Toward Inclusive Global Governance: What Role for International Law?

Professor Eyal Benvenisti, Whewell Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge The rising tide of nationalism (aka localism, nativism) has reached new peaks in 2016. According to several observers, the rise of the national reflects voters’ resentment towards neoliberal globalization served by multilateral institutions. Middle-income voters, in both developed and developing countries, regard global institutions such as the WTO, NAFTA and the EU, as responsible for diverting resources and opportunities to the few, while depriving them of voice, of jobs, and depleting national social safety nets. Is it possible for multilateral institutions to regain the trust of the diffuse voters by becoming more accountable to them, provide them with opportunities to convey their concerns and assert their demands? In my talk, I will first explore the causes and consequences of the diminishing voice of key constituencies as a result of multilateralism, and then reflect on possible legal and other responses that might make global governance institutions more inclusive and consequently more egalitarian. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

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Lectures on international law issues by eminent scholars, practitioners and judges of national and international courts. The lecture series is brought to you by the Public International Law Discussion Group, part of the Law Faculty of the University of Oxford, and is supported by the British Branch of the International Law Association and Oxford University Press. Further details of this series can be found on the Public International Law at Oxford website. .