Policy and Institutional Frameworks
Beyond Westphalianism: The Emergence of Public-Private Partnerships in the Multilateral Relations of States
The dynamics of the global interdependence of nations and peoples have led to the emergence of global issues that defy the classic Westphalian inter-state system. Emerging global issues – global warming, the transnational spread of disease, climate change - disrespect the geo-political boundaries of nation-states. The globalized challenges of these issues defy the rules and regulations constructed solely by states as the dominant actors in the Westphalian international system.
At the global level, governance involves a multiplicity of actors: states, regional and international organizations, charitable foundations, non-governmental organizations and civil society, and private sector interests such as multinational corporations and international business associations. In the past decade, public-private partnerships (PPP's) have proliferated on a range of global issues. Because PPP's are a subject of intense debate, this project focuses on the legitimacy and effectiveness of PPP's where the UN or any of its specialized agencies is a partner. Examples of such PPP's include the Global Compact, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
The objective of this project is to study and analyze the legitimacy, transparency, accountability and effectiveness of PPP's on selected global issues involving the United Nations and its specialized agencies, states, and the private sector. Do PPP's fill the governance gaps and deficiencies in classic inter-state cooperation and relations? This project explores the question with a view to generating policies that will shape and guide existing, emerging, and future PPP's on a range of global issues to make these partnerships accountable, transparent and effective.
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Page last modified 2019.04.16.
