Vol. 1 No. 2 (2020): (October 2020)

This issue has been available online since 27th October 2020 as part of the regular October 2020 edition. It features five articles authored by nine scholars from Russia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia—offering diverse insights into governance practices, institutional reform, and participatory development across the Global South and post-Soviet contexts.

The issue explores challenges to gender mainstreaming through an analysis of women’s engagement in participatory gender-responsive budgeting in Bangladesh (SDG 5, Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality; SDG 16, Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels). Another article investigates the role and institutional position of auxiliary organs within the West Java Provincial Government (SDG 16, Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions), reflecting on subnational governance structures in Indonesia.

A further contribution addresses democratic decentralisation and participatory development in Bangladesh (SDG 16, Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making; SDG 10, Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all). A comparative policy analysis from Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic examines the development of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) frameworks (SDG 16, Target 16.4: Combat organised crime and illicit financial flows; SDG 17, Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building).

The issue concludes with a study on the effectiveness of regulatory implementation concerning public space users in Bandung’s town square (SDG 11, Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces), highlighting the intersection between urban policy and civic behaviour.

By addressing institutional accountability, gender inclusion, urban regulation, and security governance, this issue offers valuable perspectives on policy innovation and public sector reform within complex socio-political contexts of the Global South.