The Sustainable Development as a Strategy for the International Integration of Small Economies
Keywords:
Sustainable development, Small economies, International insertion, International cooperation, competitivenessAbstract
Sustainable development has become a strategic challenge for small economies in the contemporary international system, characterized by profound structural inequalities, recurrent crises, and increasing environmental pressures. The objective of this article is to analyze sustainable development as a key strategy to reduce structural vulnerabilities and strengthen the international insertion of small economies. The research adopts a qualitative approach, based on documentary analysis of reports from international organizations, multilateral normative frameworks, and specialized academic literature on development and international relations. The results show that the adoption of sustainable development models contributes to enhancing economic resilience, diversifying productive structures, and strengthening the international competitiveness of small economies. Likewise, the role of international cooperation and the multilateral system is highlighted as essential mechanisms to support these processes, particularly in the case of countries of the Global South. It is concluded that sustainable development goes beyond its normative dimension and constitutes a strategic imperative for a more equitable and resilient international insertion.
Downloads
References
Adom, P. K. (2024). The socioeconomic impact of climate change in developing countries over the next decades: A literature survey. Heliyon, 10(15), e35134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35134
Ayeni, E. H., Oyedotun, T. D. T., & Charles, E. (2025). Livelihood adaptation to climate-related changes in agroecological zones in developing countries—Challenges, prospects, and policy concerns. Frontiers in Climate. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2025.1594747
Chancel, L. (2020). Unsustainable inequalities: Social justice and the environment. Belknap Press.
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). (2022). Estudio económico de América Latina y el Caribe 2022: Dinámica y desafíos de la inversión para impulsar una recuperación sostenible e inclusiva. CEPAL.
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). (s.f.). Acerca de la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible. CEPAL. Recuperado 20 de mayo de 2024, de https://www.cepal.org/es/temas/agenda-2030-desarrollo-sostenible
Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI). (2023, 8 de febrero). El FMI y los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible (ODS). IMF. https://www.imf.org/es/about/factsheets/sheets/2023/imf-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs
Hussain, M., Zhang, J., & Ali, F. (2026). Digital economy moderates the negative effect of climate vulnerability on sustainable development goals: A global perspective. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-02649-4
Jansson, L., Koschmieder, A., Servières, L., Trundle, A., & Poncabare, S. (2025). Climate resilient urban development: An agenda for Small Island Developing States. npj Urban Sustainability, 5, 99. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-025-00278-w
Mazzucato, M. (2021). Mission economy: A moonshot guide to changing capitalism. Penguin Books.
Moncada, S., & Nguyen, L. (2024). Improving sustainability, climate resilience and pandemic preparedness in small islands: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 16(2), 550. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020550
Naciones Unidas. (1987). Informe de la Comisión Mundial sobre el Medio Ambiente y el Desarrollo: Nuestro futuro común. Naciones Unidas.
Naciones Unidas. (2015). Transformar nuestro mundo: la Agenda 2030 para el desarrollo sostenible. Naciones Unidas.
Naciones Unidas. (2019, 15 de octubre). La cooperación Sur-Sur es esencial para alcanzar los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible. Crónica ONU. https://www.un.org/es/cr%C3%B3nica-onu/la-cooperaci%C3%B3n-sur-sur-es-esencial-para-alcanzar-los-objetivos-de-desarrollo-sostenible
Naciones Unidas. (s.f.). Alianzas para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Naciones Unidas. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/globalpartnerships/
Nye, J. S. (2021). Do morals matter? Presidents and foreign policy from FDR to Trump. Oxford University Press.
Prihardini, D., & Zdzienicka, A. (2021). Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals in Small Developing States with Climate Vulnerabilities: Cost and Financing (IMF Working Paper 2021/062). International Monetary Fund. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513571577.001
Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD). (2023). Human Development Report 2023/2024: Breaking the gridlock—Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world. UNDP.
Rodríguez Parrilla, B. (2020, 25 de septiembre). Intervención ante la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas [Discurso]. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República de Cuba.
Rodríguez Parrilla, B. (2021, 23 de septiembre). Intervención en el debate general de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas [Discurso]. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba.
Scandurra, G., Romano, A. A., Ronghi, M., & Carfora, A. (2018). On the vulnerability of small island developing states: A dynamic analysis. Ecological Indicators, 84, 382–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.09.016
Tandrayen-Ragoobur, V., Moncada, S., & Fauzel, S. (2026). Environmental and socioeconomic vulnerabilities and resilience in small states. Routledge.
van Niekerk, A. J. (2024). Economic inclusion: Green finance and the SDGs. Sustainability, 16(3), 1128. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031128
United Nations. (1992). Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3–14 June 1992. United Nations. https://www.un.org/esa/dsd/resources/res_pdfs/publications/Rio20/agenda21.pdf
UNFCCC. (1992). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. United Nations. https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/conveng.pdf
UNFCCC. (2015). Paris Agreement. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/english_paris_agreement.pdf
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ad Hoc
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
