THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

Handout 6 Unit 4::Lesson 3: Global Interstate System

The Global Interstate System is characterized by powerful countries forming alliances for
military security and economic competition, seeking worldwide power and influence. It divides
the world into three economic zones core, periphery, and semi-periphery based on their
production mode and division of labor. The contemporary system is an interstate system where
national societies and their states have evolved into a global system, while global governance
allows for interconnectivity across boundaries to negotiate solutions to problems that affect
multiple states. Globalization has led to an uneven allocation of power among nations with
varying economic capacities, and the boundaries between nations are gradually disappearing.

Principles of Interstate System

The following are the principles of the interstate system:

Nationalism- This refers to a political movement or belief system that seeks to establish the
nation as the basis for a political system, typically a state. It involves a feeling of patriotism that
glorifies one’s nation above all others and focuses on promoting its interests.
Internationalism. This refers to a desire for increased cooperation and solidarity between
states and individuals. It is a political concept that places the well-being of the global community
above the interests of individual nations and promotes international collaboration for the greater
good. This concept can be divided into two main types: liberal internationalism and socialist
8internationalism.
Liberal Internationalism. This refers to a set of concepts that suggest how global relationships
among states and non-state actors should be organized, with a focus on interdependence,
diplomacy, and support for global political organizations. This approach emphasizes the
importance of multilateralism and argues that cooperation can help address global challenges
and conflicts. Within this theory. Liberal internationalists believe in the inherent goodness of
people and the potential for positive outcomes from both domestic and foreign institutions.
Socialist Internationalism. This concept is based on the belief that a fair and equal society can
be achieved through social justice. It advocates for international cooperation among nations to
promote global peace and eliminate economic exploitation. Its proponents argue that the
working class shares a common interest and that economic forces, rather than national
boundaries, define our identity.

Impact of Globalization on Governments

State sovereignty depends on the functioning of the government. Each country has the freedom
to decide its own course, and unless there are strong justifications, other countries shouldn’t
meddle in that state’s internal affairs. Globalization has partly changed the functions and
obligations of a nations to govern the region.
International norms and laws were established as a result of globalization. A good illustration of
this is the creation of the United Nations, which offers member states a forum to discuss their
disputes and look for solutions.
Transnational activism increased as a result of globalization. This is the process of national
activist groups communicating and collaborating with their counterparts. For instance, a human
rights group in China may establish connections with a similar organization in another continent
to influence the stance of China.
Globalization is perceived as forcing nation-states to make a choice. Countries are compelled to
adhere to neoliberal ideas and policies such as deregulation, privatization, and free trade, or
else they may fall behind in terms of progress and development.
Economic and political interconnections have been established as an outcome of globalization.
The European Union (EU) serves as a prime instance where despite having a common currency
and monetary system, a legislative parliament, and freedom of movement, work, voting, and
public office among its members, the individual statehoods have not been eliminated. The
alteration only lies in the way these nation-states work collectively in terms of politics and
commerce.

Some Institutions that Govern International Relations

Governments and citizens from different nations participate in a number of international
organizations. The following organizations contributed to the development of humanity (Table 1)

International Organization Role in International Roles

1.The United Nations (UN) The UN is a multinational organization founded in 1945 with
global membership. Its main headquarters is in New York
City and it has regional offices in Geneva, Vienna, and
Nairobi. Its goals include fostering friendly relations
between nations, achieving global cooperation, promoting
human rights, and coordinating efforts toward.

Attached Agencies Include:

World Health Organization (WHO) The WHO is the UN’s leading body for health. It establishes
noms and standards, defines policy alternatives, assists
governments, and monitors health trends. Health is a
shared responsibility in the 21st century, requiring fair
access to care and group defense against global threats.

United Nations Children’s Funds UNICEF is the main organization that works to uphold
(UNICEF) children’s rights globally. It has partners at the local level to
implement innovative ideas and can influence policymakers
worldwide. UNICEF believes that nurturing and caring for
children are the foundations of human development.
United Nations Educational, With 195 Members and 8 Associate Members, UNESCO is
Scientific and Cultural a specialized agency of the UN that is run by the General
Organization (UNESCO) Conference and the Executive Board. The goal of
UNESCO, which has its headquarters in Paris and more
than 50 field offices across the world, is to stimulate
sustainable development via education, research, culture,
communication, and information.

Food and Agriculture Organization FAO is a UN agency dedicated to ending hunger worldwide.
(FAO) With 195 members and operations in over 130 countries, its
mission is to ensure that everyone has access to enough
healthy food for an active and healthy lifestyle.

United Nations Industrial UNIDO is the UN Agency for sustainable industrial

Development Organization development. Its mandate includes technical cooperation,
(UNIDO) policy advisory services, normative standards, and
partnership building for knowledge and technology transfer.

International Labor Organization ILO, a UN agency, aims to establish global labor standards
(ILO) that promote social and economic justice. With
headquarters in Geneva and around 40 field offices
worldwide, its 187 member countries work towards
providing sustainable, productive, and accessible work
conditions in freedom, equity, security, and dignity.

World Intellectual Property WIPO is a UN organization that deals with intellectual

Organization (WIPO) property services, policies, and cooperation on a global
scale. It was established in 1967 and has 193 member
nations and 200 observers from NGOs and IGOs. The
organization aims to create a balanced and effective global
IP ecosystem to foster innovation and creativity for a better
future.

International Maritime IMO is an UN-specialized agency dedicated to maritime

Organization (IMO) issues. It promotes government cooperation and adopts
multilateral treaties to improve safety, security, and
efficiency in international shipping.

International Civil Aviation ICAO is a UN organization that regulates aviation safety,

Organization (ICAO) security, efficiency, and environmental protection. It also
controls operational practices and procedures for air
transportation and border crossings.

World Tourism Organization The UNWTO promotes responsible, sustainable and

(UNWTO) accessible tourism worldwide with a focus on balancing
economic, social and enviromental benefits. Its goals ia to
foster tourism development that supports biodiversity, social
welfare and economic stability in host countries and
communities.
2. The Group of Eight (G8) The G8 is a coalition of eight significant industrialized
nations that get together frequently to talk about topics
related to the world economy and currency. The US, UK,
Canada, Germany, Japan, Italy, France, and Russia make
up its membership. After annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia
was permanently removed from the group, which is now
known as the G-7.
3. The Group of Twenty (G20) The G20 is a forum that brings together the world's main
economies, which account for two-thirds of the world's
population, 75% of worldwide trade, and 85% of global
GDP. It includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and
the European Union. It plays a significant role in
international economic cooperation.
4.North Atlantic Treaty Founded in 1949, NATO is a security alliance made up of
Organization (NATO) 30 nations from Europe and North America. Its goal is to
defend the members' autonomy and security by political
and military action. The International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF), which the UN has mandated, is supervised by
NATO, which also holds training exercises and offers
security assistance to partners around the world.
5. World Trade Organization The only international organization that controls cross-
(WTO) border trade is the World Trade Organization (WTO). Its
objective is to make commerce as simple, dependable, and
unrestricted as possible. The WTO’s primary focus is on the
agreements that have been negotiated, approved, and
ratified by the majority of trading nations worldwide. Almost
160 nations are members of the WTO, accounting for 98%
of world commerce. Significant decisions are made by
member nations’ ministers or representatives through
frequent meetings in Geneva. Presently, more than 20
nations are attempting to join the organization and are
required to do so by providing their economic and trade
data.
6.International Monetary Fund In order to boost productivity, create jobs, and improve the
(IMF) economic well-being for its 190 member nations, the IMF
advocates for economic policies that support monetary
cooperation and financial stability. Its three main objectives
are to encourage commerce, economic growth, and
international monetary cooperation while avoiding
measures that would jeopardize prosperity. To complete
these missions, the IMF works in conjunction with its
affiliates and other international organizations.

7. World Bank (WB) The World Bank provides financing, guidance, and research
to assume developing nations in enhancing their economies
and reducing poverty.
 8. North American Free Trade The United States, Canada, and Mexico have a trade pact
Agreement (NAFTA) called NAFTA that removes both tariff and non-tariff trade
barriers. In order to expand investment prospects, it went
into force on January Is 1994.
9. European Union (EU) A union of twenty-seven European nations was established
after World War II to guarantee long-term peace in the
continent. It focuses on improving the political and
economic improving of the countries. In order to help
undeveloped regions participate in the global economy, it
offers members a single market, unrestricted mobility of
people, commodities, services, and money, as well as
regional development funding.
10. Organization for Economic The OECD is a forum for industrialized nations to talk about
a variety of issues. It promotes sustainable growth by
spotting potential problems down the road.
11.Red Cross and Red Crescent A global network of aid organizations, the Red Cross and
Societies Red Crescent Movement has operations in almost every
nation. Regardless of the circumstance, helping those in
need is its main objective. The International Red Cross has
offices all around the world and its main office is in Geneva,
Switzerland.

Challenges of the Global Government

The world is dealing with a number of environmental issues, such as pollution, biodiversity loss,
and climate change. Due to these problems, there are fewer possibilities for producing food and
energy, and natural resources are being depleted. Future increases in food prices are predicted
to be caused by soil erosion, overfishing, and climate change, which are also lowering the
availability of energy sources.
Growing inequality and social unrest are social problems brought on by the economic system’s
inability to allocate money more fairly. In addition to growing crime, drug use and trafficking,
juvenile delinquency, family disintegration, domestic violence, and migration in quest of better
prospects, unemployment is a primary source of exclusion and marginalization. Accelerated
population expansion in underdeveloped regions of the world is another issue that could result
in increasing imbalances and a variety of problems.
The ambitions of people in developing nations for rapid economic expansion must be balanced
with the terrible stress this growth is putting on the environment and the global economy. The
only way to guarantee resource accessibility is for people in developed nations to reduce their
resource consumption and switch to simpler, more sustainable lives. This method must solve
short-term disruptions while preserving the security of the poor if justice and sustainability are to
be achieved.
The United Nations Charter places restrictions on nations’ ability to wage war or prepare for
one, yet this does not stop governments from facing security difficulties. The world confronts
serious risks with its current approach to nuclear weapons and nuclear security, and arms races
are once more on the rise. In order to properly address these challenges, all nations and people
must work together in concert, and new methods of thinking and behaving are required.

Prepared by:GROUP 6