The

Contemporary
World
(4CONWORLD)

MR. JASON N. ARAGON, RSW, MPM

Instructor (Part-time)
HAU School of Arts and Sciences
 LESSON 4 THE UNITED NATIONS &
CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Learning Outcomes
• define global governance
• identify roles & functions of the
United Nations
• determine the challenges of
global governance in the 21st
century

The Contemporary World by Claudio

& Abinales, pages 39-49
 Global Governance
• the various intersecting processes that
create world order
• there is no global government or single
world government that various states are
accountable to
Global Governance
There are many sources of
global governance like:
• signed treaties international laws
• organizations which legislate
• lobbying for a certain advocacy
• effect of transnational corporations in
global labor laws, trade policy, etc.
• ideas and needs
What is an IO?
International Organizations:
“... international intergovernmental
organizations or groups that are primarily
made up member states.”
--Evans and Newham, 1988
Powers of IO
listed by Barnett and Finnemore

1. Power of Classification: they invent and

apply categories creating powerful global
standards
2. Power to fix meanings: defines terms
and IOs are legitimate sources of
information.
3. Power to diffuse norms: they spread
ideas thereby establishing global standards
The United
Founded October 24, 1945
Nations
The most prominent IO in the
contemporary world
Tasked with maintaining international peace
and security, developing friendly relations
among nations, achieving internation co-
operation, and being a center for
harmonizing the actions of nations
https://www.un.org/en/about-un/
The 5 Active Organs of the UN
1. General Assembly (GA) :
--UNs main deliberative policymaking and
representative organ

2. Security Council (SC):

--considered as the
most powerful UN
organ
The 5 Active Organs of the UN
3. Economic and Social Council:
--the principal body for coordination, policy
review, policy dialogue, and
recommendations on social and
environmental issues as well asthe
implementation of internationally agreed
development goals
The 5 Active Organs of the UN
4. International Court of Justice:
--settles, in accordance to international laws,
legal disputes between states, give advisory
opinions

5. Secretariat -- the Sec Gen

and UN international
staffs
Challenges of the UN
• Respect to State sovereignty
• Issues of security
• Issues of intervention
 Conclusion
• IOs are the most visible symbols of global
governance
• The UN is the closest to a world
government