Global governance: history of a quiet revolution within the UN WSE-EU-GGHQR

1. UN Charter: legal nature, aims, organs and language. “We the Peoples”. Universal Declaration of Human Rights: language and the concept of “universality”. Introduction to global governance.
2. Universal language: debate on universal vs global. Article 71 of the UN Charter and the emergence of international NGOs. “Soft issues” vs “hard issues”; the Cold War, UN Security Council deadlock, and the evolution of ECOSOC. Cultural context of postmodernism.
3. UN conferences during the Cold War: human rights, environment, population, women. The role of NGOs and the emergence of language and agendas absent from the founding documents.
4.- Reports and commissions of the 1970s and 1980s: building a new UN platform (sustainable development). 1989 as a turning point. Stages of the UN “quiet revolution” of global governance.
5. UN conferences after the Cold War: the “new global consensus” and global governance as content. Analysis of the shift away from the 1948 declared universality (language, ideological assumptions).
6. Reinterpretation of human rights and institutionalisation of partnership policies for sustainable development: partnership logic, co-optation of actors, redistribution of roles between states and non-state actors.
7. Agenda 21. Soft power vs hard power… “soft politics” with hard effects: the impact of global governance on democracy and international order.
8. Synthesis and revision: mapping key concepts, relationships and interpretive disputes. Preparation for the oral exam.

(in Polish) Dyscyplina naukowa, do której odnoszą się efekty uczenia się

political science and public administration

(in Polish) E-Learning

(in Polish) E-Learning (pełny kurs) z podziałem na grupy

(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych

(in Polish) nie dotyczy

(in Polish) Opis nakładu pracy studenta w ECTS

Direct contact with instructor (19 hours) Participation in classes: 15 hours. Assessment outside class (oral exam): 2 hours Consultations: 2 hours. Independent work (41 hours): Preparation for classes (readings, notes, analysis of assigned literature): 25 hours. Preparation of reading/research tasks and preparation for the oral exam: 16 hours

Subject level

elementary

Learning outcome code/codes

ZP1_W05, ZP1_U10, ZP1-U18, ZP1_K05

Type of subject

obligatory

Preliminary Requirements

English proficiency at least at B2 level.

Course coordinators

Marguerite Peeters

Learning outcomes

ZP1-W05: Characterizes and explains the main ideas, dilemmas and interpretive disputes related to global governance, including the tension between state sovereignty and global agendas, referring to selected UN documents. (1–7)
ZP1-U10: Identifies and analyses challenges to the international order, democracy and sovereignty arising from global governance mechanisms (partnerships, soft politics), and formulates well‑justified positions and arguments. (1–8)
ZP1-U18: Interprets the historical and ideational conditions of UN transformations (1945–1996) and the consequences after 1989, indicating mechanisms of change in language and norms and their significance for contemporary Europe. (2–7)
ZP1-K05: Observes principles of reliable source analysis, academic debate culture and responsibility for expressed judgements; respects different perspectives and argues ethically. (1–8)

Assessment criteria

Components of the final grade:
- participation and preparation for classes (40%): contribution to discussions; short reading/research tasks after each class.
- oral exam (60%): individual oral response. At least 2 weeks before the exam date, the student receives a choice of 3 topics; prepares 1 topic and presents it during the exam.

Grading criteria (summary):
5.0 (excellent) – very good knowledge of content and sources; independent, coherent analysis; precise argumentation.
4.5 (very good plus) – very good knowledge; correct analysis and argumentation; minor gaps.
4.0 (very good) – good knowledge; correct answers, but limited independence of interpretation.
3.5 (good plus) – basic knowledge; partial argumentation; noticeable gaps.
3.0 (satisfactory) – minimal fulfilment of requirements; fragmentary answers.
2.0 (fail) – lack of basic understanding of concepts and relationships.

Organisational rules: attendance is mandatory (one justified absence is allowed). During online classes, the camera must be on. Students who do not have a webcam can use UKSW equipment. A switched-off camera amounts to no attendance. Recording classes is prohibited.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of WSE-EU-GGHQR in USOSweb