What Role for Global Governance?

Increasing interdependence among countries, combined with the ability for individuals or businesses to relocate to countries with few regulations has led to calls for more global governance. Disparate rules, such as when nations balk at reducing reliance on coal, have cross-border implications. Global challenges require global coordination, notes Kemal Derviş, vice president of the Brookings Institution, for Project Syndicate. “Even local initiatives, which are increasingly important for addressing the problem, must fit into a framework of converging global policies and obligations,” he writes. “Otherwise, people will not feel as though they are making a difference or contributing to a shared goal, and others will not feel pressure to do anything at all.” He adds that “The presence of global-governance frameworks should never become an excuse for national or local inaction.” Nations and communities are often among the first to identify problems and propose initiatives. Modern globalization – and global governance – should aspire to ensure wide distribution on best practices and reserve criticism for selfish shortcuts that ignore the global common good. – YaleGlobal