of Sustainable Development | ||||||||
| Privileged
function
Constrained function |
Population Security
P |
Well-being Health
W |
Learning
Education L |
Production Trade
T |
Environment Impacts
E |
Regulation Equity
R |
UN Bodies | Sectors |
| Population/Relief
Security/Peace
Vulnerable groups Women/Youth P |
Sacrifice
of one population group for another? PP |
Sacrifice of population
relief/growth for well- being of population? WP |
Sacrifice of population
relief/growth for ducation, research, etc? LP |
Sacrifice of population
relief/growth for economic growth? TP |
Sacrifice of
population relief/growth for environment? EP |
Sacrifice of population
relief/growth for equity? RP |
UNFPA,
UNV
Security Cl UNICEF, UNHCR INSTRAW |
Relief
Military,Peace Indigenous Women,Youth |
| Well-being/Health
Employment (condit.) Quality of life Welfare/Fulfilment W |
Sacrifice of well-being
(+jobs) for population relief/growth? PW |
Sacrifice
of one form of well-being for another? WW |
Sacrifice of well-being
(+jobs) for education, research? LW |
Sacrifice of well-being
(+jobs) for economic growth? TW |
Sacrifice of well-being
(+jobs) for environment? EW |
Sacrifice of well-being
(+jobs) for equity? RW |
WHO
ILO HABITAT,UNRISD |
Health
Labour Religions |
| Learning/Education
Science/Research Culture/Arts/Lang. Inform./Communic. L |
Sacrifice of education (+culture)
for population relief/growth? PL |
Sacrifice of education (+culture)
for well-being? WL |
Sacrifice
of one form of education for another? LL |
Sacrifice of education (+culture)
for economic growth? TL |
Sacrifice of education (+culture)
for environment? EL |
Sacrifice of education (+culture)
for equity? RL |
UNESCO,
WIPO
UNU, UNITAR UPU,ITU,ACCIS |
Students
Science Media/Information |
| Production/Trade
Industry/Technology Agriculture/Fish. Energy/Mining T |
Sacrifice of production
(+trade) for population relief/growth? PT |
Sacrifice ofproduction (+trade)
for well-being? WT |
Sacrifice of production
(+trade) for education, research? LT |
Sacrifice
of one form of production for another? TT |
Sacrifice of production
(+trade) for environment? ET |
Sacrifice of production
(+trade) for equity? RT |
UNDP,
UNCTAD
UNIDO,GATT FAO,WFP,IFAD IAEA |
Development
Industry/ Commerce |
| Environment/Impact
Ecosystems/Species
Urban. / Transport Design/Landscaping E |
Sacrifice of environment
for population relief/growth? PE |
Sacrifice of environment
for well- being? WE |
Sacrifice of environment
for education, research? LE |
Sacrifice of environment
for economic growth? TE |
Sacrifice
of one environmental benefit for another? EE |
Sacrifice of environment
for equity? RE |
UNEP,
UNESCO
HABITAT, WMO ICAO, IMO |
Environment
Conservation Architects |
| Regulation/Equity
Govern./Mgt./Admin. Justice/Order
Finance/Debt Mgt. R |
Sacrifice of equity for
population relief/growth? PR |
Sacrifice of equity for
well-being? WR |
Sacrifice of equity for
education, research, etc? LR |
Sacrifice of equity for
economic growth? TR |
Sacrifice of equity for
environment? ER |
Sacrifice
of one form of equity for another? RR |
ECOSOC,
ACC
UNDP ICJ IBRD,IMF |
NGO coalit.
Law, Rights Finance/Banks |
- Column and row headings correspond to major clusters of functions essential to the sustainable development of society.
- Words used to label the scope of clusters are necessarily inadequate at the level of generality indicated.
- The clusters could be "unpacked" to give more columns and rows. Cluster label words would then become more specifically appropriate.
- The cells of the table indicate fundamental dilemmas of sustainable development.
- Sacrifices must be made in the process of change and transformation. The dilemma is the level of the sacrifice that is appropriate.
- Sustainability is determined by the balance between the various forms of sacrifice and the constraints that they impose on one another.
- The columns/rows can be thought of in terms of values, logics or languages which successively confront each other.
- Sectors in right hand column are mainly those represented at the Rio de Janeiro Inter-Sectoral Dialogue
