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Country Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals—The Politics of Performance Review at the Global-National Nexus

Bexell, Magdalena LU orcid and Jönsson, Kristina LU (2019) In Journal of Human Development and Capabilities 20(4). p.403-417
Abstract
With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), debates on governance through goal-setting and performance review have gained momentum. In this article, we explore how the politics of performance review played out in public sustainable development reporting at the global-national nexus. By examining the case of Swedish reporting to the United Nations High Level Political Forum in 2017, we find policy translation, accountability preparation and identity formation to be key functions of SDG reporting. We draw attention to the performative and political features of these functions in the sustainable development realm. With a fast approaching deadline, policy translation of global indicators to the national context glossed over... (More)
With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), debates on governance through goal-setting and performance review have gained momentum. In this article, we explore how the politics of performance review played out in public sustainable development reporting at the global-national nexus. By examining the case of Swedish reporting to the United Nations High Level Political Forum in 2017, we find policy translation, accountability preparation and identity formation to be key functions of SDG reporting. We draw attention to the performative and political features of these functions in the sustainable development realm. With a fast approaching deadline, policy translation of global indicators to the national context glossed over politically contentious issues. Reporting served to enable peer review among governments rather than hierarchical accountability of domestic politics. Moreover, the identity formation function of SDG reporting was strong on the international stage while domestically it was challenged by broader political struggles. In conclusion, our study bears witness of the formative power of public reporting for SDG governance. We call for comparative research to allow for further theory-building on the politics of public reporting on sustainable development. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), debates on governance through goal-setting and performance review have gained momentum. In this article, we explore how the politics of performance review played out in public sustainable development reporting at the global-national nexus. By examining the case of Swedish reporting to the United Nations High Level Political Forum in 2017, we find policy translation, accountability preparation and identity formation to be key functions of SDG reporting. We draw attention to the performative and political features of these functions in the sustainable development realm. With a fast approaching deadline, policy translation of global indicators to the national context glossed over... (More)
With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), debates on governance through goal-setting and performance review have gained momentum. In this article, we explore how the politics of performance review played out in public sustainable development reporting at the global-national nexus. By examining the case of Swedish reporting to the United Nations High Level Political Forum in 2017, we find policy translation, accountability preparation and identity formation to be key functions of SDG reporting. We draw attention to the performative and political features of these functions in the sustainable development realm. With a fast approaching deadline, policy translation of global indicators to the national context glossed over politically contentious issues. Reporting served to enable peer review among governments rather than hierarchical accountability of domestic politics. Moreover, the identity formation function of SDG reporting was strong on the international stage while domestically it was challenged by broader political struggles. In conclusion, our study bears witness of the formative power of public reporting for SDG governance. We call for comparative research to allow for further theory-building on the politics of public reporting on sustainable development.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations, UN High Level Political Forum, sustainable development, accountability, policy making, Reporting, Sustainable development, Policy-making, Sustainable development goals, UN High Level Political Forum
in
Journal of Human Development and Capabilities
volume
20
issue
4
pages
15 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85057593384
ISSN
1945-2829
DOI
10.1080/19452829.2018.1544544
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
72abe41b-270b-46e4-bf71-058484d0ae98
date added to LUP
2018-11-30 10:29:25
date last changed
2023-10-06 16:11:09
@article{72abe41b-270b-46e4-bf71-058484d0ae98,
  abstract     = {{With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), debates on governance through goal-setting and performance review have gained momentum. In this article, we explore how the politics of performance review played out in public sustainable development reporting at the global-national nexus. By examining the case of Swedish reporting to the United Nations High Level Political Forum in 2017, we find policy translation, accountability preparation and identity formation to be key functions of SDG reporting. We draw attention to the performative and political features of these functions in the sustainable development realm. With a fast approaching deadline, policy translation of global indicators to the national context glossed over politically contentious issues. Reporting served to enable peer review among governments rather than hierarchical accountability of domestic politics. Moreover, the identity formation function of SDG reporting was strong on the international stage while domestically it was challenged by broader political struggles. In conclusion, our study bears witness of the formative power of public reporting for SDG governance. We call for comparative research to allow for further theory-building on the politics of public reporting on sustainable development.}},
  author       = {{Bexell, Magdalena and Jönsson, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{1945-2829}},
  keywords     = {{Sustainable Development Goals; United Nations; UN High Level Political Forum; sustainable development; accountability; policy making; Reporting; Sustainable development; Policy-making; Sustainable development goals; UN High Level Political Forum}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{403--417}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Journal of Human Development and Capabilities}},
  title        = {{Country Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals—The Politics of Performance Review at the Global-National Nexus}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2018.1544544}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/19452829.2018.1544544}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}