International Journal of Innovation and Learning

Abstract The United Nations (UN) Summit of the Future was a once-in-a-decade summit to work on UN reform. This article studies the Summit from the perspective of the broader crisis of liberal international order as well as the lifecycle of international organizations. It identifies the leadership by Secretary-General Guterres as critical in terms of agenda-setting but also preparing the road towards the Summit. It furthermore stresses the embedding of the UN in a much broader external network of like-minded actors which have helped to increase the momentum of the Summit. It argues that the proposals by the Secretary-General should be considered an innovative attempt at institutional layering. Adding new governance layers, addressing common problems, clearly made sense to the UN, yet this approach was ultimately weakened in the inter-state negotiations between the member states leading up to the Summit.

Abstract Does the personal background of women as independent experts in international organizations (IO s) affect their behavior? By studying the impact of biographies on the behavior of experts in international institutions, we shed light on broader questions of IO performance. We find that, contrary to our expectations, women are more active members than men. We explore this finding in more detail and argue that women’s participation in meetings with state representatives is correlated with their type and extent of experience, the education they received, and their regional group membership. By analyzing data from two novel datasets on members’ biographies and on their frequency of participation, we aim to uncover how these factors might shape the perspectives, attitudes, and decision-making of experts within IO s. Our study provides valuable insights into the diversity of expertise within international organizations and the implications for global governance and policymaking.

Abstract The outcome of the United Nations Summit of the Future was the adoption of a potentially far-reaching Pact for the Future, Global Digital Compact, and Declaration on Future Generations, which surprised many skeptics who viewed present geopolitical conditions as non-conducive to enhancing global cooperation. After first retracing the lead-up to the Summit, with an emphasis on the role of civil society and multi-stakeholder ImPact Coalitions, the article makes three main points regarding post-Summit trajectories. It argues, first, that the current climate of mistrust in the system has also generated the political will to commit to change. Second, it stresses the need for serious planning and utilizing subsequent multiplier effects that will shape the future of the multilateral system. Lastly, the article elaborates on the critical torch- bearing and knowledge- management role of civil society and other stakeholders in the further implementation and follow-through of the Summit’s commitments.

Abstract The United Nations is at a point of legitimacy crisis, particularly from members of the so-called global South who have long felt underrepresented by the institution. Through an analysis of recent debates around trust and reform of the UN system, this article explores the UN’s crisis of confidence and what can be done to reduce it. First, the article connects research on trust theories of international relations to the legitimacy and effectiveness of the UN. Second, it reviews recent debates about representation in the UN system, and provides an analysis of their feasibility drawing on desk research and first-person interviews with diplomats and relevant sources. It concludes that the UN is attempting to adapt to remain relevant, but the institution is quickly losing the trust of its membership because of its inability to evolve quickly enough.

Abstract This paper aims to answer whether cities are emerging as international lawmakers or shapers in human rights law, which is connected with the normative value of the results of such law-making/shaping. After a short introduction, an example of international agreement between cities, the European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City will be examined and compared to the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter (both inter-state treaties). The former is part of the emergence of cities as international lawmakers/shapers and part of the global and multi-level governance architecture. Then, the paper will present the case study of Barcelona, focused primarily on Barcelona’s implementation of the European Charter for the Safeguarding of Human Rights in the City. Finally, the paper will provide the answer to the above question with some concluding remarks.

Abstract This commentary addresses the challenges and opportunities of renewing multilateral cooperation, including at the UN Summit of the Future. It argues that despite pessimism given global political divisions, significant potential exists for reform. Recent successes demonstrate the efficacy of networked multilateralism, in which coalitions of states supported by nongovernmental organizations played pivotal roles. The piece suggests such coalitions can help Member States renew the multilateral system based on fair representation, increased contributions from emerging powers, shared responsibility among major powers, and inclusion of nongovernmental actors. It emphasizes the need for world leaders to address pressing challenges and restore trust in multilateral systems by showing they can deliver fair, inclusive, and effective solutions. The author offers a framework to guide global governance reform—which defends the old, governs the new, strengthens the borrowed, and renews the blue—and ensure the UN remains a relevant and central body in global governance.

Abstract The United Nations is at a point of legitimacy crisis, particularly from members of the so-called Global South who have long felt underrepresented by the institution. Walking through recent debates around trust and reform of the UN system, this article provides an analysis of the UN’s crisis of confidence and what can be done to reduce it. First, the article connects research on trust theories of international relations to the legitimacy and effectives of the UN. Second, it overviews recent debates about representation in the UN system, and provides an analysis of their feasibility built off of desk research and first-person interviews with diplomats and relevant sources. Results found that the UN is attempting to adapt to remain relevant, but the institution is quickly losing the trust of its membership because of its inability to evolve quickly enough.

Abstract As countries formerly deemed to be “developing” and relatively powerless begin to exert more influence in global arenas, fresh attention is being paid by Western policymakers as well as scholars to the possibility of the creation of a multipolar system that is shaping up to be a highly diverse one. To assess whether this incipient multipolarity can be sustained, it is important to examine the evolving diplomatic strategies of the nations of the Global South, in particular their reliance on multilateral mechanisms for normative guidance and tangible gains. This requires an examination of the content of the foreign policies of current and potential leading nations of the Global South, not only those that are fortunate enough to exert influence at the global level, but also those that are in key positions at the regional and subregional levels. A study of selected leading countries found that organizational membership and leadership, regionalism, nonalignment, multialignment, and agility in adopting and operationalizing norms such as South-South cooperation and environmentalism are among the key strategies that are being employed by Global South states in their efforts to gain visibility in global affairs.

Abstract Transitions between “military” and “democratic” rule significantly impact the political stability of African states and challenge the legitimacy of “global governance” mechanisms promoted by regional and international organizations. Development and growth theories have long explored the durable implications of military coups d’état for social, political, and economic outcomes in Africa. An emerging body of critical scholarship has examined the resurgent coups d’état in Africa and their implications for the continent’s geopolitics. Concerned with the historical shortcomings of the imposition of global governance mechanisms onto African states, this article raises several questions about the tenets of global governance; the extent to which systems conceptually and empirically limited to particular temporal, spatial, and historical junctures “become global”; and how the strains and stresses that the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States continue to grapple with constitute a drive toward a new governance system that is reconfiguring geopolitical alliances.