The Global Interstate System

What is a state?
 For some scholars, they viewed it as “the institution that creates warfare and sets
economic policies for a country.
 Is a political unit that has authority over its own affairs – in other words its borders are
recognized by other states.
 It has the right to determine exactly what is going to happen in their country.
The Treaty of Westphalia of 1648
 It established the notion of the nation-state and the idea of state sovereignty
Note: The globalization of politics created an atmosphere where the ideas of the nation-
state, state sovereignty, government control, and state policies are challenged from all
sides.
Global Interstate System
With globalization, some scholars suggests that there is a decrease in the power of
the state and that other actors are actually becoming more powerful.
These actors are the following:
Multinational corporations
Global civil society organization – Red Cross
Is the idea of nation-state is outdated in the contemporary world? Is there a need for
“replacement”?
The Global Interstate System
Possible replacements:
 Regional alliances and worldwide organization of states
 International and regional economic organizations
 The non-state actors – these are the private groups including banks and groups of
people with money that can determine the well-being of people in a particular area
Non-governmental organizations – Amnesty International
Non-state organizations like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and terrorist organizations
Note: These groups seek power and try to depose a government and replace the
system with their ideological belief
Global Governance in the 21st Century
One World One Government
Factors behind the emergence of idea on global governance
 It is the potential solution to global problems;
 The declining power of nation-states;
 Vast flows of all sorts of things that run through the borders of nation-states
Flow of digital information –
Mass migration of people
Flow of criminal elements – fugitive, drugs, laundered money, sex trafficking
Global Governance in the 21st Century

Factors behind the emergence of idea on global governance

 Horrendous events within nation-states
either the states are responsible or unable to control it
 Global financial crises
Effects of Globalization to Governments
Elements of the states:
 Sovereignty – the right of the state to govern one’s own territorial borders.
 People – it refers to the inhabitants or citizens of the state.
 Government – a group of people who have the ultimate authority to act on behalf of
a state.
 Territory – it is consists of area in which a state has a sovereign rights – aerial,
terrestrial and fluvial domain.
The Relevance of the State amid Globalization
The state is a distinctive political community with its own set of rules and practices
and that is more or less separate from other communities.
The connection of the elements of the State with each other:
1. People – is a permanent population who inhabited a particular area – territory.
2. Territory – it has a clear boundaries – and it’s effectively controlled by the gov’t.
3. Government – it regulates relations among its people and with other states – it’s
formally constituted sovereign political structure.
4. Sovereignty – it has the sole sovereign right to exercise its authority within its own
territory – internal sovereignty.
The Relevance of the State amid Globalization
The difference between a nation and a state
Nation – refers to a people rather than any kind of formal territorial boundaries or
institutions.
- it is collective identity grounded on the notion of shared history and culture.
- is a cultural concept.
State – we may refer to government, territory and internal and external sovereignty.
- it is a political concept.
The Relevance of the State amid Globalization
The concept of nation-state
- It is a territorially bounded sovereign institution the governs individuals sharing
collective history, identity and culture.
A state is composed of many nations, and one nation is composed of many states
Arguments for the relevance of nation-state:
1. Major players on the global stage
2. Retain at least some power in the face of globalization
3. The demise of the nation-state are greatly exaggerated
4. The role of the state is enduring and even increasing.
The Relevance of the State amid Globalization
Beland (2008) postulated the greater demand for a state because of the four major
sources of collective insecurity:
1. Terrorism
2. Economic globalization – leading to outsourcing, downsizing & econ crisis
3. Threat to national identity due to migration
4. The spread of global diseases
Effects of Globalization to Governments
Four challenges to the government and state autonomy:
 Traditional challenges
 Challenges from national or identity movements
 Global economics
 Global social movements
Effects of Globalization to Governments
Traditional challenges
External challenges – invasion by other countries
Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait
Russia’s external intervention in the affairs of Ukraine
Internal challenges
Coup attempt to depose the existing government
Taliban’s effort to control the government of Afghanistan
Effects of Globalization to Governments
Challenges from National/Identity Movements
From the notion that nation has cultural identity that people attached to, while a state
is a definite entity due to its specific boundaries.
The difference between nation and a state is the former is ethnical concept while the
latter is a political concept.
Different people with different identities can live in different states.
Example: the Kurds reside in several different countries including Iraq, Iran, and
Turkey.
The Al-Qaeda and ISIS are another examples of national or identity movements. They
are structured around the fundamentalist version of Islam.
Effects of Globalization to Governments
Global economics
It demands the states to conform to the rules of free-market capitalism
It focuses on free trade and dismantling trade barriers.
It made sure that governments did not impose restrictive regulations
It discourages any action that would hinder economic growth like:
laws that would interfere with the flow of capital;
environmental regulations.
It requires the state to cooperate in the global market through:
the free flow of capital;
privatization of services
Effects of Globalization to Governments
Global social movements
These are social movements within a state that can act as a counterweight or as a
supplement to government.
These are movements of people that are spontaneous or that emerge through
enormous grassroots organization.
These social movements are transnational movements. The states have less control
over them.
Examples are the following:
Human Rights Movement, Red Cross, Environmental Movement.
Women’s Rights Movement
Peace Treaties and Military Alliances: The U.N and NATO
The United Nations is one of the leading political organizations in the world where
nation-states meet and deliberate.
 The premise for its establishment was for the restructuring of the world after WW II.
 The term “United Nations” was coined by former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
 Its operation began on October 24, 1945.
 It started with 50 representatives from different countries. (original members)
 It functions in four areas:
1. Military issues
2. Economic issues
3. Environmental issues
4. Human protection
Peace Treaties and Military Alliances: The U.N and NATO

 There are around 193 members states

the United Nations, with the Republic of
South Sudan as its latest member.
 Its headquarters in New York City, a place
where countries could come to discuss
their issues w/o resorting to violence and
war.
 Maintaining peace and building friendship
is the number one goal of the U.N, as well
as providing forum where countries could
gather to discuss global issues.
Organs of the United Nations
U.N General Assembly

 The General Assembly

is the gathering of all
member countries. It is
held in an auditorium
where speeches are
given.
 It is the main
deliberative body, that
provides a forum for
member states to
express their views
and reach a
consensus.
U.N Security Council

 It is consist of two groups: the

permanent members-U.S, Great
Britain, Russia, China and France, and
the non-permanent which is consists of
10 members who will serve for two-
year term.
 The “big five” the permanent members
have a “veto power” which means one
member can stop the entire council
from taking action against a country.
U.N Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council is at the

heart of the United Nations system to
advance the three dimensions of
sustainable development – economic,
social and environmental. It is the central
platform for fostering debate and innovative
thinking, forging consensus on ways
forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve
internationally agreed goals. It is also
responsible for the follow-up to major UN
conferences and summits.
U.N Trusteeship Council

Under the U.N Charter, the Trusteeship

Council is authorized to examine and
discuss reports from the Administering
Authority on the political, economic,
social and educational advancement of
the peoples of Trust Territories and, in
consultation with the Administering
Authority, to examine petitions from and
undertake periodic and other special
missions to Trust Territories.
U.N International Court of Justice

 The ICJ usually referred to as the “World

Court”. It is located in the Netherlands in a
town called The Hague.
 This is where countries can settle disputes
in a court of law, as well as a place where
war criminals and rulers who have done
terrible things to their people can be put to
trial for their crimes.
Other International Court and Tribunal Created by U.N
 The International Criminal Court (ICC)
investigates and, where warranted, tries
individuals charged with the gravest crimes of
concern to the international community:
genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity
and the crime of aggression. As a court of last
resort, it seeks to complement, not replace,
national Courts. Governed by an international
treaty called the Rome Statute
 The problem with ICC is getting the violators all
the way to Europe to face trial because it has no
actual police force to go out and get them.
Other International Court and Tribunal Created by U.N
 The International Tribunal for the Law of the
Sea – ITLOS - is an independent judicial
body established by the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea to
adjudicate disputes arising out of the
interpretation and application of the
Convention.
 The Convention establishes a
comprehensive legal framework to regulate
all ocean space, its uses and resources.
United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund

 Its primary goal is to help children

around the world.
 It collect funds to distribute emergency
relief from famine and poverty and
disease.
 It also provides education programs in
areas where there are no schools.
 Its rely mainly on fundraising
U.N Promotes and Protects Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a

milestone document in the history of human
rights. The Declaration was proclaimed by the
United Nations General Assembly in Paris on
10 December 1948 as a common standard of
achievements for all peoples and all nations. It
sets out, for the first time, fundamental human
rights to be universally protected. The UDHR is
widely recognized as having inspired, and
paved the way for, the adoption of more than
seventy human rights treaties, applied today on
a permanent basis at global and regional levels.
U.N Mechanism that Promotes and Protect Human Rights

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights is a
department of the United Nations Secretariat
that works to promote and protect human
rights that are guaranteed under international
law and stipulated in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is
a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and
protect human rights around the world. The Council has
47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on
a regional group basis. The headquarters of the Council
are at the United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland.
The Council investigates allegations of breaches of
human rights in United Nations member states and
addresses thematic human rights issues like freedom of
association and assembly, freedom of
expression, freedom of belief and religion, women’s
rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic
minorities.
International Bill Human Rights consists of Three Legal Documents
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property,
birth or other status.
3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
4. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade
shall be prohibited in all their forms.
5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the
law.
7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to
equal protection of the law.
8. Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national
tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by
law.
9. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an
independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and
obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Economic Issues
The main focus of U.N is the reduction of global inequality. The Sustainable
Development Goals cover a range of concerns for the improvement of all aspects
of human life.
no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender
equality, clean water sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and
economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequality,
sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production,
climate action, life below water, life on land, peace justice and strong institutions,
partnerships for the goals.
The sustainable development encompasses economic prosperity, social well-
being, and environmental protection.
Economic Issues
Sustainable Development Goals
Environmental Issues
Pollution and hazardous wastes are some of the environmental issues that are
addressed through United Nations Environment Program-UNEP
The greenhouse gas emission, rising of sea level, and occurrence of extreme
weather patterns are the effects of climate change
As a response, the U.N’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-UNIPCC
took and effort to mitigate climate change like assessment of climate, facilitation
of climate agreements, and giving assistance to countries to reduce emission.
Criticism against U.N.
 The veto power of the “Big Five”
 U.N is weak, and unable to stop wars
 U.N forces failed to perform their mandate – example is the UNIFEL
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was created by the Security
Council in March 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore
international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in
restoring its effective authority in the area.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701
 UNWRA was penetrated by terrorists group Hamas in Gaza.
UNRWA – United Nations Relief and Works Agency
UNRWA employs over 30,000 people, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a
small number of international staff. Originally intended to provide employment
and direct relief, its mandate has broadened to include providing education,
health care, and social services to its target population.
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
It is a defensive treaty or a military alliance between US, Canada and 30
European countries. This treaty an international organization is based on the idea
of collective security.
NATO was created after the WW II, mostly during the beginning of the Cold War.
With the collapsed of USSR in the early 1990s, former Soviet states like Poland
and Croatia had joined NATO
military alliance established in 1949 that sought to create a counterweight to
Soviet armies stationed in central and eastern Europe after WW II. Following the
end of the Cold War, NATO was reconceived as a “cooperative-security”
organization.
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The heart of NATO is expressed in Article 5 (also called the Washington
Treaty), the signatory members agree that an armed attack against one or more
of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them
all; and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of
them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized
by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties
so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties,
such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed forces, to restore
and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NATO’s original members in 1949 were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France,
Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the
United Kingdom, and the United States.
The countries that joined NATO after its founding are Greece and Turkey
(1952); West Germany (1955; from 1990 as Germany); Spain (1982); the
Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland (1999); Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (2004); Albania and Croatia (2009);
Montenegro (2017); North Macedonia (2020); Finland (2023); and Sweden
(2024).
Non-Government Organizations – NGOs
The NGOs are not tied to any country. This allows them to operate freely
throughout the world. They provide emergency relief such as food, water and
medical supplies for those homes or towns have been destroyed by disaster or
war.
They also monitor the treatment of prisoners of wars and go to conflict zone to
make sure that no war crimes are taking place.
They remain neutral and would help the wounded from both sides of war.
Doctors without borders provides free emergency healthcare in case of disaster.
Amnesty int’l speaks out for human rights and political prisoners.
Save the Children, it helps kids get health care and education.
Globalism and Globalization
Globalism Globalization
a. Globalism refers to the network a. Globalization would be better
of connections of different described as the “increase or
countries in the world decline in the degree of globalism
b. The links among countries and b. The speed in which people and
people are better associated with countries are linked with one
globalism another is globalization
c. Globalism is thin c. As it becomes thicker,
globalization happens.
Note: globalization is being able to
connect countries in a more
dynamic and faster way
Four dimensions of globalism:
Economic globalism
Military globalism
Environmental globalism
Social globalism
Like economic globalism, the three other dimensions also become thicker and
faster as globalization intensifies.
Examples:
Enormous speed pf potential conflict and threat of nuclear war
Global warming continues to accelerate
Movements of ideas, information, images, and of people who carry ideas and
information with them
Informationalism
Globalism is tied to the notion of networks.
The difference between globalism and globalization is the speed and thickness
or intensity of connections.
The growth of information as the binding force among people, things, and
places around the globe associated with computer science and modern
technologies is called informationalism.
Exchanging information and knowledge is clearly immaterial goods and it is the
center in the contemporary world.
The three of the most cutting-edge aspects of the social world in general and
globalization in particular are: technology, media, and the internet.
Informationalism
While globalization allowed the expansion of information, access to modern
technologies is not a universal, matter that is not available to every person
around the world.
The internet and other technologies are limited by certain barriers like:
lack of electricity,
illiteracy,
weak financial system, and
government regulations.
Global Citizenship
Citizenship is associated with rights and obligations. Both rights and obligations
link the individual to the state.
The question is, how then the idea of citizenship be transferred to the global
level?
 Act locally, think globally
 Global citizenships are the glue which binds local communities together in an
increasingly globalized world.
Reforms in global governance are required to allow world citizens to take more
part directly in all aspects of human life at the global level.
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