Global governance and international law

What is global governance

efforts of states, IGOs and non-state actors to address transnational issues that no single nation can solve alone

Key characteristics

• multilateral cooperation

• non-binding agreements, relies on voluntary compliance

• web of overlapping actors

What is international law

Body of rules, norms and principles that govern the relationships and interactions between states, IGOs and non-state actors

Purpose of international law

• promote peace, security , cooperation and justice on global scale

Sources of International Law

• Treaties (states agreeing with each other certain legal constrains on their actions)

• UNSC (binding resolutions), ICJ (only if state parties agree)

• Customary international law (established norms/behaviour are recognised as legally binding)

Role of UN in global governance 

to maintain international peace and security, promote human right and foster development 

Key challenge of global governance

• The tension between sovereignty and cooperation

• lacks mechanisms to enforce complience

Example of state resisting international agreement

The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the Trump administration