Contemporary Global Governance

Global Governance in the 21st Century

• There is no single global government that states are accountable to, and states are not compelled to obey predetermined global rules.
• Sources of global governance include:
  • States signing treaties and forming organizations that legislate public international law
  • International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) lobbying individual states to enact laws and policies
  • Transnational and multinational corporations influencing global laws, environmental legislation, and trade policy

International Organizations (IOs)

• IOs are commonly referred to as international organizations made up of member-states, such as the United Nations, IMF, World Bank, and WTO.
• IOs can take on lives of their own and become influential, exhibiting powers.
• There are over 300 intercontinental organizations around the world.

Powers of International Organizations

• IOs have the power of classification, inventing and applying categories that create powerful global standards.
• IOs have the power to fix meanings, and states, organizations, and individuals view them as a legitimate source of information that impacts policy formulation.
• IOs have the power to diffuse norms.

The United Nations

• The primary goal of the UN is to avert global war.
• The UN aims to:
  • Maintain international peace and security
  • Protect human rights
  • Deliver humanitarian aid
  • Promote sustainable development
  • Uphold international law

Organs of the UN

• The UN has six organs:
  • The General Assembly
  • Security Council
  • Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
  • International Court of Justice
  • The Secretariat
  • The inactive Trusteeship Council

General Assembly

• The General Assembly is the main deliberative and policymaking organ.
• Decisions on important questions (e.g., peace and security, admission of new members, budgetary matters) require a 2/3 majority.

Security Council

• The Security Council is considered the most powerful organ.
• It consists of 15 member states, with 5 permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, and USA) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
• The Security Council is responsible for:
  • Maintaining international peace and security
  • Determining the existence of a threat to peace or act of aggression
  • Recommending methods of adjustment or terms of settlement
  • Imposing sanctions or authorizing the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• ECOSOC conducts cutting-edge analysis, agrees on global norms, and advocates for progress.
• It is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendations on social and environmental issues.
• ECOSOC has 54 members elected for three-year terms and focuses on sustainable development, including the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

International Court of Justice

• The International Court of Justice settles legal disputes between states and provides advisory opinions to authorized UN organs and specialized agencies.
• The Court decides disputes between countries based on the voluntary participation of states, and decisions are binding on participating states.

The Secretariat

• The Secretariat carries out substantive and administrative work as directed by the General Assembly, Security Council, and other organs.
• The Secretariat's responsibilities include:
  • Gathering and preparing background information on various issues
  • Helping to carry out decisions made by UN organs
  • Organizing international conferences
  • Translating speeches and distributing documents into the UN's official languages
  • Keeping the public informed about the work of the United Nations