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Draft Charter for World Governance

1. We have entered a new era - an era of global angst and worry, pressed by the brutal urgency of the now, and the need to act without delay. The hope of turning the tide cannot be rooted in traditional reflexes. The time has come for constructive provocations and the most daring about-faces against the usual order of things. This absolute imperative calls for radical change - and now.

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This starting point could have taken shape in 2009. Alas, from G8 to G20, from talkative summits to collective indecision, the prospect of really drawing lessons from the major crises we are going through is gradually moving away. The threats to the existence of the planet do not seem to be taken seriously by all the political and economic leaders on which humanity depends. There is an inexorable and indisputable global warming, but still no agreement on a planetary scale to really fight against this vital threat to the Earth of men. Today there are all the signs of the persistence of an ultra-speculative, ultra-financialized and human-blind economy, but still no serious measure of global regulation against this scourge destroying social balances, a factor of growing social misery. and human suffering. Finally, there are enough nuclear charges scattered around the world to detonate it, but no major action yet to eradicate this existential danger.

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If nothing is done today, and if there are still a few curious people left to write the history of our time tomorrow, they will have no choice but to accuse those responsible for this inaction of a crime for non- assistance to humanity in danger.

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2. We have to face an incredible combination of global crises: depletion of natural resources, irreversible destruction of biodiversity, disruption of the global financial system, dehumanization of the international economic system, famines and shortages, viral pandemics, political disaggregation, etc. Whatever technocrats and professional skeptics may say, none of these phenomena can be viewed in isolation. They are all strongly interconnected, interdependent and form a single "polycrisis" threatening this world with a "polycatastrophe". It is time to take the systemic measure of the problem, to finally bring it integrated solutions - the first steps to redefine the principles which should inspire the global conduct of human affairs in the future.

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3. Because these great crises of the 21st century are global, men and women around the world must absolutely measure their interdependence. Emerging disasters and imminent disasters: standing at the crossroads of emergencies, it is time for humanity to become aware of its community of destiny. There is no butterfly effect here, but the reality, serious and strong, that it is our common home that threatens to collapse - and that there can only be collective salvation.

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Lesson from globalization par excellence, none of our States is today any more able to ensure respect for a world order and to impose the essential global regulations. The end of imperial temptations, the end of Western domination alone and the growing intervention of non-governmental actors today mark the limits of the notion of state sovereignty and the failure of its international expression: inter-governmentalism. .

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Too often, national interests, in other words “local selfishness” still prevail, transforming the international scene into an often sordid bargaining forum. Whether in the fight against global warming, on energy issues, collective security, world trade, and elsewhere, the inability to rise to the level of the issues demonstrates the congenital myopia of national interests. Because in this kind of zero-sum game, every concession is always experienced as a defeat.

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In addition, behind the promotion of multipolarity often lies only the balance of national influences and aspirations for domination. We must therefore work with alternative organizational models to hegemony.

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4. The advent of this “world community of destiny” calls for the proclamation of the principle of planetary inter-solidarity, a true “Declaration of Interdependence”. That is to say the establishment of a world governance worthy of the name. Because there is currently none. Certainly elements of international regulation and some institutions act effectively on a global scale. But we must rethink, in order to go beyond them, the limits of international law and of its founding principle, national sovereignty - in the name of a higher principle, in the name of Justice. For global governance is the ability to rise beyond bargaining between particular interests to make planetary political decisions - in the name of humanity.

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The “international community” can no longer remain a vague entity, devoid of political incarnation and suspected of pro-Western biases. For too long, the necessary reform of the United Nations has come up against Realpolitik dominating the international scene. The inability to take into account the systemic aspect of the problems, the inability to change the Security Council and the inability to move forward on projects such as the creation of an economic, social and cultural Security Council illustrate the failures of intergovernmentalism. The time is no longer for strict national sovereignty - but for global solidarity.

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5. The first step towards defining this global solidarity is through universal recognition of the concept of interdependence. We therefore solemnly call on the countries that feel most threatened by global warming to join their voices during the climate negotiations, and proclaim their desire to pool part of their sovereignty, to finally bring about the adoption of measures. effective. In the same spirit, it will be necessary for multiple nations to join together to put pressure on the UN General Assembly, in order to achieve the formal adoption of a Universal Declaration of Interdependence. Because we must give the force of law to this just principle, and by nature superior to strict respect for national sovereignties.

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We then call for the creation of a political melting pot where the best interests of humanity can be concretely defined, a place where the diversity and wisdom of cultures can be expressed, through representatives of civil society and the authorities. moral, intellectual and scientific. Finally, we call for a return to the pioneering spirit of the United Nations Charter which proclaimed “We the peoples. "

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6. Faithful to the values ​​it embodies, the Collegium International declares its desire to actively contribute to the essential advent of global governance. First, by bringing together a World Convention, made up of representatives from the political world and civil society, responsible for rethinking the rights of peoples in the planetary age. Because once interdependence has been elevated to the rank of universal norm, it will inevitably be necessary to draw the most concrete consequences for the environment, trade, conflicts, etc. Second, the Collegium intends to set up a virtual platform for civil society, a space for dialogue and sharing for all the experiences and good practices developed around the world to respond to contemporary challenges. Finally, the Collegium vows to exercise the most uncompromising vigilance regarding the march of the world. And intends to publicly denounce, without the slightest hesitation, the decisions it considers taken based not on the best interests of humanity but on arbitration between illegitimate national interests.

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The 19th was the century of industrial nations and their wars, the 20th was that of the rule of the masses and total wars. Let us listen to the underground currents of history: the 21st will be the century of global governance - or else we will not be.

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If it is urgent to alert, it is even more urgent to start.

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Let's get started!

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Sao Paulo, November 2009 - For Collegium-International.org

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Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Michel Rocard, Milan Kucan, Stéphane Hessel, Edgar Morin, René Passet, Michael W. Doyle

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Published in La Croix, December 17th, 2009

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