ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the enduring concerns of developing countries since 1971. The constancy of fears, mistrust, and demands is noteworthy although the evolution in their attitudes has been equally remarkable. The chapter then outlines examples of resistance and influence, in spite of these countries' negotiating weaknesses. It focuses on the nature and sometimes limits of several strategies for collective influence. The chapter provides some implications for the role that developed countries can play in a complex decentralized environmental governance system. The context of the discussion is international environmental governance, not the domestic environmental policies of developing countries or the nature and conditions of development. The redefinition of environmental protection as a sustainable development issue, adopted even by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), leads to a fracture between sustainable development and the environment.
