- Enseignant-e: Nicolas Levrat
A number of global issues call for global governance.
The current world order (studied by the disciplines of International Relations, International Law, etc.) is structured around some 200 States. After the end of World War II (1945), a multilateral cooperation scheme was instituted around the United nations (Peace and security and many specialized organization – such as ILO, WHO, etc.) and the so-called “Washington institutions”, mainly the IMF and World bank. This post-1945 governance scheme had very early been altered by a confrontation in a bi-polar world (East vs West or liberal vs socialist), making it dysfunctional. However, after the period 1989-1991 (fall of the Soviet Union) most of the academic literature considered that this multilateral system was the proper architecture of an new “International liberal order”, under the leadership of the USA (symbolized for many author by the creation (in 1994) of the WTO and its dominant role in international cooperation, after the adhesion of China (2001) and Russia (2012).
However, considering the magnitude of current global issues (climate change, pandemic, energy transition, etc.), as well as a shift in geo-political balance, this multilateral system appears unfit to offer efficient governance in 2025. Alternate governance modes – either based on new geopolitical alliances (such as BRICS) or driven by Multinational corporations, which challenge the pivotal role of State at global level – may be emerging.
This is at understanding the current multilateral system and its shortcomings first, and then the dynamic of changes at work towards forms of global governance that this Master class is dedicated.