CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
dimensions of governance:
◦ Lesson 1 of Module 2
◦ Lesson 1: Objectives
1. Identify the roles and functions of the United Nations
2. Discuss the challenges of global governance in the 21st century
3. Explain the relevance of the state amidst globalization
United Nations
- Created after World War II in 1945
- Founders were shocked by the destruction of war and the
horrors of the Holocaust
- Its main aims are to:
o Solve international conflicts and prevent war;
o Fight poverty and promote sustainable development;
and
o Protect human rights
- It is made up of 193 countries – “members states” that finance
and govern its work
- It is headed by the Secretary-General
How does the UN work?
What is Governance?
- Governance consists of the traditions and institutions by which
authority in a country is exercised. This includes the process by
which governments are selected, monitored and replaced; the
capacity of the government to effectively formulate and
implement sound policies; and the respect of citizens and the
state for the institutions that govern economic and social
interactions among them.
- Refers to the processes and institutions, formal and informal,
whereby rules are created, compliance is elicited, and goods
are provided in pursuit of collective goals (Hale & Held, 2011)
Worldwide Governance Indicators
- The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports
aggregate and individual governance indicators for over 200
countries and territories over the period 1996–, for six
o Voice and Accountability
o Political Stability and Absence of Violence
o Government Effectiveness
o Regulatory Quality
o Rule of Law
o Control of Corruption
1. Voice and Accountability: the extent to which a country’s
citizens are able to participate in selecting their government,
as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association,
and a free media.
2. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism:
the likelihood that the government will be destabilized by
unconstitutional or violent means, including terrorism.
3. Government Effectiveness: the quality of public services,
the capacity of the civil service and its independence from
political pressures; and the quality of policy formulation.
4. Regulatory Quality: the ability of the government to provide
sound policies and regulations that enable and promote private
sector development.
5. Rule of Law:
in and abide by the rules of society, including the quality of
contract enforcement and property rights, the police, and
the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
6. Control of Corruption: the extent to which public power
is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand
forms of corruption, as well as “capture” of the state by
elites and private interests.
Lesson 3
The Global Interstate System
The nation-state "is one where the great majority are conscious of
Objectives:
1. Assess the role of colonialism in shaping global political and
economic hierarchy in today’s societies.
2. Define neocolonialism, internationalism, and globalism.
3. Explain the effects of globalization on governments.
4. Identify the institutions that govern international relations.
Imperialism and colonialism
Imperialism
o is a policy or ideology of extending a nation’s rule over
foreign nations, often by military force or by gaining
political and economic control of other areas
(Encyclopedia Britannica)
Colonialism
o is the practice of acquiring full or partial political control
over another country, occupying it with settlers, and
exploiting it economically
The Philippines before and after colonization by various nations
Post-colonialism
- Refers to the developments that occur in a former colony after
the colonizing power leaves
- But colonialism continues in a new form = NEOCOLONIALISM
- Through the operation of multinational corporations (large
businesses that operate in many countries)
- There is no direct political control, but there is economic
exploitation by the MNCs
Nation-State
a common identity and share the same culture" 1.
The nation-state is an area where the cultural boundaries match
up with the political boundaries. The ideal of 'nation-state' is that
the state incorporates people of a single ethnic stock and
cultural traditions2. However, most contemporary states are
polyethnic. Thus, it can be argued that the nation-state "[...]
would exist if nearly all the members of a single nation were
organised in a single state, without any other national
communities being present. Although the term is widely used,
no such entities exist" 3.
The nation as we think of it today is a product of the nineteenth
century. In modern times nation is recognised as 'the' political
community that ensures the legitimacy of the state over its
territory, and transforms the state into the state of all its citizens.
The notion of 'nation-state' emphasises this new alliance
between nation and state. Nationality is supposed to bind the
citizen to the state, a bond that will be increasingly tied to the
advantages of a social policy in as much as the Welfare State
will develop4.
After the First World War the principle of 'the right to national
self-determination' were commonly used by international
lawyers, national governments and their challengers. The
demand that people should govern themselves became
identified with the demand that nations should determine their
own destiny. By this followed that 'state' and 'nation' came to
signify the same and began to be used interchangeably.
'National' came to mean anything run or regulated by the state,
as in 'national health insurance' or 'national debt'5. Today, the
idea is that nations should be represented within a territorially
defined state.
Nevertheless, the idea of the nation-state is more problematical
as the state can no longer be seen as the primary focus of
national culture6. The 'crisis of the nation-state' refers to the
 separation of the state from the nation. Social identities, and in The nation-state has also been weakened by the growing power of
particular national culture, can reassert themselves in a variety global and transnational organizations (e.g. the EU) that operate
of ways due to a gradual freeing of the state from some of its largely free of the control of nation-states. Another factor is the growth
traditional functions7. In Western Europe the crisis of national of global problems (AIDS, TB, and global warming) that cannot be
identity is related to the rise of a new nationalism that operates handled, or handled very well, by a nation-state operating on its own.
at many different levels, ranging from extreme xenophobic One way of summarizing much of this is to say that the nation-state
forms to the more moderate forms of cultural nationalism. has become increasingly porous. While this seems to be supported by
Underlying this new nationalism is more a hostility against a great deal of evidence, the fact is that no nation-state has ever been
immigrants than against other nations; it is motivated less by able to control its borders completely. Thus, it is not the porosity of the
notions of cultural superiority than by the implications nation-state that is new, but rather what is new is a dramatic increase
multiculturalism has for the welfare state. Accordingly, one in that porosity and of the kinds of flows that are capable of passing
important challenge facing the democratic multi-cultural state is through national borders.
to find ways of preserving the link between social citizenship
Another threat to the autonomy of the nation-state is the growing
and multiculturalism. Without a firm basis in social citizenship,
interest in international human rights. Indeed, the issue of
multiculturalism can undergo continued attacks from
human rights, defined as the “entitlement of individuals to life,
nationalism, often as a result of social insecurity.
security, and well-being” has emerged as a major global political
issue. It is argued that because these rights are universal, the
nation-state cannot abolish them. As a result, global human
THE STATE AMID GLOBALIZATION rights groups have claimed the right to be able to have a say
about what is done to people. This is very evident in the
Philippines when the Duterte administration was serious on its
We had lived in a world of essentially unchallenged sovereignty for
War on Drugs, thus alleged to effect Extra Judicial Killings
several generations now, and had begun to think of it as the natural
(EJK).
state of affairs. However, the idea of states as autonomous,
independent entities is collapsing under the combined onslaught of
monetary unions, global television, the Internet, governmental and
Mindanao Context
non-governmental organizations. Many have proclaimed the death of
As posted in the website of UN WOMEN: Asia and the Pacific dated
sovereignty of states while a few still believe that sovereignty is still
March 14, 2019
the basis of state interaction.
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/3/news-bangsamoro-
The nation - state is especially threatened by the global economy and
organic-law-promises-hope-for-women-in-southern-philippines
global economic flows. The decline of the nation-state is also linked to
Passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law promises new hope for
technological and financial changes where there is an accelerated
women in Southern Philippines
integration of national economies into one single global market
Following decades of struggle for peace in southern Philippines, the
economy. While nation-states once controlled markets, it is now the
Bangsamoro Organic Law was ratified in July 2018. The law creates a
markets that often control the nation-states.
new political entity to replace the existing autonomous region, which is
There are a variety of other factors threatening the autonomy of the
home to 13 ethno-linguistic groups in Mindanao. On 22 February, the
nation-state including flows of information, undocumented immigrants,
transitional authority took their oath of office, swearing in the new
new social movements, war, terrorists, criminals, drugs, money
government’s chief minister, cabinet, and parliament.
(including laundered money, and other financial instruments), sex-
trafficking, and much else. Many of these flows have been made
possible by the development and continual refinement of technologies
of all sorts.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and
what’s in it for women
The newly-ratified Bangsamoro Organic Law contains several
provisions that will benefit women and girls. Women, youth and
indigenous communities each have reserved seats in Parliament, and
at least one woman must be appointed to the Cabinet. The law
ensures an allocation of at least 5 per cent of the budget for
programmes on gender and development. It calls for addressing the
rights of women combatting climate change, and for women’s needs
to be considered in rehabilitation and development programmes for
internally-displaced people.
These provisions create a positive environment for women’s
participation and gender-responsive governance. However, the
advocacy and support from communities, NGOs, and other actors,
and the buy-in and support from government officials will be vital to
guarantee women’s rights and gender equality.
Women’s participation in the new government is critical to meeting
women’s needs in laws and policies. These should be crafted in
an inclusive process with women, youth and indigenous
peoples. They must also consider the conflict, including threats
of violent extremism that has constantly challenged the region.