What are the strenghts and weaknesses associated with Malta's current institutional framework for addressing sustainable development?

Abstract

Since the March 2008 election, sustainable development has been placed high on the Maltese Government's policy agenda. Yet it is widely recognised that the institutional arrangements that currently set out national legislation and practice, fall short of expectations. Such short comings were referred to by Martin Scicluna. He stressed the need for a permanent manpower structure, the need for a policy framework and the setting, monitoring and evaluation of targets. These involve discussions that are not always politically desirable because what is right is not always popular. This is coupled with the fact that Malta is faced with the challenges of its micro state context and its high population density. This highlights the urgency of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the current institutional arrangements for achieving sustainable development in Malta, in order to be able to propose a sound way forward for achieving what is now a clear political commitment. Sustainable development concerns meeting the needs of present generations without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs3 - in other words, a better quality of life for everyone, whilst living within environmental and social capacity limits, now and for generations to come. Chapter 1 of this report reviews the meaning of sustainable development, and describes its three spheres. This section also looks at the methods used to analyse the strengths and weaknesses associated with Malta's 1 Times of Malta, 02 May 2008 2 NCSD: National Conference, 22 April 2006 3 Brundtland G., Our Common Future, (WCED, 1987) current institutional framework for addressing sustainable development, as well as viable options for the future. [...]