It is now more than fifty years since the United Nations (UN) system and the Bretton Woods institutions were created. The world has changed since then, and so have its governance needs in terms of institutions and rules. It is time to think about the contours of institutions and governance that would meet the needs of the world economy, and also polity, at least for the first quarter of the 21st century. This book examines the subject in depth by situating it in the wider context of globalisation which has shaped development in the world economy, affected the living conditions of people, and c ... More

It is now more than fifty years since the United Nations (UN) system and the Bretton Woods institutions were created. The world has changed since then, and so have its governance needs in terms of institutions and rules. It is time to think about the contours of institutions and governance that would meet the needs of the world economy, and also polity, at least for the first quarter of the 21st century. This book examines the subject in depth by situating it in the wider context of globalisation which has shaped development in the world economy, affected the living conditions of people, and constrained the role of nation states. It explores the international context and the national setting and analyses some issues of emerging significance in the contemporary world, such as global macroeconomic management, transnational corporations, international capital flows, and cross-border movements of people. It also provides a critical evaluation of the existing institutions, in retrospect, with a focus on the UN, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation. It examines how existing rules need to be modified or existing institutions need to be restructured to meet the present and future needs of global governance. Finally, the book explores some important elements of governance which are critical for any vision of the future, suggests some changes in existing institutions, and points to emerging governance needs where new institutions may have to be created.