Plenary Session 2: Global Governance: Blueprint for a Sustainable World Economy

Globalization constantly poses new challenges to international policymaking. Individual states feel overwhelmed by the task of single-handedly addressing global problems. International interventions are obviously needed. Dirk Messner, Director of the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik - DIE) and an expert on globalization, agrees. He says it is crucial to discuss "how approaches to global problem-solving could be progressed in the direction of global governance architecture and which factors stand in its way”. There are many pressing issues on the global agenda, such as climate change and its consequences for humankind and nature (climate refugees, rising sea levels, declining biodiversity), the regulation of international financial markets, scarce resources, poverty and hunger, to name just a few.

Processes of globalization are blurring the lines between domestic and foreign policy. Security, environmental and development policies are becoming more intermeshed. The structural design of global policy is changing, even more so by varying, politically-motivated interpretations of the concept of global governance. Some insist on more scope for political determination while others prioritize independent, business-driven trade structures. Nevertheless, both variations are eager to constrain national egotisms through international regulations and involve non-governmental stakeholders more closely in international negotiation processes.

How can global governance help to implement the aims of sustainable development, social justice, environmental protection and democratic participation? Given their contrasting objectives, is an alliance between social movements and major global economic players even possible? What role do the media have in this context and what position will they take in the course of their own reorientation? The plenary session on the second day of the DW Global Media Forum will explore these and related questions.

Moderation:

Jones, Monika
TV Anchor, Deutsche Welle, Berlin, Germany

Panelists:

de Geus, Aart
Chairman and CEO Bertelsmann-Stiftung, Gütersloh, Germany

Moosa, Valli
Former Environment Minister of South Africa and Deputy Executive Chairman Lereko Investments, Johannesburg, South Africa

Munasinghe, Prof. Mohan
Chairman, Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND), Colombo, Sri Lanka; Professor of Sustainable Development, University of Manchester, UK

Preuß, Dr. Hans-Joachim
Managing Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ((GIZ - German Agency for International Cooperation), Bonn/Eschborn, Germany

Complete session on soundcloud:

Plenary Session - Global Governance: Blueprint for a Sustainable World Economy?

Keynote and Discussion - Dr Guido Westerwelle German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs