Abstract
In 2015, the United Nations culminated a far reaching effort to establish goals and targets to create the Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is meant to be implemented by the year 2030. The broad intention is to “[eradicate] poverty in all its forms and dimensions” and to “[achieve] sustainable development in its three dimensions -economic, social and environmental- in a balanced and integrated manner” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, p. 4). The agenda contains “17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 associated targets which are integrated and indivisible” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, p. 7). While all goals are important and essential to achieve the aforementioned objectives, for the purposes of this paper, it is important to highlight two issues: first, there are specific goals that speak to the importance of resilience and its intersection with governance:
“Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries:
- [E]mpower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, pp. 23)
“Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable:
- [E]nsure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
- [P]rovide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.
- [E]nhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
- Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, pp. 24)
“Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels:
- Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
- Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
- Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
- Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, pp. 28)
Second, the Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that “[e]ach country faces specific challenges in [the] pursuit of sustainable development” (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, p. 8). As it pertains to this essay, the main focus is on governmental responses to the management of migration and its effects at the local level in the United States. As one of the main destinations for migrants from all over the world, the United States faces many challenges when dealing with mass migration and the effects it brings to local communities. While there are specific policies to deal with migrants at the federal level, this paper aims to highlight the responses that local governments have implemented to manage the effects of migration. The thesis of this work is that administrative resilience intersects with governance at the local level, shaping programs and their implementation. In order to analyze this premise, the author of this paper analyzes relevant literature on administrative resilience to apply its conceptual construction to programs that aim to increase migrant integration to their local communities, with the understanding that such programs end up impacting governance.