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Is the idea of the nation-state outdated in the contemporary world?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.

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Learning Objectives:

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

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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;
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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:
UN

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.

Primary Concern:

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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)

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

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Composed of 54 elected members by the General Assembly for overlapping
three-year terms
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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
UN

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

4) Security Council (SC)

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

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 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

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maintaining international peace and security.

Functions of Security Council:

tensions
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o Investigate any situation that has the potential of creating international

o Call for military action towards an aggressor or threat

o Impose economic sanctions and other measures
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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
UN

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.
 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

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 - 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

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- 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

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international peace and security, or when the inability of SC
members to be responsive or to take responsibility is
present.
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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
UN

decision making for marginalized and excluded member-states.

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.

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 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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UN

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 Name: Date:
Course: Score:

Activity 1.
Instruction: Make a matrix differentiating the following six principal
organs
Economicof United Nations using the stated parameters.
International Security General
and Social
Trusteeship Court of Council Assembly Secretariat
Parameters: Council
Council Justice (ICJ) (SC) (GA)
(ECOSOC)

Powers

Functions

Composition

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Headquarters

Membership
Procedure
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UN

Activity 2.

A tale of a Filipino Fisherman in the Scarborough Shoal

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

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

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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

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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)

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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.
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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.
UN

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.

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4. Reflect on the following: Has the UN successfully fulfilled its mandate in the
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realm of Global governance.

Prepared by:
UN

DSSP The Contemporary World Group

Dr. Remigio L. Obrero

Jedu A. Arcaina
Moises R. Embat
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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