Overview

This book is unique in its use of UN World conferences as a testing ground in the study of global governance. It provides a detailed examination of the conferences with respect to the interface between diplomatic method and new forms of global governance. Because of the complex dynamics involved in these large international conferences, a number of important theoretical debates central to the study of international relations are highlighted. Using Canada as a case study the work demonstrates that global governance is a differentiated multi-spectral site of activity within which states and non-state actors alike, particularly NGOs, play vital, often conflicting roles. The main focus is on the span of activity from the 1992 Rio UNCED conference, through the 1993 Vienna Conference on Human Rights, the 1994 Cairo Conference on Population and Development, the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, and the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women, to the 2001 Durban World Conference on Racism. The picture that emerges, while not translating into a complete recipe for a shift towards democratic governance, suggests a deepening network of institutions, actors, and organizations forming the complex regimes that govern the major arenas of world politics. At a country-specific level, the analysis supports the view that a deep residue of multilateralism still exists in Canada but argues that this tradition faces on-going challenges from a variety of sources.

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Andrew F. Cooper is associate director of CIGI.

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