New Approaches to Global Problem-solving

It is obvious that there is an urgent need for new approaches to global problem solving, as it seems that the current global setup - with its various institutional elements - is not up to the task. At the same time as there are many alternative approaches to global problem solving, there are also several inherently global issues lacking methods for addressing them effectively. The task of the Track was to start an international dialogue on the goals and methods of global problem solving. Is it possible to tackle one global issue at a time? Can global networks be built to focus on specific global issues? How could these networks involve all major stakeholders? And how could they bring in those voices not yet adequately heard?

The analytical starting point for the work of the Track was the global governance gap. The core issue is one of legitimacy, a concept much broader than legality. It is essentially determined by public perceptions about the decision making process – how open and transparent is it, to what extent it gives the public a voice, and whose interests does it serve. These questions are relevant both for the inputs that go into the decision-making process and the outputs that come from it. The aim of the Track was to introduce an analysis of democracy, coherence, and compliance deficits in global governance and to identify actions to improve the legitimacy of global problem solving mechanisms.

The Report of the Track focuses on the following themes and issues:

THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS: While new solutions need to be found it is also necessary to critically review existing institutions. The debate on the reform of the global institutional architecture is one of the prevalent approaches to better governance of globalisation, but taking this approach runs the risk of leading to endless discussions on the desirable institutional shape of the UN, the WTO and the IMF. The primary focus of the discussion in the Track was on strengthening the political basis of these organisations, making them more open and more accountable to people and governments.

NEW COALITIONS: To promote global governance, governments have for quite some time formed mutual coalitions, either to manage their mutual relations in a peaceful manner or to advocate specific interests. The Group of 7/8 has been an elite club of the leading industrial states, which has taken stands on numerous social, economic, political, and military issues. The Group of 20 finance ministers has, in turn, tried to develop a new consultation in their annual meetings which includes both leading industrialized and developing countries. A different type of Group of 20 has emerged in the WTO negotiating process. All of these are self-selecting groups and are essentially power groupings rather than committees representing or reflecting the views of some broader group of countries. In order to remedy this situation, the Track examined a few options for providing a coherent global agenda in a more legitimate and efficient manner.

HYBRID GOVERNANCE PROCESSES AND THE INCLUSION OF CIVIL SOCIETY: Hybrid Governance refers to a new type of multilateralism bringing together inter-governmental and non-governmental actors. In this kind of hybrid governance process, social movements can make a difference, albeit a limited one. This is a new area for exploration rather than definite settlement, and the Track approached it in the spirit of looking for broader processes of engagement in order to make global governance more effective and more responsive to people’s needs. One specific proposal is a new multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, transnational corporations, and NGOs to combat transnational corruption, as a test case of hybrid governance.

EFFICIENCY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GLOBAL AGREEMENTS: There is growing criticism of the failure of national and global institutions to implement decisions that have been taken after costly exercises of consultation, negotiation, and debate. The need to develop a strategy and appropriate mechanisms to increase the propensity towards compliance is now an urgent task, which is hampered by convoluted debates about sovereignty and short term political expediencies at the national level. The Track explored issues such as strengthening monitoring and supervision mechanisms, and creating technical assistance capacities on labour standards.