*{Can an International System Solve Global Problems? [http://www.weforum.org/site/knowledgenavigator.nsf/Content/Can%20an%20International%20System%20Solve%20Global%20Problems%3F?open&topic_id=300250000&theme_id=300]

            30.01.1999

            Annual Meeting 1999}

            *partie=titre The international system must adapt to new transnational forces and the erosion of sovereignty *partie=nil

            There was a strong consensus that the international system is far from capable of coping with global problems that will arise in the 21st century. While traditional notions of state sovereignty are eroding, and transnational forces are increasing, it remains unclear how these two divergent trends could be addressed by a new system of global governance. Crime, economic stability, human rights and terrorism are just four issues that are overwhelming the traditional nation-state system. 

            Pino Arlacchi, UN Undersecretary-General for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, said that the international community needs to create a "unified juridical space" with common standards and norms. One negative impact of globalization and the expansion of "legal markets" has been an increase in corruption, crime and money laundering. "We are just beginning to understand this new phenomenon." For example, national bank secrecy laws and the proliferation of offshore banking contribute to growing international criminal activity.

            Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Egypt's Minister of Economy, said that new global axioms and sets of common values are needed on a range of issues, from economic theory to the rule of law. He also said that international institutions must give greater weight to "human" rather than "economic" values. For example, the IMF and World Bank are organized around groups of income, rather than "groups of humans". In addition, Boutros-Ghali said a common discourse needs to be developed across a range of issues, including economics and human rights.

            Joseph S. Nye Jr, Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, agreed with Boutros-Ghali, saying that the process is already under way. For example, the extradition case against former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet lies on the new frontier of attempts to create common value sets - in this case, for human rights. Arlacchi added that there has been substantial progress in the multilateral effort to develop a common international set of criminal offences. He said that the treaty to set up a permanent international criminal court is a major step toward institutionalizing universal jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes and other offences. Several speakers agreed that issues such as terrorism still need to be addressed in a meaningful way. 

            Nye said that globalization, marketization and the information age are simultaneously eroding traditional notions of state sovereignty - though the sovereignty model is in no danger of total disappearance. Nye said that the concept of "world government" is not the proper model for the future. Instead, he suggested several guidelines for a new system of global governance. Problems should be "decomposed" and set in a framework of norms, as characterized by the World Trade Organization. Other problems, such as corruption, are being successfully addressed through concerted efforts of public, private and non-profit actors.

            Moderator Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation, Washington DC, said that foreign offices are ill-prepared to deal with new global problems since they are not accustomed to public engagement, issue expertise and transnational cooperation. They also remain uncomfortable working with the private sector - even though the expertise and funding needed to solve global problems are increasingly coming from the private sector. Nye concurred, but said that government institutions have always had to make a trade-off between effectiveness and legitimacy.                  

                  *{Contributors:       Arlacchi Pino
                  Boutros-Ghali Youssuf
                  Nye Joseph S.
                  Wirth Timothy E.}