Keywords
Abstract
This paper explores the changing paradigm within North-South relations in regard to sustainable development through the sophisticated systems dealing with the allocation of resources that seek to mitigate power imbalances of the past and promote shared environmental and development goals. We move beyond the donor-recipient discourse to examine emerging relationships between the North and South in terms of finance, technology, knowledge, and policy. The study proposes a conceptual framework based on the three dimensions of justice—procedural, distributive, and recognitional—to assess collaboration's equity and effectiveness simultaneously in regards to the collaboration approaches. Analyzing the architecture of climate finance reveals how institutions such as the Green Climate Fund and national climate funds strive to balance global mobilization of resources with setting local priorities and ownership. Platforms for technology cooperation illustrate the shift from one-way transfer models to innovative schemes whereby technology supply is linked with the demand created by developing countries' priorities defined by their local contexts. Knowledge transfer in capacity building is increasingly emphasised through mutual learning and co-production facilitated by formal and digital peer-to-peer exchange networks beyond traditional institutional frameworks. Key policy implications identify reforms in multilateral governance structures such as defined flexible funding models which allow for unilateral diverse implementation strategies for carrying out funded projects, redesigned frameworks for intellectual property rights, and robust evaluations that measure procedural equity as the outcome.