| Popis: |
This chapter first evaluates the common characteristics of UNASUR’s sectoral councils and, second, compares them in order to derive general findings for regional public policy-making. The analysis of individual councils in Chap. 6 revealed that councils do not interrelate with each other and that they do not have a national, centralized coordination. Accordingly, policy-makers interact on a technical level in the limited context of their policy field. Although Ministries of Foreign Affairs play an essential role in regional integration, they do not contribute to public policy-making in sectoral councils. Moreover, apparent political developments or conflicts do rarely influence the technical work of policy-makers. While Brazil and Venezuela displayed leadership ambitions at a presidential level, these ambitions are not reflected in sectoral councils. Essentially, the politicization of public policy-making leads to stagnation rather than progress. Moreover, institutional flexibility proved to be essential for collective action and the development of a regional policy perspective. |
