Emerging Challenges to Global Governance in 21st Century

Global governance—the collective management of common problems at the international level—is at a critical juncture. Although global governance has been a relative success since its development after the Second World War, the growing number of issues on the international agenda, and their complexity, is outpacing the ability of international organizations and national governments to cope. Power shifts are also complicating global governance. If global governance structures and processes do not keep up with the changes in the balance of power in the international system, they run the risk of becoming irrelevant. Emerging powers are suspicious of current institutional arrangements, which appear to favor established powers. Without adequate frameworks to bring order to an international system in flux, disorder could prevail, fueling greater instability. The mix of old and new challenges generates new requirements for collective problem-solving: more international cooperation and innovative approaches.The United States’ National Intelligence Council (NIC) and the European Union’s Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) have recently projected the long-term prospects for global governance by the mid-21st century. Two important documents have emerged out of this exercise. One is Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World. The other is The New Global Puzzle. What World for the EU in 2025?