Global governance: Political Flashcards
What are principal actors?
States make/break global governance initiatives. Nothing is agreed globally unless states agree to take action. Some states can opt out of or block agreements so they’re meaningless or a failure.
What are unenforceable laws?
International law is largely unenforceable. In most nation-states as every citizen is needed to comply and is held accountable in the courts if they break it. International law is often optional- requires states to actively sign up for the law to cover them (states can choose not to sign and ratify key treaties), can also change minds and withdraw. Customary international law is so widely accepted it applies to states regardless of whether they’ve signed up or not but can have powerful rogue states (international court).
What is a lack of enforcement?
Even if states have signed up to international law, there are few means of international enforcement, (eg. international/ regional HR courts) that can hold states accountable and force them to change behaviour.
What are rogue states?
They often have no desire to be part of and influenced by any system of global governance. Especially those with illegitimate governments that are exceeding their powers like North Korea.
What are failed states?
They’re not fully in control of their internal governance (eg. Somalia). Rarely effective participants in global governance as they can’t yet hold authority over their own population. Insurgent groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria often take over leafing to control of government. ‘fragile state’
What are powerful states?
They can pick and choose which global agreements they’re part of and ignore international pressure (eg. Russia in Ukraine, US not signing the Kyoto Protocol)
What are NGOs?
Independent from states and IGOs and are usually funded by donations. Increasingly important in global governance initiatives, but the work of global governance is primarily conducted between nation-states, either within IGOs or working together in more informal, ad hoc discussions.
What are the 3 ways in which states work together?
IGOs- they provide a permanent and formal rules-based framework in which states can negotiate and form agreements. Nation states work together to make agreements by consent, eg. UN
International treaties- a means of creating international law more flexibly on specific issues, either within or independent of IGOs and between 2 or more states. Useful for a smaller number of states working on an issue of specific concern.
Ad hoc meetings- states can meet in informal meetings and undertake negotiations and agreements on a more ad hoc basis
What are the 6 UN bodies?
