Lesson 4: THE UNITED NATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Learning outcomes:
1. Define global governance
2. Identify the roles and functions of the United Nations; and
3. Determine the challenges of global governance in twenty first century.
Although many internationalists like Bentham and kant imagined the possibly of a
Global Governance, nothing of the sort exists today. There is no one organization that various
states are accountable to. Moreover, no organization can militarily compel a state to obey
predetermine global rules. There is, some regularity in the general behavior of states. For
example, they more or less follow global navigation routes and, more often than not, respect
each other’s territorial boundaries. Moreover, when they do not – like when Russia invaded
Crimea in 2004 – it becomes a cause for global concern and debate. The fact that states in an
international order continue to adhere to certain global norms means that there is a
semblance of world order despite the lack of a single world government.
Global Governance – refers to the various intersecting processes that create this order.
There are so many sources of global governance
State signs treaties
Form organization
In the process legislating public international law
International rules that govern inrteractions between states as opposed to say private companies.
Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) – is an organization independent of the government
whose primary mission is not commercial and that focuses on social, cultural, environmental,
educational, and others.
For example:
International Animal Protection NGO -can pressure government to passs cruelty laws

Powerful transactional corporations can likewise have tremendous effects on:

Global labor law

Example of an international animal Protection