Altered States - Globalization, Sovereignty, and Governance

This book describes the present state of the world with these words: "The dangerous turmoil is plain to see in the everyday failures of governments. Economic insecurity, polluted environments, the transfiguring power of global media, brooding conflicts of tribe and territory: all confound the capacity of even the most powerful state to govern alone, even on its own territory."

The book asks questions about whether or not globalisation can be democratised and suggests recommendations for governance and reform within the United Nations.

Contents

Foreword - Maureen O'Neil (President, IDRC)

Preface

Executive Summary

Introduction: Globalization: Hopes and Warnings
Globalization challenges and reinforces the power of the state. Governance is tested in a turbulent confusion of opportunity, insecurity, and anxiety. The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations offers the chance for productive debate on how humankind will govern itself in the global village.

Part 1: Sovereignty and Globalization: Government in a State of Confusion
What do the World Bank, Microsoft, and Greenpeace have in common? The noisy town square of world politics is populated by all manner of nonstates. Part 1 explores how failures of governance are related to pressures of globalization. It then suggests how governments might respond to urgent problems of peace and security, social equity, and protecting the global environment.

Part 2: For the Millennium Assembly: Three Imperatives of Governance
Preventing deadly conflict, providing opportunities for the young, and managing climate change ­ three urgent obligations of governance. Part 2 examines these imperatives in their complex dimensions: South­North; foreign­domestic; public­private. Practical recommendations for improved governance are proposed for the consideration of the Millennium Assembly.

Conclusion: Governing Principles: The United Nations and the Millenium Assembly
Globalization demands that we develop new forms of governance. And, as a natural nexus to the growing global networks of governance, the United Nations can lead in this process. Just as in 1944 at Bretton Woods, in Manhattan at the turn of the millennium, we can seize the opportunity to reconstruct our future.

Appendices
1. Sources and Resources
2. Friends of the United Nations
3. List of Acronyms
4. The Authors, the Publisher, and the Sponsor