Contemporary Diplomacy, Global Politics, and Non-Governmental actors: Dilemmas of the Multi-stakeholder Mechanism of Participation in Mexico

Abstract

This article examines dilemmas of the multistakeholder mechanism ofparticipation in Mexico—situated in the context of the post-2015Agenda for Sustainable Development—to rethink the interplay betweencontemporary diplomacy, global politics, and nongovernmental actors.The central argument is that diplomacy has to open up and function asa collaborative space that includes nongovernmental actors who, inturn, influence the design of contemporary institutions. This, I contend,ultimately leads to a redefinition of relations between governments andsocieties under a more democratic, inclusive design and code of conduct.The case of the nongovernmental organization campaign “Beyond2015”in Mexico is used in the above context. I evidence, through a qualitativeanalysis, that the particular multistakeholder mechanism encouragedboth at the United Nations level and the Mexican Secretariat of ForeignAffairs, held important limitations for developing an effective inclusivemechanism for certain nongovernmental actors.