International Democratic Governance

WFM-IGP’s program in International Democratic Governance (IDG) supports inclusive global responses to the rise of transnational governance.

The IDG program is based on the understanding that a growing number of global challenges transcend national boundaries and cannot be solved by any government acting alone. Transnational governance structures – with their increasing responsibilities and powers – need better mechanisms for transparency and more accountable leadership. In response to these challenges, WFM-IGP strives to:

   •   Increase the transparency and accountability of decision-making in the UN and other international institutions;
   •   Advocate for more democratic and inclusive systems of governance in transnational mechanisms; and
   •   Mobilize civil society actors to participate in intergovernmental and transnational institutions.

Through these efforts we hope to help the UN and other international institutions become more effective and deliver better results for people worldwide. Capitalizing on WFM-IGP’s historic role as a convener of innovative civil society initiatives, the IDG program currently focuses on the following key issues:

UN Reform - A go-to resource for diplomats, media and civil society alike, IDG maintains a popular website and list-serve following progress on UN reform proposals emerging from the 2005 World Summit. The website ReformtheUN.org provides context for and access to many documents and resources from the UN, governments and civil society on reform efforts, including Security Council reform, establishment of the Human Rights Council and Peacebuilding Commission, strengthening gender equality architecture, and upgrading environmental governance. The list-serve updates readers on the latest developments and political analysis of ongoing negotiations. IDG is not only an independent and reliable watchdog of UN reform, but it also serves as an essential advocacy resource for civil society.

UN Elections - IDG promotes transparent and more accountable elections and appointments through its UNelections Campaign, focusing on international officials and Member State elections to key international bodies. We aim to end political entitlements in leadership appointments, including in the selection of the UN Secretary-General, President of the UN General Assembly and the leadership of international financial institutions. We are beginning to convene civil society to monitor and influence the selection or re-appointment of the UN Secretary-General in 2011. IDG will monitor “back door” discussions, review assessments of the incumbent, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and organize around the possible emergence of alternate candidates.

International Financial Governance - Our recent proposals on reform of international financial mechanisms 1) call for increasing the accountability of the Bretton Woods Institutions to all UN Member States, and 2) outline a model for a levy on international currency transactions, which would fund development, peace, and environment initiatives, among others.

Primary Goals

In our advocacy for international democratic governance, we work towards:

   1.    Better mechanisms for transparency, accountability, and stakeholder input at intergovernmental organizations (e.g. working with the selection panel for new Under-Secretary-General for gender equality);
   2.    Increased and higher-quality NGO participation in intergovernmental deliberations, including on reform of the Security Council and review of the Human Rights Council;
   3.    Growth in the number and scope of groups in our networks and campaigns; and
   4.    Deepened cooperation among NGOs on UN reform, transparent and accountable leadership, and architecture of financial and economic governance.

The IDG program works for transparency in the UN reform process by making information available to stakeholders worldwide. In addition to our websites and list-serves, including ReformtheUN.org, UNelections.org, and PeacebuildingCommission.org, WFM-IGP convenes NGOs on issues of common interest and prepares civil society members for effective engagement with governments and UN officials. By alerting NGO colleagues to advocacy opportunities and assisting them to provide input to UN processes and bodies, we have helped achieve better outcomes in high-level UN appointments, Human Rights Council elections and the strategies of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

Recent Progress

Since launching the UNelections Campaign, WFM-IGP has observed increased dialogue and attention to elections and appointments at the UN, including on procedural and ethical issues. Diverse civil society groups and governments now recognize the wide-reaching impact of improved elections and appointment processes. For example, many would credit the quality of the current High Commissioner for Human Rights to pressure from groups convened by WFM-IGP.

The UNelections Campaign can also be credited with positively impacting the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) elections in 2008 and 2009. WFM-IGP encouraged UN Member States to prioritize candidate countries’ human rights records when voting for HRC members. We supported similar efforts by Human Rights Watch, the Democracy Coalition Project and other colleagues by providing information on elections processes, strategic advice and a platform to widely disseminate campaign material. The UN General Assembly decided not to renew Sri Lanka’s HRC term in 2008 and rejected Azerbaijan’s bid in 2009 – unprecedented events and a success for NGOs.

WFM-IGP’s project on the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) was essential to ensuring transparency in this new UN body by generating and disseminating original reports on key developments. By partnering with NGOs in the countries with which the PBC is concerned, we successfully enhanced the capacity of local actors to influence the PBC and facilitated the development of better peacebuilding strategies for Burundi and Sierra Leone. Without WFM-IGP it is unlikely that perspectives beyond the government concerned and PBC Member States would have been considered in drafting each country’s peacebuilding priorities, thus undermining the PBC’s goal to support genuine national ownership in its peacebuilding efforts.

In early 2009 WFM-IGP submitted an “options paper” on strengthening the relationship between the Bretton Woods Institutions and the UN Economic and Social Council to the “Stiglitz Commission” (a group of experts advising General Assembly). The paper’s central concept was embraced by both the Stiglitz Commission and the resulting UN Conference, with both asserting not only the necessity of coordinating international financial institutions but also the UN’s singular credibility in playing this role.

WFM-IGP’s Unique Role

Since its founding, WFM-IGP has advocated for participatory and people-centered global governance structures and is dedicated to enhancing civil society participation in international organizations.

For over 25 years, WFM-IGP has promoted the recognition that:

   •    Every person has a right to a voice in decisions that affect their lives;
   •    Decisions should be made at the level of governance most appropriate to the problem at hand;
   •    A growing number of problems – many caused by trade and economic globalization – cross nation-state boundaries, and cannot be solved by any national government acting alone;
   •    Transnational governance mechanisms are on the rise (including the G8 and the G20) but do not yet have the structures necessary for transparent, accountable leadership; and
   •    The best available mechanism for democratic global governance is the United Nations.

With our ability to form strategic coalitions, our broad international mandate, and our history as leaders in organizing civil society meetings and campaigns, WFM-IGP plays a unique coordinating role for civil society on issues of global governance of international organizations.