Operationalization of sustainable development in the international legal instruments

Abstract

The international legal framework on sustainable development is undergoing a paradigmatic transformation as a new binding agreement will be launched in September 2015. It is built upon the previous unachieved sustainable development goals, as progress has not been very satisfactory and the world is facing further challenges.A review of the legislation and the different official reports that measure the outcomes puts forward that sustainable development is a concept in chaos, which compromises its importance and effectiveness. The concept has been mistreated by unclear references to sustainability that have concentrated in a discourse that misunderstands ‘development’ and conflates it with ‘economic growth’. This has led to a renewed interest in sustainable development and features thereof. Consequently, the purpose of this thesis is the analysis of the restrictions that the current legislation has represented for the accomplishment of the international legal objectives on sustainable development. Once analysed this, certain strategies will be considered with the aim to offer and academic perspective of some elements that could be enhanced for the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.