 Global governance or world governance is a international peace and security and global

movement towards political cooperation order, promoting cooperation among states

among transnational actors, aimed at and international development. Today, people
negotiating responses to problems that affect of the world still face the two major issues of
more than one state or region. Institutions of peace and development. Only by international
cooperation can mankind meet the challenges
global governance—the United Nations, the
of the global and regional issues.
International Criminal Court, the World Bank,
 In order to strengthen the role of the United
etc.—tend to have limited or demarcated
Nations, efforts should be made to uphold the
power to enforce compliance. The modern purposes and principles of the Charter of the
question of world governance exists in the United Nations. The authority of the Security
context of globalization and globalizing Council in maintaining international peace and
regimes of power: politically, economically security must be preserved and role of the
and culturally. In response to the acceleration United Nations in development area should be
of worldwide interdependence, both between strengthened. It is essential to ensure to all
human societies and between humankind and Member States of the United Nations the right
the biosphere, the term "global governance" to equal participation in international affairs
may name the process of designating laws, and the rights and interests of the developing
rules, or regulations intended for a global countries should be safeguarded.
scale. Functions and Powers of the UN
 Global governance is not a singular system.
There is no "world government" but the many Under the United Nations Charter, the functions
and powers of the Security Council are:
different regimes of global governance do
have commonalities: 1. to maintain international peace and security in
 Global governance refers to a way in which accordance with the principles and purposes of
global affairs are managed. There are several the United Nations;
reasons which have promoted the idea of the 2. to investigate any dispute or situation which
global governance. Most important reason is might lead to international friction;
that no single nation has got all the resources
to tackle problems plaguing humanity and this 3. to recommend methods of adjusting such
planet -poverty, malnutrition, disease, climate disputes or the terms of settlement;
change, disaster risk, organized crime, 4. to formulate plans for the establishment of a
terrorism etc. These problems do not system to regulate armaments;
recognize political boundaries and are a risk
to us all. Second reason is globalization; with 5. to determine the existence of a threat to the
which world has woven into one fabric where peace or act of aggression and to recommend
what action should be taken;
internal policies of one nation can affect the
whole world. 6. to call on Members to apply economic
 Underlying global governance is tolerance sanctions and other measures not involving the
and a willingness to manage differences and use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
reconcile self/other, us/them and 7. to take military action against an aggressor;
inside/outside. This can take place only where
there is a common set of values, norms, 8. to recommend the admission of new
beliefs, ideas and institutions. As these values Members;
evolve, the nature of global governance has 9. to exercise the trusteeship functions of the
necessarily to change. Indeed, global United Nations in "strategic areas";
governance ‘is a broad, dynamic, complex
process... that is constantly evolving and 10. to recommend to the General Assembly the
responding to changing circumstances’ appointment of the Secretary-General and,
together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of
The Role of the United Nations the International Court of Justice.
 As the most representative inter-governmental What should be the strategy for better global
organization of the world today, the United governance?
Nations' role in world affairs is irreplaceable
Experience offers three principles:
by any other international or regional
organizations. The United Nations has made
enormous positive contributions in maintaining
• Effective, representative national stabilization. Civil and political rights are favored
governments are essential for democratizing over economic and social rights. Development
global institutions concerns are usually relegated to the ‘post-
recovery’ period.
The international system does not weaken MAINSTREAMING GENDER
national governments; rather, it relies on them. Unequal gender relations are among the
Governments must perform well to attract foreign conditions that are conducive to conflict.
funding. Weak states are threats to themselves Moreover, the active role played by women’s
and to global governance. The efficiency of the groups in peace processes suggests that greater
state is increasingly threatened where legitimacy involvement of women can contribute to improved
is weak (‘rogue states’, semi-authoritarian human security.
regimes, facade democracies), but enhanced
where the freedom and effectiveness of civil FOCUSING ON THE REGIONAL DIMENSIONS
society are high. Many regional institutions and OF CONFLICT
agreements (EU, OAS, Mercosur, EU-ACP, and Not enough attention is paid to the regional
SADP) now enhance legitimacy through dimensions of conflict. Dealing with the nexus
‘democracy clauses. between corrupt governments, insurgent groups,
• Effective regional governance is needed for drugs, minerals or other valuable primary
infrastructure development and management products and weapons is crucial to dealing with
of natural resources most chronic intern alarmed conflicts.

The emergence of strong regional governance is AVOIDING A HEAVY ‘FOOTPRINT’

often seen as hostile to global governance. But as In most conflict countries, one of the parties to the
long as they do not restrict trade, effective conflict has dominated the various branches of
regional arrangements act as the building blocks government and has often been complicit, if not
of global governance by facilitating the movement directly responsible for, human rights violations
of people, development of trade and and other atrocities.
infrastructure, and natural resource management.
ENSURING SECURITY
• Reforms must be implementable as long as
The final problem is security. Although there have
high-income countries largely fund global
been numerous attacks on UN Offices, vehicles
Institutions, these countries must ‘opt in’ if and staff before, the attack on UN headquarters
reforms are to be implemented. Gradual reforms in Baghdad in August2003was a watershed in
are more likely to succeed since they keep more that it was systematic, premeditated and of
of the major players on board significant proportion.

Challenges Facing the Global Governance in The potential threats to peace and security are
the twenty first century: grouped under six broad headings:

PROTECTING CIVILIANS  Threats from poverty, disease and

The presence of peacekeeping troops is still no environmental breakdown (the threats to
guarantee that civilians will be protected. Such human security identified in the Millennium
troops need to be restructured for human security Development Goals), threats from conflict
tasks instead of fighting wars. The job of the between states, threats from violence and
military in a human security framework is to massive human rights violations within states,
protect individuals and creates public security threats from terrorism, threats from organized
rather than to defeat enemies, while cooperating crime, and threats from the proliferation of
with development agencies so as to build an weapons -particularly WMD, but also
interrelated approach to security. conventional.
 Globalization has to be reshaped, reformed to
ESTABLISHING LEGITIMATE POLITICAL allow it to realize its true potential. This
AUTHORITY requires a review of interests and ideology,
More emphasis is often placed on stability than the need for stronger International Public
on human rights and justice, including Institutions which focus on issues of collective
accountability for the commission of war crimes. action, transparency in decision making, and
finally general reform. However, the most
PRIORITIZING DEVELOPMENT fundamental and crucial change that is
Insufficient attention is paid to economic and required that will enable globalization to be a
social development, especially job creation. force for good, is a change in governance.
Instead, immediate post-conflict priorities tend to  "The Central challenge we face today is to
focus on humanitarian relief and macroeconomic ensure that globalization becomes a positive
force for all the world’s people, instead of
leaving billions of them in squalor" -Kofi
Annan (Secretary-General UN)