【 Report】Global governance in transition: A case study of International Geneva

　　　On April 27th, 2023, Dr. Achim Wennmann, the Director for Strategic Partnerships of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, gave a lecture titled “Global Governance in Transition: a case study of International Geneva”.

In the lecture, Dr Wennmann reflects on the experiences of the city of Geneva as a hub for global governance in facing new global challenges. The complex and intense nature of global challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change have pushed existing political structures to a breaking point.  Complexity does not just present itself in challenges; it is also present in the current international order. The struggle between great powers to define international order often do not take into account “hybrid political orders”, or the intricate web of political dynamics happening at the sub-national level, especially in diverse megacities where the impacts of new global challenges are felt directly by people. These conditions create an imperative for academics and experts worldwide to imagine new possibilities for new forms of global governance.

The city of Geneva serves as an interesting case study for imagining the future of global governance. The city is historically significant in shaping global governance, a ‘kitchen of international relations’, by facilitating the formation of platforms and networks which facilitate constructive and equal dialogue among all kinds of international actors. The ability to create and maintain international platforms, or “the agile, bold, and cross-cutting spaces that shape innovation and partnership”, Dr Wennmann argues, is Geneva’s greatest strength and may provide a model for facing future challenges of global governance.

Written by I Gusti Bagus Dharma AGASTIA (Doctoral Student, Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University)