CFR Convenes “Council of Councils” Linking Leading Foreign Policy Institutes From Around the World – Council on Foreign Relations

A new coalition of leading foreign policy think tanks tracks issues from a configuration roughly equivalent to the G-20:

CFR will convene the inaugural Council of Councils conference on March 12-13 in Washington, DC. Participants will tackle four major themes at this first gathering:

—the overall state of global governance and multilateral cooperation

—the status of the nuclear nonproliferation regime with a focus on Iran

—the dollars future as the worlds reserve currency

—the criteria for humanitarian intervention, in the wake of regime change in Libya and the ongoing crisis in Syria

via CFR Convenes “Council of Councils” Linking Leading Foreign Policy Institutes From Around the World – Council on Foreign Relations.

Unesco Backs Divisive Equatorial Guinea Prize – NYTimes.com

Is a prize that claims to promote African progress bad for human rights?  Unesco weighs both sides and comes out with a compromise that is ensured to leave everyone unhappy:

The wrangling over the award exposed the rift within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization between Western states, which worry that it will mar the agency’s reputation — if it has not done so already — and African member nations, several of which argued Thursday that the prize would serve as an element of pride for the African continent.

“We believe that the decision we’ve just taken will send a very important message,” said Zimbabwe’s representative to Unesco, David Hamadziripi. “That a lot of good comes out of Africa, and that Africa can and does contribute in international cooperation and is not just a recipient of the good will of others.”

via Unesco Backs Divisive Equatorial Guinea Prize – NYTimes.com.

History of the International System – Free Stanford course on iTunes

The quality of academic content available online continues to rise.  Add this to your playlist for a great introduction to international politics from a broad historical perspective by James Sheehan of Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.  Over at The Do It Yourself Scholar, the class is considered one of the “all-time-best free history courses on the web.”

Lectures include “The Formation of a Global Society,” “Transformation of the European System,” The First World War,” “Peacemaking,” and so forth, ending with “The Future of Sovereignty” and “The International System in 2008.”

History of the International System – Download free content from Stanford on iTunes.

Stewart: “At the United Nations, Reform for All Seasons”

A comprehensive take on UN reform from Patrick Stewart, one of the most capable young policy experts on international organizations–and just in time for the US presidential elections.

The reform agenda Torsella described reflects this constructive legacy in being sober, reasoned, and balanced.

That’s a far cry from what we’ve heard from the Republican presidential candidates. Like their counterparts in the House, the GOP contenders have adopted a slash and burn approach to the world body.  Newt Gingrich, this weekend’s victor in South Carolina, last summer called for defunding the UN. (Prior to dropping out, Texas Governor Rick Perry advocated the same in a televised debate). Rick Santorum, who’s taking his fight to Florida, has made halving U.S. funding for the UN part of his official platform. Mitt Romney, meanwhile, called recent UN work an “extraordinary failure,” and endorses John Bolton’s proposal that the United States defund the Human Rights Council—despite recent U.S. progress in improving that body’s functioning. The libertarian Ron Paul gets even spookier, describing the United Nations as a threat to American liberty. (In 1998, he even warned that it “would confiscate our guns” if it got the chance).

Whoever is elected in November must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Many of the reforms UN critics identify are needed not only in Geneva and New York, but also in Washington, DC—underscoring the foolishness of trashing a flawed but indispensable organization. Kudos to Ambassador Torsella for putting forth such an ambitious framework and for illuminating a viable path for UN reform.

via The Internationalist » At the United Nations, Reform for All Seasons.

Deep Dive Series at FP | Managing a Changing World

Great briefings on emerging issues facing global governance in short pieces from FP.com.  (I somehow missed this series but appreciate the authoritative commentary, somewhat wide-ranging views, and engaging, magazine-style writing that will help students and policymakers keep informed.)

The focus on “Managing a Changing World” reframes the landscape in which the US is neither the global boss nor the lowest serf:

The trajectory of the rising powers is uncertain, but their current influence is a central fact of geopolitics. Already the financial crisis, the Copenhagen climate negotiations, and the Iran sanctions dust-up have illustrated the potential, the pitfalls, and, above all, the centrality of the relationship between American power and the influence of rising actors. The emerging powers cannot dictate the shape of the coming era, but they can block and complicate U.S. initiative. From its new position, the United States confronts not a rigid bloc of emerging powers, but complex and shifting coalitions of interest. The greatest risk lies, not in a single peer competitor, but in the erosion of cooperation on issues vital to U.S. interests and a stable order. U.S. power is indispensable for that purpose, but not sufficient. No longer the CEO of Free World Inc., the United States is now the largest minority shareholder in Global Order LLC.

via Managing a Changing World – By Bruce Jones | Foreign Policy.

On Speech Puts the US Government on Defense in Durban

This is how a single speech–by a youthful member of a non-governmental organization–can frame an issue and challenge the power of an entire government.  Forget the concern that small states may not have as much relative power; in a multilateral forum, even a simple representative can shape the narrative and thus influence the outcome.

A Middlebury College junior confronts the chief American envoy at the global climate change conference in Durban, South Africa, demanding an “urgent path” to a legally binding treaty. She draws a standing ovation but is then ejected from the room.

via Energy and Environment – Green Blog – NYTimes.com.

2011’s traditions you never knew needed protecting | FP Passport

This doesn’t help the UN’s case for defending its relevance:

Last year, FP listed 10 of the odder entries from UNESCOs Intangible Heritage List, examples of cultural practices the body has decided merit preserving, as opposed to actual physical sites. That list included such treasures Turkeys Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival and Luxembourgs Hopping Procession of Echternach.

via 2011’s traditions you never knew needed protecting | FP Passport.

Conservatives and global governance | The Multilateralist

Repbulican U.S. debates on foreign policy and national security raise a number of good questions about where the candidates stand and how their positions relate to historical trends among candidates and the party.  It is a canard to say that the Party of Lincoln aren’t fans of international organization–but to what extent does that hold true?

David Bosco explores this question in a two-part blog post, noting that:

When the focus shifts to that broader constellation of international organizations, the picture becomes more complicated. American conservatives are not uniformly opposed to a prominent role for institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF, or the WTO. (They have little fondness for the European Union, it’s true, and none of the candidates is eager to see U.S. funds save the Euro. But that does not distinguish them significantly from the Obama administration.) Indeed, in last week’s Republican debate, Mitt Romney advocated using the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism to challenge China without a peep from the other candidates:

via Conservatives and global governance (part 2) | The Multilateralist.

UN Security Council 101 | The Multilateralist

A little wit from David Bosco on what possible ‘training’ for new Security Council members might include:

Still, with all that said, it’s hard not to smile at some of the wisdom that current Council members could offer their new colleagues. Some possible offerings:

–A session by India on how to blow your chances at a permanent Security Council seat in the space of a year.

–U.S. ambassador Susan Rice could speak on how to lecture the Security Council on responsibility without being at all certain that Congress will appropriate America’s annual UN dues. Alternatively, she could offer a seminar on how to find authorization for regime change in a resolution on protecting civilians.

–China’s ambassador could expertly lead a session on appearing powerful while abstaining repeatedly.

–Bosnia’s ambassador could expound on how to manage conflicting voting instructions from three different presidents.

–Last but not least, as Brazil prepares to depart the Council, it seems only appropriate that China, Russia, India, and South Africa should reveal once and for all the location of the secret BRICS clubhouse, where their strategy for protecting beleagured dictators is refined.

via UN Security Council 101 | The Multilateralist.

Inside the Security Council deliberations on Palestine – By Colum Lynch | Turtle Bay

Will the Palestinians continue to press the case at the Security Council?  Meanwhile play the game that Colum Lynch suggests–and try to figure out whether each of the 15 members is vote yes, no, or abstain:

In the meantime, Turtle Bay, decided to post a copy of the latest report on the Security Council’s deliberations on Palestinian statehood. The report, which will be officially issued tomorrow, was first reported by Al Hurra….

A hint: Britain, Colombia, and France revealed they would abstain on the resolution. The United States, meanwhile, argued that Palestine could not be considered a “peace-loving” state so long as Palestinian militants were firing rockets across the border at Israeli communities.

via Inside the Security Council deliberations on Palestine – By Colum Lynch | Turtle Bay.