Introducing the ISD-IEL Nexus

Through this blog, I will share my progress in exploring what I identify as a “nexus” between two dynamics: (1) inclusive growth and sustainable development and (2) international economic law. Measuring this nexus and studying its characteristics involves identifying the extent to which these concepts interact with and define one another.

Inclusive growth and sustainable development, or simply inclusive and sustainable development (ISD), finds definition through the considerable attention that it has been receiving from international organizations like the United Nations. The body of materials that primarily shapes its conceptual framework of ISD has expanded and evolved over time to reflect not only new scientific discovery and technology, but also shifting perspectives and ethos on persistent challenges such climate change, demographic transition and expansion, and inequity.

International economic law (IEL) includes a fairly diverse range of legal fields, though in my work I tended to focus primarily on international trade, investment, and finance. The range of instruments the constitute each of these fields also represents a fairly wide spectrum, though its general arc tends to centre around regulatory predictability in transactions, investments, and/or liabilities and taxation. The harmonization of this regulatory predictability has been a dominant trend in IEL, seeking to empower economies to engage in world markets.

Over the series of posts and articles discussed and reflected through this blog, I hope to share my findings, ideas, and observations over my study of the ISD-IEL nexus to offer others who may be interested a chance to discover this fascinating aspect of both development and international law.

L, S-H.