Working Paper No. 26 - Reforming global economic and social governance: a critical review of recent programmatic thinking

This paper discusses three main proposals in reforming global economic and social governance. These reforms comprise of improving the 'leadership gap' by modifying existing institutional arrangements and even creating new bodies within the United Nations system for more inclusiveness in decision making. In addition, it considers giving NGOs, citizens, and other non-state actors institutionalized roles in international systems which would increase their accountability. Finally, the third proposal consists of networked governance where the proliferation and codification of small, multi-actor groups target particular issues or provide specific public goods. The paper argues that reform is necessary to advance globally and work towards more democracy and gives suggestions on how to approach any barriers to these reforms, notably the United States.

This paper was written as an insight into the work of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization 2004 that aims to provide a fairer globalization for all.