Contemporary Global Governance (PDF)

LESSON 6 CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE  Lesson Objectives After this lesson, you should be able to: Understand the concept of global governance; Understand the role of the state amidst...

LESSON 6 CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE  Lesson Objectives After this lesson, you should be able to: Understand the concept of global governance; Understand the role of the state amidst globalization; Determine the challenges of global governance in the 21st century; and Identify the roles and functions of the United Nations (UN).  INTRODUCTION Global governance is the capacity within the international system, at any given moment, to provide government-like services and public goods in the absence of a world government. It is the combination of informal and formal ideas, values, roles, norms, procedures, practices, policies, and organizations that help all actors—states, IGOs, civil society and NGOs, TNCs, and individuals- identify, understand, and address transboundary problems. At its simplest, global governance is a set of questions that enable us to work out how the world is, was, and could be governed, and how changes in grand and not-so-grand patterns of governance occurred, are occurring, and ought to occur (Weiss, 2013).  THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE SOVEREIGN TERRITORIAL STATE OR NATION-STATE Since the end of the Cold War, the world is heading toward a less centralized form of governance. As the United States is facing serious setbacks in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many emerging powers such as China, Russia, and Brazil have formed regional alliances to create a multipolar and anti-hegemonic order. This development is being referred to as the beginning of “the post-American world,” in which the United States retreats and the rest of the world advances in economic power and political influence (Zakaria, 2008).  Elements of the notion “nation-state” : a. Continous and broken territory (preferred) b. Sovereign territory c. The state has the monopoly both of the law and of the powers of coercion. d. The national state rules its citizens or subjects directly and not through intermediate authorities. e. Direct government and administration of inhabitants by the central authorities of the “nation-state”. f. The state is considered to represent the people and the people serves as a source of sovereignty or at least give the state legitimacy. g. The citizenry was or ought to form a homogenous population (Hobsbawn, 1996).  1 The creation of a 2 Rise of regional or 3 Territorial borders had supranational economy wherein global institutions, such as been made largely irrelevant the transactions are largely European Union, ASEAN, to which by technological revolution in uncontrolled by states, resulting individual countries defer either transport and communication. to the restriction of ststes to direct because they are too small to national economies. engage in effective competition international competition or because these economies are so weak. THREE WAYS THAT WEAKENED THE STATE OF SUPRANATIONAL FORCES The Rise of Non-State Actors A huge rise of non-state actors resulted from the occurrence above- mentioned. These international organizations in the public and private sectors are set with higher objectives and goals to participate in global governance and improving lives. This rise also created a new landscape and new architectures of global governance wherein multi-sector partnerships are present, such as transnational businesses. Further, the loose structures of these organizations allow more efficient courses of action than the bureaucracies of nations or state can attain. The growth of non-state actors has meant more diversity in potential players and partners. The proliferation of actors that are legitimately representing stakeholders and contributing concretely to contemporary global problem-solving means that we have come a long way from the state-centric model of traditional international relations. The proliferation of non-state actors has ushered in an age of global partnerships between private and public bodies on specific issues (Weiss, 2013). THE UNITED NATIONS One important example of a non-state actor, an international government organization (IGO) playing a vital role in the world’s affairs, is the United Nations (UN). The United Nations is an IGO designed to make the enforcement of international law, security, human rights, economic development, and social progress easier for countries around the world. The UN today is divided into five branches: The UN General Assembly The UN Security Council The International Court of Justice The Economic and Social Council The Secretariat THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY is the main decision-making and representative assembly and is responsible for upholding the principles of the UN through its policies and recommendations. It is composed of all member states and headed by a president elected by the member states. THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL can authorize the deployment of UN member states’ militaries, can mandate a cease-fire during conflicts, and can enforce penalties on countries if they do not comply with given mandates. It is composed of five permanent members and 10 rotating members.  THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE can settle according to international law, legal disputes between States and give opinions, mostly advisory, on legal questions brought to it by UN organs and agencies. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL assists the UN General Assembly in promoting economic and social development, as well as cooperation of member states. THE SECRETARIAT headed by the Secretary-General, provides studies, information, and other dates when needed by other UN branches for their meetings.  THE G20+ AND A NEW As reiterated above, in a globally integrated world economy, FRAMEWORK FOR the need for global collective action and stability is almost universally GLOBAL COOPERATION recognized. The proposed new framework for global economic cooperation, with a competent and accountable coordination body ( the G20+) and connected to a representative global system (the UN), aims to preserve global economic stability and to ensure that the global economy continues to grow inclusively to benefit all nations and peoples equitably. The core functions, structure, membership, and ties to the UN of the G20+ within the wider new framework for global economic cooperation includes the following integral functions: 1. Facilitate multi-stakeholder, cross-disciplinary dialogue and policy solutions. 2. Promote inclusive economic reform. 3. Enable global economic crisis response.  SUMMARY Global governance is the capacity within the international system at any given moment to provide government-like services and public goods in the absence of a world government. This kind of governance shifted from the traditional territorial sovereign state or “nation-state” to a more loose and less stricken structures warranting international cooperation, movement, and response. In response, several non-state bodies came about, including the United Nations and the G20+ ---all with ultimate goals of international action.  BIBLIOGRAPHY Hobsbawn, Eric J, 1996. “The Future of the State,” Development and Change.......27(2): 267-278. Weiss (2013), The Rise of Non-State Actors in Global Governance; Opportunities......and Limitations. One Earth Future Foundation. Weiss TG & Thakur R. (2010) The United Nations Meets the Twenty-first Century:.......Confronting the Challenges of Global Governance. ONLINE SOURCES: https://www.japss.org/upload/14.%20bookreviewLee.pdf https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f1cb/8f753627eaf11e0cac3270ca5d4126febe.pdf https://www.stimson.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/Commission_on_ Global_Security_Justice%20_Governance_0.pdf https://www.thoughtco.com/the-united-nations-p2-1435441