Global Governance Flashcards
Define global governance
= The rules and organisations used to manage issues that affect the whole world.
(Ways in which the affairs that affect the whole world are managed)
describes the steering rules, norms, codes and regulations used to regulate human activity, and the problems associated with them, at an international scale.
However, at a global scale, actions and laws can be tough to enforce.
The range of actors may be reactive or proactive
What are international laws?
Established through international agreements.
They are legally binding e.g. human rights, labour standards, trade regulations
What are norms?
accepted standards of behaviour – there are usually negative
consequences for countries, companies and individuals who don’t follow them. Eg) right to freedom of speech
What are institutions?
Political and legal organisations.
They pass and enforce laws.
Global scale examples: UN and WTO
What is the reactive response in global governance?
Reacting to a problem after it arises
What is the proactive response in global governance?
Prevent problems before they arise
How are the national governments actors reactive and example?
Legislate and invest, to implement international initiatives, laws, targets or agreements
UK Government recent support for renewable energy sources, to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and climate-changing emissions, a response to new EU laws.
How are the national governments actors proactive and example?
Influence and contribute to international discussions, votes and decisions
Some national governments have more influence than others on UN Security Council.
China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA are all permanent members of the UN Security Council. Often take leadership roles in conflict resolution.
How are TNCs actors reactive and example?
Compensate and adopt new codes of conduct or working practices imposed by laws or socio-economic pressure
In collapse of the eight-storey building Dhaka, in Bangladesh in 2013, clothing company Primark (part of
multinational company Associated British Foods) paid compensation and provided emergency aid to the victims of the disaster
How are TNCs actors proactive and example?
Sponsor and support the work of NGOs and international organisations
Tobacco companies sponsor anti-smoking NGOs within LICs, to publicise the health risks of smoking. protecting themselves from law suits seen in HICs in recent decades
How are international agreements actors reactive and example?
Respond to global events to offer advice to national governments and publicise the work of NGOs.
The World Health Organisation was late to offer guidance on how to contain Ebola virus in the early stages of the recent epidemic in West Africa.
How are international agreements actors proactive and example?
Sponsor, facilitate and publicise international issues and agreements to address them
2013 - UNI Global Union, in alliance with leading NGOs, sponsored and created the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, to protect working conditions in the ready- made garment industry.
What are the scales and examples that institutions work together at to make global governance a success?
Global scale: eg) United Nations
International scale: eg) European Union
National scale: eg) UK parliament, British Government
Regional scale: eg) Welsh Assembly, Scottish Parliament
Local scale: eg) local councils
How does global governance aim to promote growth and stability?
International institutions are designed to provide growth (improving the economy or
society) and stability (making sure there are no sudden changes to society and the
economy):
The laws and norms that international institutions enforce mean that countries must abide by common rules.
This gives greater stability because countries know how others are likely to react in a situation making conflict less likely.
Trade rules means countries can’t take advantage of each other, so all can develop.
What are examples of institutions aiming to promote growth?
World bank gives development loans to least developed countries.
UN educational scientific and cultural organisation (UNESCO) helps to ensure benefits of scientific advances are shared between countries.
What are examples of institutions aiming to promote stability?
World health organisation aims to increase global trade to lead to economic growth. Trade is more predictable so increases stability.
World health organisation combats epidemics eg) covid. Increases social stability.
What are the problems with global governance aims to promote growth and stability?
Countries sign up to international laws and institutions voluntarily so difficult to make countries and TNCs comply with rules, if countries don’t sign up to treaties they are not bound to laws of it.
Some argue global institutions act for political reason
What are examples of institutions creating inequalities?
Conditions for loans from International momentary fund or wold bank eg) must cut government spending which could make poverty and inequality in LICs worse.
Economic groups such as G7 Strengthen power of developed countries rather than encouraging equality between them and LICs.
What are examples of institutions creating injustice?
Members of security institutions eg) UN Security Council can reject resolutions eg) 2011 to 2016 Russia and China rejected resolutions to intervene in the Syrian civil war.
What is the United Nations?
Set up in 1945 to establish a peaceful and fair world 193 member countries - has a lot of authority as virtually all countries in the world.
How does the UN promote growth?
UN millennium development goals reduced number living in poverty - extreme poverty has been halved in 15 years
Increased number in primary school - 43 million more children go to school
New HIV infections went down by 43%
Over 2 billion more people get access to clean drinking water
2015-2030 sustainable development goals - Covid may make it less likely (knocked back progress)
How does the UN promote stability?
UN peace keeping missions eg) peaceful elections held in Cote D’lvoire in 2015 after years of civil war
How has the UN created inequality?
HICs hold more pole over UN decisions
Additional 119-124 million were pushed into poverty in 2020 due to pandemic which intensified and exposed inequalities
How has the UN created injustice?
UN has been ineffective at times
eg) 1995, UN peacekeepers failed to protect 8000 people in Srebrenica, S E Europe when massacred by Bosnian Serbs.
Global flows of foreign direct investment fell by 40% in 2020 compared to 2019. Pandemic has brought financial challenges
