Building Global Democracy?: Civil Society and Accountable Global Governance

Cambridge University Press, 4/7/2011
EAN 9780521192194, ISBN10: 0521192196

Hardcover, 424 pages, 23.1 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm
Language: English

The scale, effectiveness and legitimacy of global governance lag far behind the world's needs. This path-breaking book examines how far civil society involvement provides an answer to these problems. Does civil society make global governance more democratic? Have citizen action groups raised the accountability of global bodies that deal with challenges such as climate change, financial crises, conflict, disease and inequality? What circumstances have promoted (or blocked) civil society efforts to make global governance institutions more democratically accountable? What could improve these outcomes in the future? The authors base their argument on studies of thirteen global institutions, including the UN, G8, WTO, ICANN and IMF. Specialists from around the world critically assess what has and has not worked in efforts to make global bodies answer to publics as well as states. Combining intellectual depth and political relevance, Building Global Democracy? will appeal to students, researchers, activists and policymakers.

Introduction Jan Aart Scholte
1. Global governance, accountability and civil society Jan Aart Scholte
2. Civil society and accountability of the United Nations Kerstin Martens
3. The World Bank and democratic accountability
the role of civil society Alnoor Ebrahim and Steven Herz
4. Civil society and IMF accountability Jan Aart Scholte
5. Civil society and the WTO
contesting accountability Marc Williams
6. Civil society and accountability in the Commonwealth Timothy M. Shaw and Pamela K. Mbabazi
7. The organisation of the Islamic conference, accountability and civil society Saied Reza Ameli
8. Civil society and patterns of accountability in the OECD Morten Ougaard
9. Civil society and G8 accountability Peter I. Hajnal
10. Structuring accountability
civil society and the Asia-Europe meeting Julie Gilson
11. Civil society and accountability in the global governance of climate change Peter Newell
12. Civil society and accountability promotion in the global fund Carolyn Long and Nata Duvvury
13. Accountability in private global governance
ICANN and civil society Mawaki Chango
14. Civil society and the World Fair Trade Organisation
developing responsive accountability Heidi Ullrich
Conclusion Jan Aart Scholte.

Advance praise: 'That the relationship between institutions of global governance and civil society organisations is complex is well known; just how complex is clearly and elegantly brought out by the contributions to this marvellous volume.' Neera Chandhoke, University of Delhi