MODULE 1: The Structures of Globalization

UNIT 1
Lesson 4: The United Nations and Contemporary Global Governance

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this module, you are expected to:
 note what they know and what they want to learn about the
United Nations by completing the table;
 identify major problems the world is facing and the
organizations that can take care of it;
 rewrite the UN Charter as ‘At-Home-Rules’; and
 write a comparison of ‘At-Home-Rules’ to UN Rules.

www.ispionline.it

One lesson will not be able to cover the various ways of global
governance occurs. As such, this lesson will only examine how global
governance is articulated by intergovernmental organizations (IO). It will focus
primarily on the United Nations (UN) as the most prominent IO today.

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 Activity:

Directions: United Nations is one of the most prominent intergovernmental

organizations today. Complete the first two columns with what you know about the
United Nations (UN) and what you would like to know about the UN. Keep the
worksheet to complete the last column (What I Learned) after the lesson.

Topic: United Nations

What I Know (K) What I Want to Know (W) What I Learned (L)

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 Analysis:

Directions: Note down answers to the following questions. Write your answers on the
space provided after each question.

Name at least 10 major problems the Who or what organizations take care of
world is facing today. these types of problems?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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 Abstraction:

Although many internationalists like Bentham and Kant imagined the

possibility of a global government, nothing of the sort exists today. There is one
organization that various states are accountable to. Moreover, no organization
can militarily compel a state to obey predetermined global rules.

Regularities in the general behaviour of states

1. They more or less follow global navigation routes, and more often than
not, respect each other‟s territorial boundaries.
2. To adhere to certain global norms means that there is a semblance of
world order.

Global Governance refers to

the various intersecting processes that
create this order.

Sources of global governance

1. States signs treaties and form
organizations, in the process legislating
public international law.
2. Powerful transnational
corporations can likewise have
tremendous effects on global labour
laws, environmental legislation and
trade policy. 21global.ucsb.edu

International Organization
When scholars refer to groups like the UN or institutions like the IMF and
the World Bank (see Lesson 2), they usually call the international organization
(IOs). Although international NGOs are sometimes considered as IOs, the term
is commonly used to refer to international intergovernmental organizations or
groups that are primarily made up of member-states.

One major fallacy about international organizations is that they are merely
amalgamations of various state interests.

IOs Power of Classification

1. They create powerful global standards.
2. IOs have the power to fix meanings.
3. IOs have the power to diffuse norms.

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United Nations
Having examined the
powers, limitations, and
weakness of IOs, the
spotlight will now fall on the
most prominent IO in the
contemporary world, the
United Nations (UN).
After the collapse of
the League of Nations at the
end of World War II,
democracywithoutborders.org
countries that worried about
another global war began to push for the formation of a more lasting
international league. The result was the creation of UN.
Although the organization is far from perfect, it should be emphasized that
it has so far achieved its primary goal of averting another global war. For this
reason alone, the UN should be considered a success.

Five Active Organs of UN

1. General Assembly
 The main deliberative policymaking and representative organ.
 Annually, the General Assembly elect a GA President to serve one-
year term of office.
 Composed of 193 members.
 A Filipino Diplomat, namely, Carlos P. Romulo was elected as a GA
president.
2. Security Council
 The most powerful organ of UN.
 Composed of fifteen (15) members.
 The term of office is two years.
 Permanent 5(P5) – China, France, Russia, UK and US
 The SC takes the lead in determining the existence of threat to the
peace or an act or aggression.
3. Economic and Social Council
 The principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue,
and recommendations on social and environmental issues, as well
as the implementation of internationally agreed development goals.
 Composed of 54 members.
 The term of office is three (3) years.
4. International Court of Justice
 This organ settles, in accordance with international law, legal
disputes submitted to it by authorized United Nations organs and
specialized agencies.

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 5. Secretariat
 Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff
members who carry out the day-to day.
 It is the bureaucracy of the UN.
 Members of the secretariat serve in their capacity as UN employees
and not a state representative.

Challenges of the United Nations

 Chief among these are the limits placed upon its various organs and
programs by the need to respect state sovereignty.
 The biggest challenge of UN is related to the issues of security.

United Nations Rules

1. All member countries are equal.

2. All member countries must obey the UN rules.
3. Countries must try to settle their differences by peaceful means.
4. Countries must avoid using force or threatening to use force.
5. The United Nations may not interfere with the domestic affairs of
any country.
6. Countries should try to assist the United Nations.
7. The aims of the United Nations are to:
 Keep peace throughout the world.
 Develop friendly relations between nations.
 Work together to help poor people live better lives.
 Eliminate poverty, disease and illiteracy in the world.
 Stop environmental destruction.
 Encourage respect for each other‟s rights and freedoms.

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 Application:
Directions: In your own words, rewrite the United Nations Rules as your rules at
home. Remember to alter the rules according to your own ‘At-Home-Rules’. Then,
answer the following questions indicated on the next page for your own reflection.

“At-Home- Content Organization Relevance Grammar Total

Rules” (30%) (30%) (20%) (20%) (100%)
Test I

United Nations Rules

1. All member countries are equal.

2. All member countries must obey the UN rules.
3. Countries must try to settle their differences by peaceful means.
4. Countries must avoid using force or threatening to use force.
5. The United Nations may not interfere with the domestic affairs of
any country.
6. Countries should try to assist the United Nations.
7. The aims of the United Nations are to:
 Keep peace throughout the world.
 Develop friendly relations between nations.
 Work together to help poor people live better lives.
 Eliminate poverty, disease and illiteracy in the world.
 Stop environmental destruction.
 Encourage respect for each other‟s rights and freedoms.

„At-Home-Rules‟

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 Q Content Relevance Point of View Structure Grammar Total
(20%) (20%) (20%) (20%) (20%) 100%
Test II

Test II. Look at the UN Rules – describe how do they compare to the house
rules in your home? Justify.
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References:
Alonzo, V. A. (2019, July 23). Scribd. Retrieved from www.scribd.com:
https://www.scribd.com/document/419479897/Notes-in-Contemporary-World-pdf
Claudio, L. & Abinales, P. (2018). The Contemporary World. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.

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