Chapter 3: Global Interstate System and Global Governance

Introduction:

Is the idea of the nation-state outdated in the contemporary

world? If so, what is it that we need to think about as
“replacements”? In this lesson, we will look at worldwide
organization of states. This manifests the efforts of countries and
governments in the world to cooperate and collaborate together.
Multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations are
significant organizations that put into question the strength of national
autonomy and global politics.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this topic, learners should be able to:

1. Understand the structure and dynamics of the Interstate System;

2. Explain the challenges of global governance in the twenty-first
century;
3. Know the powers/functions, composition, headquarters and
membership procedure of the different organs of the United Nations;
4. Identify possible solutions to the problems in the United Nations
structure and dynamics; and
5. Explain the relevance of the state amid globalization

Discussion:

UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations (UN) serves as the primary organization

for international cooperation, peace and security.

It was created in 1945 by the Allied Powers, the victors of

the Second World War.

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Primary Concern:
Collective military security through the facilitation of peaceful settlement of
disputes among member-states or by commanding allegiance of the entire
UN membership; sanctions.

Primary Objective:
To ensure peace and order, the UN as an organization can be a conflict actor
in itself or an instrument for action driven by the interests of particular
state.

o Representatives of 50 countries convened at the United Nations

Conference on International Organization, more commonly known as
the San Francisco Conference, to draw up the United Nations Charter.

Six Principal Organs

1) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Primary Objective:
To advance the economic, social and environmental dimensions of
sustainable development.

Composed of 54 elected members by the General Assembly for

overlapping three-year terms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) are
specialized agencies and independent organizations that are affiliated
with the UN.

2) Trusteeship Council

- The main organ of the UN to provide international supervision of

Trust Territories that are under the administration of seven
member-states, to ensure that adequate steps are being made to
prepare the peoples of Trust Territories for self-governance.

3) International Court of Justice (ICJ)

- It is the United Nation’s principal judicial organ. Its role is to settle

legal disputes between states and to provide advisory opinions on
legal questions referred by the UN organs, and specialized agencies

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4) Security Council (SC)

- It is the most potent organ with the power to make legally binding
resolutions.

Composition:
Composed of 15 members
 Five Permanent Members (PM) or Permanent Five (P-5): China,
France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States
 Ten elected non-permanent members (NPM) elected by the
General Assembly (GA) for overlapping two-year terms
- Ten non-permanent seats are divided among regions:
-five states from African and Asian states
-one seat from the Eastern European States
-two states from Latin American states
-last two from Western European and other States

 Under Article 24 of UN Charter the Security Council is

mandated to act on behalf of the entire UN body to fulfill its
primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and
security.

Functions of Security Council:

o Investigate any situation that has the potential of creating
international tensions
o Call for military action towards an aggressor or threat
o Impose economic sanctions and other measures
o Determine the existence of a breach of peace and actions to be
pursued

 The structural feature on the SC serves as a measure to protect

states from possible threats to independence and to ensure that
the UN will not be used to serve the interest of particular states.
 The structural feature of the UN Charter- veto is a result of an
international compromise allied powers of Second World War.
 The P-5 also act outside the UN Charter and undermine the
interest of the larger UN Body. The over representation and
power concentration has resulted in demands to reform the
structure of the SC, which dramatically serves and benefits of
the interests of the P-5.
 To maintain peace and order, the SC adopts a set of
instruments such as sanctions, peacekeeping, and peace
enforcement.

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  UN peacekeepers are deployed to provide security to populations
and political and peace building support to countries transition
from conflict to peace.

5) General Assembly (GA)

- It is the only organ with universal representation, with all 193

members states represented in the body.
- The GA decides on essential questions with a simple majority,
while concerns related to peace and security, budgetary matters,
and new membership admissions require a two-thirds majority
- The GA meets for annual General Assembly Session and general
debate participated by several heads of state. The body elects a GA
President and 21 Vice President every session for one-year term.

6) Secretariat

- Secretary- General is the chief administrative of the UN Secretariat.

In Article 97, the SC sends a recommendation to the GA which will
appoint the Secretary- General for two five-year terms at most.

Antonio Guterres

- the incumbent Secretary General of United Nations

 Article 99 mandates the Secretary-
General to call for the attention of the members of the
SC on threats to international peace and security, or
when the inability of SC members to be responsive or
to take responsibility is present.

Reforming the United nations

- Reform has only been met once in 1963 when the UNGA voted for
the expansion of the UNSC from 11-15 member-states (UNGA
Resolution of 1963).
- Reforms have long been raised to change the structure of the
security Council to distribute the concentration of power and to
foster inclusive decision making for marginalized and excluded
member-states.

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References:

 Coronacion, D.C., et.al. (2018). Convergence: A College Textbook in

Contemporary World. Chapter 3: The Global Interstate System and
Global Governance pp. 57-65. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

 Hobsbawm, Eric J. 1996. “The Future of the State.” Development and

Change
27(2): 267–278.

 Lobo, J.L. (2019). The Contemporary World. Chapter 6-7: The Global
Interstate System and The Contemporary Global Governance pp 73-
102. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

 Mazower, Mark. 2006. “An International Civilization? Empire,

Internationalism and the Crisis of the Mid-Twentieth Century.”
International Affairs 82(3): 553–566.

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 Name: Date:
Course: Score:

Activity 1.
Instruction: Make a matrix differentiating the following six
Economic
International Security General
and Social
Trusteeship Court of Council Assembly Secretariat
Parameters: Council
Council Justice (ICJ) (SC) (GA)
(ECOSOC)

Powers

Functions

Composition

Headquarters

Membership
Procedure

principal organs of United Nations using the stated parameters.

Activity 2.

A tale of a Filipino Fisherman in the Scarborough Shoal

(Personal Interview F. Calilung, Aug. 23, 2016)

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It was a clear sunny August midday of 2016. In the past years, Dodong
recalls how this time of the year spells bountiful catch for him and other
groups of fishermen in Bajo De Masinloc or Panatag shoal. He also narrated
how rich the fishing grounds of the Kalburo is (kalburo is their native name
for the Scalborough Shoal). When asked about the fishes that abound the
shore of the shoal situated just 124 nautical miles off Zambales. Madaming
isda doon, maganda and mga and orange lapu-lapu, bakalaw, tanigue and
damas o bisugong bato, tsaka galunggong. Dati, kaya naming makakuha ng
dalawang tonelada ng galunggong doon dalawang araw lang, dito ngayon sa
amin kase nga di na kami makapalaot doon, mga isang jeep lang isang lingo,
di pa kayang punuin. Mahirap talaga.

This came several months after the July, 2016 rendering of the decision of
the Permanent Arbitration Tribunal regarding the UNCLOS based claim of
the Philippines. The landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
(PCA) in favor of the Philippines over its maritime entitlements in the South
China Sea. The ruling is considered landmark because it sets a historic
precedent in international law with a pronouncement that historical right
does not exist under the Constitution of the Oceans, or the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In simple terms, it means that
China cannot claim the entire breadth of the South China Sea part of its
maritime territory based on historical right under the so-called “nine-dash-
line”, which basically makes the South China Sea a Chinese lake
(inquirer.net)

Dodong recalls how this decision made them very happy thinking that they
can already fish again without harassment from the Chinese coast guards
patrolling their area. Nothing has changed according to him, Wala, ganun pa
din, andun pa rin sila sa lagoon, nagpapatrol, araw gabu yun, pag lumapit
ka, Ilabas nila yung dilaw na bandera sabay sabi na alis daw kami dun.

This has been the plight of our poor Filipino brothers in Panatag shoal. In
fact, it was only in October of 2016 that Filipino fishermen were allowed
again to fish in the area. This came after the bilateral meeting and talks
between Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and Pres. Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic
of China. However, recently reports of Chinese coast guard harassment have
resurfaced again as some Chinese coast guards are again accused of
harassing our Filipino fishermen.

Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) Guide Questions:

1. Did the Philippines really “win” this dispute in the West Philippine
Sea?

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 2. Explain why the UN cannot enforce the decision, what impression
does it give about the UN brand of Global Governance.

3. Research on the conflicts around the world. Highlight the role played
by the UN in these conflicts. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the
highest, come up with your rating for the UN in each of these conflicts
and state your reason for such.

4. Reflect on the following: Has the UN successfully fulfilled its mandate

in the realm of Global governance.

Prepared by:

DSSP The Contemporary World Group

Dr. Remigio L. Obrero

Jedu A. Arcaina
Moises R. Embat

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Mikko P. Ederon
Kent Alvin L. Guzman
Mark Edzel S. Pablico
Mae Angelie V. Salvador-Garcia
Chase Mark S. Suyat
Benmar O. Tabuso

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