


06/2009
Globalization has made the world interconnected as it has never been heretofore. The dangers of this interconnectedness are becoming increasingly obvious in the face of the financial crisis of 2008, the dangers of climate change, the breakdown of the Doha Round on international trade, the threat of nuclear proliferation, the multifaceted risks of terrorism, the looming ethnic and religious conflicts, and more. Nevertheless most policy decisions in these areas continue to be made on a national level.
How can the world community break out of this trap of failed multilateralism? To what degree does the interrelatedness of the global problems require interrelated governance institutions? What new international institutions are required to rectify the existing world governance gaps? What changes in existing institutions are called for? How can global governance structures be accommodated to the new geopolitical realities? How can these governance structures be reconciled with national sovereignty? What general policy guide lines are useful for the reform of national and international governance, so that the major global challenges can be addressed efficiently and fairly? What is the role of business and civil society organizations in this process of policy reform?