The Workings of the UN and Ruling Relations: Hegemonic Notions of "Development" and Economic Imperatives in Environmental Negotiations.

Based on data gathered over a 26-year period at various UN meetings associated with environment and development, the paper elucidates the dominant ruling relations that organize the policy negotiations. As nation states come to the table to deliberate policy, their participation in these arenas is often characterized as constituting "global governance." However, investigating what this means in practice allows for an explication of the ruling relations that organize both UN policy and the programs that the policies link to in various locations around the globe.