Power relations? What power relations? The de-politicising conceptualisation of development of the UNDP

The UN′s Sustainable Development Goals agenda points far into 2030, which shows that its post-war development endeavour is not functioning effectively. This article implements a discourse analysis of the UN Development Programme′s (UNDP) Human Development Reports (HDR) and exposes their internal contradictions. This analysis enables a critical reflection on the UNDP′s political position: its reports conceal the political causes of underdevelopment. By concealing the antagonistic/conflictual dimension of social issues – poverty, inequality, and exclusion – the UNDP naturalises the actual neoliberal order. The HDR turns political problems into technical issues; according to this approach, no power relations have to be changed in order to overcome underdevelopment.     

Bullins and Me: A Remembrance of Past Times

This article develops a critical appraisal of the UNESCO Creative Economy Report (2013). It dis-cusses continuity and change in the focus and message of the UNCTAD Creative Economy Reports. The UNESCO Report aims at Widening Development Pathways and provides a balanced engagement with the relation between culture and development. It is a welcome addition to the creative economy debate that is now uncontestably global in scope. In spite of many perks, there is always room for improvement. First, there is a need for more critical engagement with examples, including bad ones. Second, mobility and visa issues among artists remain a concern. Third, the problematic opposition of developed and developing countries is no longer useful. Finally, the limited historical framing of (cultural) policy issues often leads to myopic thinking.     

国际组织在政策转移中的作用研究——以UNDP参与中国小额信贷政策为例

随着中国逐渐成为国际治理结构中的重要组成部分,国际组织反过来在中国政策变迁中也扮演着越来越重要的角色。本文通过辨析超国家组织的"超国家性"和国际组织的"国际性",提出了国际组织在跨国政策转移过程中的特殊作用。在实证上,文章研究了联合国发展计划署(UNDP)在中国小额信贷政策制定中的作用。UNDP在最近十多年间有策略地向中国政府推介小额信贷扶贫政策的过程中扮演着信息传播者、政策试验室和政策顾问三方面角色。另外,国际组织在对发展中国家的政策转移的消极影响主要表现为对发展中国家的政策主权和政策价值的冲击。     

Performance of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in China: Achievements and Challenges as Seen by the Chinese

This paper discusses the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and its achievements and challenges in China, the country obtaining most GEF support. This paper relies on Chinese perceptions, and less on views from the implementing agencies (IAs), the World Bank, UNDP and UNEP. Most attention is given to climate change and biodiversity. The paper asks what has been achieved; how effective has the GEF been? The study concludes that GEF funding has been important for China’s environmental problems. GEF and its IAs have contributed to raised awareness and technology development and have boosted institutional capacity through participation in project activities and training. The main emphasis has been placed on climate change projects and less on biodiversity. Much has been achieved by the GEF in China, but challenges exist. At the international level, the interests and roles of the GEF system, its IAs and recipient countries are not always compatible. GEF projects may suffer as a consequence. Another challenge relates to the seeming difference in effectiveness between World Bank projects and projects of the other IAs. Domestic challenges concern turf battles, problems related to information sharing, and different priorities among actors. The various government institutions’ reluctance to co-operate impacts significantly on the performance of GEF projects in China. The IAs should insist on smoother collaboration, and force the institutions to work together. Moreover, severe problems are apparent regarding financing as well as application procedures. Improvements are under way regarding the GEF application procedures. This will have a limited impact unless the Chinese side simplifies and improves procedures.     

The Effectiveness and Legitimacy of International Environmental Institutions

The Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) concluded during the past decades have established complex interlinkages between the institutions established by MEAs and institutions such as UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank and the funds administered by the Bank, in particular the GEF. Questions regarding the effectiveness and legitimacy of this system of global environmental governance have arisen both in practice and in research. This essay explores the manner in which these questions have arisen, how they have been addressed in recent research and provides the context for the subsequent contributions to this special issue. Steinar Andresen is professor of political science at the University of Oslo, Ellen Hey is professor of public international law at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam.     

东北亚区域合作与图们江地区开发展望

本文考察了东北亚区域经济合作中的多国合作项目——图们江地区经济开发项目的背景之后,把图们江地区经济开发分为3个阶段,即起步（90年代前期）阶段、冷却（90年代后期）阶段、升温（2000年以后）阶段,着重阐述了东北亚地理中心图们江地区开发开放的火车头——延边;参考东盟经济合作的成功经验,探讨了东北亚经济合作的可能性;对图们江地区开发开放的前景进行了展望并提出了几点建议。