Lesson 4: The UN and Contemporary Global Governance PDF

LESSON 4: THE UNITED NATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE LOUELLA JOY O. OSORIO, LPT, MAED INSTRUCTOR LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this lesson, you should be able to 1. Define global governance 2. Identify the roles and functions of the United Nations; and 3. Det...

LESSON 4: THE UNITED NATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE LOUELLA JOY O. OSORIO, LPT, MAED INSTRUCTOR LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of this lesson, you should be able to 1. Define global governance 2. Identify the roles and functions of the United Nations; and 3. Determine the challenges of global governance in the 21st century. WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD GLOBAL GOVERNANCE? GOVERNANCE is the process of making and enforcing decisions within an organization or society. It encompasses decision-making, rule-setting, and enforcement mechanisms to guide the functioning of an organization or society. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE the way in which global affairs are managed IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF A GLOBAL GOVERNMENT?  NO No organization or country or state can compel others to obey predetermined global rules. Ex. China vs Philippines – the 9-dash line Ukraine vs Russia – the membership of Ukraine to NATO However, countries follow global navigational routes and more often than not, respect each The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military other territorial boundaries. alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North  As there is no global government, global governance typically involves a range of actors including states, as well as regional and international organizations.  However, a single organization may nominally be given the lead role on an issue Ex. World Trade Organization in world trade affairs Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, World Health Organization in directing international health concerns primary role is to direct international health within the United Nations' system and to lead partners in global health responses. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE Global governance is a product of neo-liberal paradigm shifts in international political and economic relations. It is a movement towards political integration of transnational actors aimed at negotiating responses to problems that affect more than one state or region. It tends to involve institutionalization. These institutions of global governance – the UN, ICC, World Bank, etc – tend to have limited or demarcated (set the boundaries or limits of) power to enforce compliance. WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OR IO? WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OR IO? 1. Power of classification - They can create and classify terms that are acceptable globally - Ex. UNHCR defines the term “refugee”. When a group of people falls on this definition, the states have no choice but to accept refugees to enter their territory United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OR IO? 2. Power to fix meanings - They are a source of legitimate sources of information a their definitions are well-defined to avoid confusion - Ex. Security does not only refer to military violence but also to environmental violence WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OR IO? 3. Power to diffuse norms (accepted codes of conduct) - They spread their ideas across the world, thereby establishing global standards. - Ex. World Bank’s implementation of developmental projects  Although IOs may sound good based on their immense power. They can also be a source of great harm as other countries (poor countries) maybe taken advantage of. UNITED NATIONS The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization aiming to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. UN CHARTER a written grant by a county’s legislative or sovereign power, by which an institution such as a company, college, or city is created and its rights and privileges defined. UN CHARTER As such, the UN Charter is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. i. Maintaining worldwide peace and security ii. Developing relations among nations iii. Fostering cooperation between nations to solve economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian international problems. iv. Providing a forum for bringing countries to meet the UN’s purposes and goals.  THE ACTIVE ORGANIZATIONS OF UN General Assembly GA Security Council Economic and Social Council The Secretariat The International Court of Justice The Trusteeship Council 1.THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY The General Assembly is the primary deliberative and policymaking arm of the UN, at which all 193 member states are represented. It meets annually in September to debate pressing issues and to make decisions and recommendations on important questions of peace and security, economic and social development, the protection of human rights, the codification of international law, and the admission of new member states, among other matters. 1.THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY It also approves the UN's budget and the financial assessments of member states. Some decisions require a two-thirds majority while others are decided by a simple majority.  2.THE SECURITY COUNCIL (SC) The Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. It is considered as a powerful organ. It is comprised of 15 members, five of which are permanent (China, the Russian Federation, France, the U.K., and the U.S.). The other ten members are elected by the General Assembly to two-year terms. THE SECURITY COUNCIL (SC) The SC investigates acts of aggression and other threats to peace. Whenever possible, it attempts to settle disputes through peaceful means, but it also has the authority to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force. Nine votes, including the votes of all five permanent members, are required for the Council to issue a decision. The UN Charter obligates all member states to comply with Council decisions. It takes ONE veto power from SC P5 to stop SC action 3.THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL The Economic and Social Council, usually referred to by the acronym ECOSOC, provides a central forum for discussing the world's economic, social, and environmental challenges and for formulating policy recommendations to address them. It coordinates about 70 percent of the UN's human and financial resources, including those of the 15 specialized agencies, eight functional commissions, and five regional commissions under its jurisdiction. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ECOSOC is comprised of 54 UN member states, which are elected by the General Assembly to serve overlapping three-year terms. Seats are allocated among five regionstoo ensure equitable geographic representation. 4.THE SECRETARIAT The Secretariat is the UN's administrative arm, comprised of civil servants responsible for carrying out the day-to-day operations of the organization. Led by the Secretary-General, the Secretariat collects and analyzes data, researches a wide range of economic and social issues, maintains the facilities used by other UN organs, provides interpreter service, and translates documents into the UN's official languages.  THE SECRETARIAT The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a 5-year, renewable term. In addition to mediating international disputes and coordinating peacekeeping activities, the Secretary-General serves as the public face of the UN and acts as the principal spokesperson for its policy initiatives.  5.THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, is the UN's principal judicial organ. The Court adjudicates interstate disputes in contentious cases following the international law and issues advisory opinions on questions of law referred to it by authorized UN organs.  5.THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE The Court is comprised of 15 judges elected by both the General Assembly and the Security Council to serve nine-year terms. No two judges from the same jurisdiction may serve simultaneously. Seats are informally apportioned geographically to ensure that judges from all of the world's main legal systems are represented on the Court. 6.THE TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL The Trusteeship Council was established to oversee the 11 "trust territories" established under the UN Charter. These included former colonies previously administered under mandates issued by the League of Nations, as well as territories seized from nations that were defeated in World War II.  6.THE TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL The Council suspended its operations in 1994 when Palau, the last remaining trust territory, gained its independence. Should the need arise, the Council may resume operations at the request of the majority of its members, the members of the General Assembly, or the members of the Security Council.  SOME CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY Ethnic conflicts Infectious diseases Terrorism Climate change Energy security Food and water scarcity Poverty International migration New technologies