High Noon: The urgent Need for New Global Problem-solving Approaches

1. High Noon: The urgent Need for New GlobalProblem-solving Approaches 2003

2. The Urgent Need for New Approaches toGlobal Problem-Solving Key Messages • Two big forces of change are running ahead of our ability to respond to them • In that context, there are about 20 urgent global issues 3. The current global problem-solving setup has not been up to the task 4. There are several families of ideas on alternative global problem-solving approaches 5. Time has come for starting an international discussion on the methodology of global problem-solving 6. The events of September 11 have made all this even more urgent

3. A Beleaguered Planet Population increase New economy

4. A Dangerous Gap . . . Population Increase New Economy Human Institutions

5. Inherently Global Issues A few examples... Greenhouse gas emissions Information age taxation Deforestation Financial stability Biodiversity loss Poverty Fisheries depletion Water shortages …mostly failures Exception that proves the rule: The Montreal Protocol

6. 20 years, 20 issues • Sharing our Planet: Issues involving the global commons • Global warming • Biodiversity and ecosystem losses • Fisheries depletion • Deforestation • Water deficits • Maritime safety and pollution • Sharing our humanity: Issues whose size and urgency requires a global commitment • Massive step-up in the fight against poverty • Peace-keeping, conflict prevention, combating terrorism • Education for all • Global infectious diseases • Digital divide • Natural disaster prevention and mitigation • Sharing our rulebook: Issues needing a global regulatory approach • Reinventing taxation for the 21st century • Biotechnology rules • Global financial architecture • Illegal drugs • Trade, investment and competition rules • Intellectual property rights • E-commerce rules • International labor and migration rules

7. The current international set up for solving Inherently Global Issues (IGIs) is essentially not up to the task . . . • Treaties and conventions Too slow for burning IGIs • Intergovernmental conferences Too short on follow-up mechanisms • G7/8, G-X type mechanisms Four limitations: 1. Methodology 2. Exclusiveness 3. Knowledge limitations 4. Distance to the people • Global multilateral institutions Not able to handle IGIs alone

8. Two major tracks... World Government Covering all issues Current Setup Alternative Approaches One global issue at a time

9. A world government ? In the next 20 years, there is not a chance that we will see a «world government» concept emerging as a solution. …not functioning at world level A case study... EU

10. Alternative approaches: three families of ideas Main features: Main ideas originating in: • Inter-governmental • Not permanent G20-type Groupings • Recent G7 experiments • World Bank and other experiments: forestry, dams • Tripartite: public sector, business, civil society • Permanent Global Issues Networks (GINs) • New diplomacy • New sources of funds New Diplomacy and Expanded aid concepts • Recent development in the field of aid (global public goods + UNDP ideas)

11. Global Issues Networks (GINs) • Permanent Networks for various global issues - launched by a multilateral as facilitator - tripartite (public, private, civil society) • Three phases - Startup - Norm Production - Rating, naming-and-shaming • GINs don’t legislate, but put pressure on countries to enact conforming legislation (reputation effects) • Partial examples: Dams, Forestry

12. Global Issues Networks (GINs) Phase 1 - The constitutional phase 1 year • Parties in each GIN: • Government • International civil society organizations • Business • Facilitators/conveners: • One global multilateral (as lead facilitator) • One from civil society • One from the business world

13. Global Issues Networks (GINs) Phase 2 - The norm-producing phase 1 year 1 year 2-3 years • Modus operandi: • Discipline and substance, no posturing • Deliberative polling through Electronic Town Meetings (ETM) • Rough consensus  • Structured work on a specific IGI: • What is the problem? • How much time do we have? • Where do we want to be 20 years from now? • How do we get there? • What are the options? • What should the norms be? Detailed norm packages Other recommendations

14. Global Issues Networks (GINs) Phase 3 - The implementation phase 1 year 1 year  10 years? 2-3 years 2-3 years • New tasks: • Rating countries and players against norms, creating reputation effects • Observatory and knowledge exchange roles

15. Global Issues Networks (GINs) GIN 104 ETM Electronic Town Meeting IEP Independent Expert Panel 102 1 year  10 years? 2-3 years Membership: 101 102 103

16. Governments Elected Representatives People Country 1 2 3… 200 Vertical and Horizontal: A new interplay Global Issue Network 1 • Vertical legitimacy • All issues Global Issue Network 2 … …Global Issue Network 20 • Horizontal cross border legitimacy • Issue-by-issue

17. G20-type Mechanisms • Example: G20, FATF, Financial Stability Forum • Create one G20 group for each global issue • Membership would depend on the issue • G20s’ work would feed into: • G7/8 • Treaties and conventions • National legislation

18. Expanded Concepts of Aid and Diplomacy • National issues experts also become diplomats • National sector ministries with 2 budgets: - Domestic budget - Global action budget • ODA (C) and ODA (G) • Global Participation Fund to help poor countries - Participate - Implement

19. A possible outcome Current International Setup G20s • Treaties • Intergovernmental conferences • G7/8 type groups • Global Multilaterals + GINs New Diplomacy and Expanded Aid Concepts

20. The point is... There is an urgent need for leadership in getting these methodological questions discussed. • A new “Bretton Woods conference”? • Special heads-of-state brainstorming? • Other venues?

21. Basic Books New York, 2002