Lesson 6

Contemporary Global Governance

LESSON OBJECTIVES

After this lesson, you should be able to:

1. understand the concept of global governance;
2. understand the role of the state amidst globalization;
3. determine the challenges of global governance in the 21st century; and
4. identify the roles and functions of the United Nations (UN).

Definition of Term

 Global governance - collective efforts to identify, understand, and address

worldwide problems that go beyond the problem-solving capacities of states
(Weiss, 2010)

INTRODUCTION

Global Governance
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, rules,
norms, procedures, practices, policies, and organizations that help all actors—states,
IGOs, civil society arid 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).
Today, a gross disconnect is apparent between the nature of a growing number
of contested global problems (i.e., climate change, the proliferation of Weapons of mass
destruction, terrorism, mass atrocities, financial volatilities, cyber threats, transnational
crime, and pandemics) and the political structures for international problem-solving and
decision-making. This is because of the traditional and age-old political structures which
have been existence for centuries.
CONTEMPLATE
Imagine you are a "global governor." List at least 20 achievements below in governing the world
for your first 100 days.

1. 11.
2. 12.
3. 13.
4. 14.
5. 15.
6. 16.
7. 17.
8. 18.
9. 19.
10. 20.

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).
This is in stark contrast to the kind of political entity which determined our lives:
the sovereign territorial state or "nation-state." In fact, most western countries have lived
under this kind of state since the late 18th century or possibly earlier. This kind of state
has become the universal framework of social development
However, after centuries of serving as an example to most, if not all sovereign
countries, this kind of state is entering a phase of uncertainty. As a review, the notion of
"nation-state" has the following elements:
a. Continuous and broken territory (preferred)
b.: Sovereign territory
c. The state has the monopoly both of 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 (Hobsbawm, 1996).

CONTEMPLATE.
Apply the concept of the sovereign territorial state or "nation-state" to the Philippines
using the elements above-stated. Answer the question: "Is the Philippines really a sovereign
territorial state/nation-state?" Provide your answer, explanation, and application in the space
below:

However, the rigidity interposed by this age-old kind of setup has been disregarded several
times in worldwide events: disintegration of the Soviet Union, rise of transnational entities within
states, global problems requiring global action. Nowadays, the state's powers and functions
have been undermined by supranational and infra-national forces, as well as what can be
described as the withdrawal of its inhabitants from citizenship. These supranational forces have
weakened the state in three ways:
1. The creation of a supranational economy wherein the transactions are largely
uncontrolled by states, resulting to the restriction of states to direct national economies
2. Rise of regional or global institutions, such as European Union, ASEAN, UN to which
individual countries defer either because they are too small to engage in effective
competition international competition or because their economies are so weak
3. Territorial borders had been made largely irrelevant by technological revolution in
transport and communications.
COMMUNICATE.
Work with a pair. Apply the presence of the supranational forces in the
Philippines. Provide manifestations of these forces in our country. Assess their
implications. Write your answers in the table provided.
Supranational Forces Manifestations Implications

The Rise of Non-State Actors

A huge rise of non-state actors resulted from the occurrence abovementioned.
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 states 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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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
4. The Economic and Social Council - assists the UN General Assembly in
promoting economic and social development, as well as cooperation of member
states
5. The Secretariat - headed by the Secretary-General, provides studies,
information, and other dates when needed by other UN branches for their
meetings

CREATE AND COLLABORATE

As a group, perform the following:
1. Research on the proceedings of the UN General Assembly.
2. Create a scenario wherein you will act as member-representatives of the UN
General Assembly.
3. In the plenary, present five priorities of action which the body would want to
recommend with complete discussion/explanation for each.
4. Present your scenario in class.

The G20+ and a New Framework for Global Cooperation

As reiterated above, in a globally integrated world economy, the need for global
collective action and stability is almost universally 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

COLLABORATE.
As a group, perform the following:
1. Gather news articles from the Internet tackling global crises.
2. Examine how these global crises had been addressed by the UN, G20+, and
other international bodies.
3. Explain how the Philippines participated in addressing this global predicament;
4. Report in class.

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.

ASSESSMENT
1. Identify one essential learning that you obtained from this lesson.
2. Reflect on how this learning will enable you to help the following:
a. Your country
b. Your community
c. Your school
d. Your family
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hobsbawm, Eric J. 19961 "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/fl cb/8f753627eaf11 e0c0cac3770ca5d4126fe be.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