ABSTRACT
The systemic interlinkages between the UN SDGs require that all levels of government are committed and equipped to play their specific roles. Multilevel governance (MLG) is about governance mechanisms and preconditions to ensure that the different levels are working in synergy rather than undermining their actions. Because governance mechanisms are normative and can be linked to three different governance styles based on different values, governance frameworks for MLG need to include governance of governance or metagovernance to support synergies and trade-offs. Multilevel metagovernance is emerging practice, observed for example as supporting the European Commission’s regional development or environmental policies, but also as managing the emerging ‘real-time collaborative multilevel governance’ in relation to other MLG approaches. This coincides with the local level becoming increasingly engaged in the SDGs. Multilevel (meta)governance is supported by SDG target 17.14 and related OECD principles on policy coherence for sustainable development.
