Disputes over the definition and objectives of Global Governance have long been an issue of debate between practitioners and academics. recognizing the increasing interdependence of nation states, some view global governance as the formal and informal political interaction of transnational actors in the absence of world government , whilst others see global governance as the necessity to develop incremental global federal economic and political entities to deal with global issues.

Reshaping Global Governance

In a European Essay from 2008, Mark Corner argues the need for the creation of a Global Union of shared sovereignty in specific issue areas to resolve major global issues (climate change, ). According to Corner, only sovereignty-sharing can provide the appropriate structures for ‘effective multilateralism’ by enduring that its members conform to its rules. The global union would provide a mechanism for measures to be taken that were enforceable, while at the same time providing assistance to states that were in difficulty. The emergence of a global union would run parallel to the development of regional unions, but this process risks being undermined in the short run by the absence of many of the world’s biggest countries.

Towards a Global Sharing of Sovereignty by Mark Corner, European Essay No. 44, August 2008.