Twelve Key Reform Proposals are detailed in Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance, the pathbreaking new Report of the Commission on Global Security, Justice & Governance co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State and Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Madeleine K. Albright and former Nigerian Foreign Minister and UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Dr. Ibrahim A. Gambari.
Build the next generation of peace operations capacity
The Commission calls for (i) a responsive and experienced UN and regional capacity for crisis and conflict mediation and peacebuilding; (ii) more robust capacity to deploy civilian, police, and military personnel rapidly to meet urgent peacekeeping requirements; (iii) a new cadre of experienced personnel to serve as Heads of Mission and members of mission senior management teams; (iv) an emphasis in peacebuilding on transformational justice; (v) close coordination by the UN with regional actors and local civil society; and (vi) , in all of these areas, greater participation of women at all levels, particularly in leadership positions, in peacekeeping and peacebuilding.
Operationalize the Responsibility to Prevent, Protect, and Rebuild
Three specific ways to operationalize the full extent of the Responsibility to Protect norm (including prevention, protection, and rebuilding), adopted by world leaders at the UN Summit in 2005, include (i) investing in early-warning capabilities and action plans for atrocities prevention that involve all UN entities; (ii) embedding UN mission monitors in all forces participating in R2P implementation; and (iii) setting concrete, achievable goals for all international actors seeking to prevent, react to, and rebuild after mass atrocities.
Get climate governance moving
Tackling the perennial global governance challenge of our time involves, first and foremost, facilitating new kinds of engagement between the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other international regimes, subnational authorities, and civil society and business groups. It also entails establishing an International Carbon Monitoring Entity, a Global Climate Action Clearinghouse, and a Climate Engineering Advisory Board to review all experiments involving atmospheric modification. Finally, it means defining a global goal for climate adaption comparable to the 2 degrees Centigrade atmospheric warming target set for climate change mitigation.
Boost green climate technology availability
The Commission calls for harnessing private-sector innovation for climate mitigation and adaptation, especially in support of vulnerable populations in developing countries, through measures such as a new green technology licensing facility within the Green Climate Fund. The licensing facility could ensure increased transfer of environmentally sound technologies by, in particular, (i) incorporating proprietary sharing clauses in contracts concerning funded projects; (ii) purchasing licenses from enterprises with crucial environmentally sound technologies; and (iii) and assisting in the transfer of such technology to developing countries where the environmentally sound technologies are critically needed.
Create a “G20+” for economic stability and sustainable development
Preventing the spread of cross-border financial shocks, promoting inclusive economic reform, and fostering the equitable growth necessary for achieving the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, to be unveiled by world leaders this September at a UN Summit in New York, require an enhanced level of G20-UN-Bretton Woods institutional coordination—described in the Commission’s Report as the “G20+”—and accountability for decisions reached by their members.
Promote safe Internet access for everyone, everywhere
Bolstering global capacity to fend off cyber attacks involves developing a global network of cybercrime centers through INTERPOL and national Computer Emergency response Teams (CERTs). Moreover, increasing Internet access and cybersecurity in the Global South means investing in multiple initiatives, including the International Telecommunications Union’s Connect 2020 Agenda, the new Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, and a campaign to promote good “cyber hygiene”—which includes software and hardware asset inventory, limited administrative permissions, and real time network monitoring.
Build an inclusive UN Global Partnership
The Commission recommends creating a new hub and an online platform, a “UN Global Partnership”, (i) to further tap the expertise of civil society and the business community in the work of the United Nations, (ii) to give a greater voice to underrepresented policy issues, such as women’s rights, migration, and training a modern workforce; and (iii) to serve as a repository for various kinds of new social compacts, innovative and flexible instruments for advancing global security and justice by increasing trust and opportunities for sustained collective action.
Bring the UN Security Council into the 21st century
Three specific ways to reform and strengthen the UN Security Council include: (i) increasing the legitimacy of the Council by expanding its membership in line with present day realities; (ii) instituting a formal consultative mechanism for periodic dialogues with civil society, business, and local authority representatives, in recognition of their contributions to peacemaking and peacebuilding; and (iii) developing a culture of restraint in the use of the veto.
Transform the UN Peacebuilding Commission into a Peacebuilding Council
Similar to the UN Human Rights Commission’s transformation in 2005, the Commission proposes upgrading the Peacebuilding Commission into a Council, with new coordination authorities, new financial and knowledge resources, and a new focus on prevention, including through “peacebuilding audits.”
Make full use of the International Court of Justice
To better safeguard human rights and respect for the rule of law, the Commission calls for (i) expanding acceptance of the World Court’s jurisdiction; (ii) more active use of its authoritative advisory opinions in innovative ways; and (iii) amending the Court’s statute (Article 13) so that justices serve only one nine-year term.
Pulling together: The UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court, and UN Human Rights Council
Sustained dialogue between the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court, and the UN Human Rights Council could improve Security Council sanctions to help enforce the Court’s judgments and arrest warrants, as well better leverage the UN Human Rights Up Front initiative’s system-wide conflict analysis and recommended early actions in response to large-scale human rights abuses.
Create a UN Parliamentary Network
The Commission recommends establishing a parliamentary advisory body for the UN General Assembly to raise greater awareness among and participation of citizens by strengthening their voices in global institutions. Learning from successful regional parliamentary forums, this advisory platform would allow for much-needed input into global policy and accountability claims by the UNPN’s representatives on behalf of their national populations, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector—thereby helping to overcome the world body’s democratic deficit.