Global Governance

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor, Undergraduate

Global Governance in the Era of Great Power Rivalry Global governance is the way countries engage with each other to solve big problems collectively that no single state can fix. Against the current backdrop of wars, famine, climate change, pandemics, and other crises, effective systems of global governance – which require cooperation and compromise – have never been more important. Great power rivalry affects global governance acutely. The Biden Administration has committed to “relentless diplomacy” in the multilateral space. China is asserting its interests abroad with increasing vigor. Russia is embroiled in a UN Charter-busting war with its neighbor. And the European Union is striving to become a geopolitical force in its own right. Will these powers’ often contrasting global visions impede collective action to confront the world’s most urgent issues? How do medium-sized and smaller countries fit into the multilateral puzzle? Are current systems of global governance fit for purpose? What could a successful system of global governance look like? The course focuses on the United Nations, which at 77 remains the main multilateral arena where the action of global governance plays out. Through case studies, with particular emphasis on the UN Security Council, it looks in detail at the way the United States, China, Russia, and Europe interact and pursue their interests in the fields of security, development, climate, and human rights policy. The course will also examine other global governance forums, such as the G20, G7, and subregional multilateral organizations. The course directors are a former senior German diplomat who has served as ambassador to the United Nations and the United States and a current U.S. Foreign Service Officer who has held senior positions at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and in Asia and Washington. Most of the case studies and class content will relate to the real-life professional experiences of the instructors. One of the major learning goals of this course is for students to gain uncommon insights into the mechanisms, tools, and skills of multilateral diplomacy. There will be guest speakers and simulations.