Lesson 5: Contemporary Global Governance PDF

Name: Course: Year and Section: Date: Score:  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance Lesson 5: Contemporary Global Governance Lesson Overview In our previous lesson, you have studied the Global Interst...

Name: Course: Year and Section: Date: Score:  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance Lesson 5: Contemporary Global Governance Lesson Overview In our previous lesson, you have studied the Global Interstate System. The concept of the nation-state, the effects of globalization on government, and the difference between internationalism and globalism were examined and discussed. In this lesson, you will learn about Contemporary Global Governance which is defined as the various intersecting processes that create an international order to which states continue to adhere to certain global norms despite the lack of single governance. One of the main actors in global governance are political actors called international organizations (IOs). International organizations are “intergovernmental organizations or groups that are primarily made up of member states”. More than just a mere association of nation-states, international organizations are believed to be capable to take lives of their own. That is, because of their notable powers such as the power of classification, the power to fix meanings, and the power to diffuse meanings, IOs can influence the course of events occurring within the international arena. Specifically, this module includes the discussion of these topics: (a) the roles and functions of the United Nations; (b) challenges of global governance in the 21st century; and (c) the relevance of the state amid globalization.. Intended Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:  Explain the roles and functions of the United Nations in shaping contemporary global governance.  Articulate the role of the United Nations in addressing different global issues or problems.  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance ONLINE/OFFLINE RECITATION: 1. What is global governance? 2. Do we have a world leader? Is there a global government or world government at the present? INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS These international organizations are defined as entities established by formal political agreements between their members that have the status of international treaties. All international organizations have seen their mandates expand over time and they all struggle to balance so many goals and tasks as they are expected to constantly adapt to a changing global context. How International Organizations came into existence? International organizations are formed through formal agreements (treaties) wherein only states can engage. Functions The usual functions of international organizations are the following: (a) controls the proliferation of conventional and nuclear weapons; (b) supervising trading; (c) military alliances; (d) ending world hunger and, (e) fostering the spread of democracy and peace. Classification of International Organizations: I. According to membership i. States (Intergovernmental organizations) ii. Individuals (nongovernmental organizations) II. According to the geographical scope  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance i. World/global (United Nation, World Bank, IMF) ii. Regional (ASEAN, EU, APEC, BIMP EAGA) III. According to Functional Scope i. ILO, WTO, WHO The United Nations (UN) as the Most Prominent IO The United Nations (UN) is considered the most pertinent and successful international organization. The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. It is currently made up of 193 Member States. The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). The UN also provides a forum for its members to express their views in the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and other bodies and committees. By enabling dialogue between its members, and by hosting negotiations, the Organization has become a mechanism for governments to find areas of agreement and solve problems together. The UN's Chief Administrative Officer is the Secretary-General. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018).  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance The UN has five active organs, each has specific workings, structure, and objectives. The trusteeship council is the sixth organ of the UN however, it is now inactive. The Security Council (SC) The General The UN Assembly Secretariat (GA) The United Nations The Trusteeship International Council Court of (inactive) Justice (ICJ) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Figure 1. The Main Organs of the United Nations General Assembly The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation. Each year, in September, the full UN membership meets in the General Assembly  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session, and general debate, which many heads of state attend and address. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Decisions on other questions are by simple majority. The General Assembly, each year, elects a GA President to serve a one-year term of office (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). Security Council The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security. The Security Council has a Presidency, which rotates, and changes, every month (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). Economic and Social Council The Economic and Social Council is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social, and environmental issues, as well as the implementation of internationally agreed  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance development goals. It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialized agencies in the economic, social, and environmental fields, supervising subsidiary and expert bodies. It has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. It is the United Nations’ central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). Trusteeship Council The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 by the UN Charter, under Chapter XIII, to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories that had been placed under the administration of seven Member States and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence. By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence. The Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994. By a resolution adopted on 25 May 1994, the Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and agreed to meet as occasion required -- by its decision or the decision of its President, or at the request of a majority of its members or the General Assembly or the Security Council (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance New York (United States of America). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). Secretariat The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization's other principal organs. The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the Organization, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term. UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally, and work in duty stations and on peacekeeping missions all around the world. But serving the cause of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since the founding of the United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have given their lives in its service (Lisandro & Abinales, 2018). Challenges Confronting the United Nations The following are the contemporary challenges confronting the United Nations, as the prominent international organization, nowadays: a. threats from poverty, disease, and environmental breakdown (the threats to human security identified in the Millennium Development Goals) b. threats from conflict between states c. threats from violence and massive human rights violations within states d. threats from terrorism e. threats from organized crime f. threats from the proliferation of weapons - particularly WMD, but also conventional.  LESSON 5: Contemporary Global Governance References a. Chapter 29 of textbook: “The United Nations Meets the 21st Century: Confronting the Challenges of Global Governance” by Thomas G. Weiss and Ramesh Thakur b. Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1996). “The Future of the State.” Development and Change 27(2): 267–278. c. Claudio, Lisandro E, Abinales, Patricio N. (2018). The Contemporary World. C & E Publishing. pp.39-49  ASSESSMENT TASKS Short Test/Quiz on the Role of the United Nations in Shaping Contemporary Global Governance. At the end of the lesson, the students are tasked to complete their short test/quiz. The test is divided into two: Identification Essay OWN PRERECORDED UN SPEECH Pretend that you are the representative of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations General Assembly Meeting. You are given the chance to address the GA about what you think are the key perspectives of the Philippines in reference to a global issue. You can pick any issue that is relevant, for example: pollution, war in Syria, poverty, climate change, Covid-19 pandemic etc. Prerecord your speech. Content: 30 Organization 15 Originality/Creativity: 10 Total - 45