At the national level, strengthening democratic governance to increase representation and participation of people living in poverty and other marginalized groups in decision making is crucial to ensure that their needs are met and rights fulfilled. There could be benefits in the involvement of businesses not only in supporting implementation processes, but also in policy dialogue and the design of mechanisms to address sustainable development, as it could help persuade the private sector to consider changing the way it operates. However, there are significant risks associated with unequal bargaining power (chapter 7). Oil exploitation and mining, for example, continue to undermine sustainable development, even in countries that have attempted to craft alternative development pathways (chapter 6). At the same time, the country’s reliance on mineral revenues means that it employs environmentally harmful practices.