The Hope of a

Cosmopolitan Democracy

in a Fractured World

Professor Daniele Archibugi

Research Director, National Research Council (CNR), Roma

University of London, Birkbeck College

Learning Life

September 6^th 2023

Democratizing International Relations

Convenor: Paul Lachelier, Ph.D.

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States have regained control �of world politics

Weak capability to respond to health crisis from a global perspective

Inability to prevent conflict (Ukrainian case)

Unable to make successful humanitarian interventions (Libya and Syria)

Global governance is more and more discussed, but there is a clear LACK of it

What does it mean multi-polar world?

In a traditional understanding, it may mean that there is not a single hegemonic nation, but more than one nation competing for hegemony

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In an innovative understanding, it may mean that there is an increasing number of players in international society and they are NOT any longer the governments of nations

Democracy has not contaminated Global Governance

• Most international organizations continue to exclude citizens
• UN reforms has been debated but not enforced
• Changes in international politics, for example from the G7 to the G20, reflects traditional changes in power politics rather than the attempt of democratic states to generate a global system more accountable and representative

Global Governance without a Cosmopolitan Democracy is weak

Global governance players do not have sufficient authority and resources to act in the interest of everybody

The resources are coming from state, which are likely to work for selfish policies

Cases?

• Resources to achieve the SDG of the United Nations
• Lack of capabilities to mediate conflicts

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INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LEVERS

The internal lever

LOGICAL EXPECTATIONS?

On the one hand, democracies should be keen to replicate their internal system also in the IGOs

On the other hand, authoritarian regimes should be reluctant to introduce systems that would allow greater participation of the citizenry in the IGOs

But, as usual in international politics, we have often seen lack of congruence

What can democratic governments do within IOs to make them more representative?

• Use IOs rather than secretive governance agreements
• Create international parliamentary assemblies (IPAs)
• Give more voice to international judicial devices
• Opening access to NGOs and civil society

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The external lever: Do IOs have positive effects on the democratization of states?

• IOs can play a crucial role in the transition from authoritarian to democratic regime;
• IOs are often called as brokers in young and weak democracies, where there is still a fundamental lack of trust among political factions;
• IOs are also a form of transmission of knowledge on democratic governance and its institutions
• IOs provide material advantages to current and prospective members, from free trade agreements, security cooperation, and cooperation in cultural, scientific and technological domains.

The external lever helps to dissociate the monocratic relationship between governments and citizens

Political unions allow to generate linkages across civil society that contribute to reinforce democratic life

In many occasions (i.e. East-West dialogue during the Cold War) civil society links have pioneered other forms of political association

What can be done to make the external lever more effective?

Explicit commitment of IOs for democratic consolidation

Use IGOs to develop linkages across civil societies

Greater use of the incentives provided by IGOs

Equal dignity among members

Enlarge participation: not only elites but wider number of national stake-holders

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Cosmopolitan Democracy does not apply to global issues only

Local conflicts can be addressed, moderated and hopefully sorted out through the cosmopolitan democracy approach

Deliberative democracy has larger possibilities to be used successfully at the local level or even for specific non territorial communities

When this happens, they represent a model that can strengthen ties also at the global level

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The relevance of Cosmopolitan Democracy�for post-war Ukraine

- The need to create transborder citizens-driven social, political and economic areas

- The creation of specialized but global communities (i.e. Physicists against nuclear weapons)

- Applying conflict-resolution methods before, during and after conflicts

- How to apply international criminal jurisdiction in a moment of conflict

- Envisage post-conflict reconstruction plans

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A proper dialogue among civilizations will need also institutional empowering

New institutional forums are needed to allow citizens, non-governmental associations, the business sector to discuss and deliberate

Give back authority and control to the United Nations and to the other International Organizations

Enlarge participation through UN Citizens Assembly

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