LESSON 4 The United Nations & Contemporary Global Governance

Government

• is an institution.

• An organized system or group— usually including legislative, executive, and judicial branches—that officially governs a state or community by making laws, enforcing policies, collecting taxes, and providing public services.

Governance

• is a process.

• The exercise of authority—political, economic, and administrative—to manage a nation ’ s or society ’ s affairs. It encompasses the structures, processes, and capacity through which resources are steered, policies are made and implemented, stakeholders are engaged, and accountability is maintained.

International Organization

A legally established entity created by agreement between two or more states, operating under international law, with its own legal personality, rights, and duties. It usually has international membership, a permanent structure, and pursues common goals such as peace, development, security, cooperation, or human rights.

Power of Classification

IOs have the power to invent and apply categories to create powerful global standards. For example, the UNHCR categorizes what a “ refugee ” is to require states to accept refugees in entering their borders. (Powers of IOs)

Power to Fix Meanings

IOs, as legitimate sources of information, create well-defined terms. Such meanings having effects on various policies. For example, the UN defines “ safety ” as not just safety from military violence, but also from environmental harm. (Powers of IOs)

 Power to Diffuse Norms

Norms are accepted codes of conduct that may not be strict law, but nevertheless promote regularity in behavior. IOs spread their ideas across the world, thereby establishing global standards. (Power of IOs)

United Nations

The most prominent IO in the contemporary world. After the collapse of the League of Nations at the end of World War I, countries that worried about another global war began to push for the formation of a more lasting international league. The result was the creation of the UN. Although the organization is far from perfect, it should be emphasized that it has so far achieved its primary goal of averting another global war.

Headquarters: Manhattan, New York City, USA Membership: 193 Member-States; 2 Observer. States (Holy See, Palestine) Secretary-General: António Guterres, Portugal (since 2017) Philippine Representative: Amb. Enrique A. Manalo (since 2025) Charter Signed: June 26, 1945 Charter Enforced: October 24, 1945

General Assembly

• UN' s " main deliberative policymaking and representative organ." According to the UN Charter: "Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members, and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the _______________________. Decisions on other questions are done by simple majority.”

• All Member-States (193) have seats in the GA.

• Annually, the GA elects a GA President to serve a oneyear term of office. Filipino diplomat Carlos P. Romulo was elected GA president from 1949-1950

• Current GA President: Philemon Yang (Cameroon)

Security Council

• Although the GA is the most representative organization in the UN, the ___________ is considered to be the most powerful.

• The ____ takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or an act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle the act by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. It can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorizing the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

• States that seek to intervene militarily in another state need to obtain the approval of the _____. With the ______ approval, a military intervention may be deemed legal.

• The SC consists of 15 Member-States. The GA elects ten of these 15 to two-year terms. The current non-permanent members, whose terms end at different times, are: Algeria (2025) Guyana (2025) Republic of Korea (2025) Sierra Leone (2025) Slovenia (2025) Denmark (2026) Greece (2026) Pakistan (2026) Panama (2026) Somalia (2026)

• The SC’ s Presidency rotates monthly. The current Presidency is held by South Korea (September 2025).

• The Philippines has been a non-permanent member of the SC four times: in 1957, 1963, 1980-1981, and 2004-2005

Permanent 5 (P5)

• The other five members of the SC, referred to as the P5, have been permanent members since the founding of the UN, and cannot be replaced through election. These are: The United States The United Kingdom China Russia France

• Each country holds veto power over the council' s decisions. It only takes one veto vote from a P5 member to stop an SC action dead in its tracks.

Economic and Social Council

This is the principal body for coordination policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendations on social and environmental issues, as well as the implementation of internationally agreed development goals.

International Court of Justice

This has the task of settling disputes in accordance with international law. Its decision is binding when states explicitly submit and agree to place themselves before the court’ s authority. However, it is still subject to the Security Council. The SC may enforce the ______rulings but remain subject to the P5’ s veto power.

The Secretariat

It is the UN' s executive arm. The _________ has an important role in setting the agenda for the deliberative and decision-making bodies of the UN, and the implementation of the decision of these bodies. The Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly, is the head of the Secretariat.

• Secretary-General: António Guterres

• Deputy SG: Amina J. Mohammed (Nigeria, since 2017)