Synergy and Contradiction in the Global Regulation of Trade, Development and the Environment

I want to contribute to theories about “policy integration” through a comparison of several related literatures. One set of literature analyses conflicts in the design and implementation of regulation at the global level, as well as collaboration to overcome these conflicts. They use concepts like “institutional integration”, “joined-up government” and “transgovernmental networks”. Another type of literature analyses the competition and step-by-step development of global policies (institutions, regulation) at the large conferences organized by the UN , focusing on the interaction of ideas and development of vague and/or contradictory concepts which almost everyone can agree on (sustainable development, green economy etc). I will use these literatures to reconstruct a so-called program theory of how the policies are designed to achieve their goals (or not!). A valuable contribution of a program theory is to point out hidden assumptions in the causal mechanisms. Synergies and contradictions should become more obvious.