"Set Up Commission For Better Global Governance"

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- For better global governance in this century, the Crown Prince of northern state of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah on Wednesday called for the setting up of a Commission on Global Governance in collaboration with dedicated partners from throughout the world. "I believe it is an idea whose time has come. Such an initiative would then be representative of a truly universal endeavour. "It is time for a seminal and substantive review to be conducted by a high- level international body, such as a commission of eminent persons of international repute aided by a panel of experts." Raja Nazrin said this in his royal address, entitled "Challenges of Global Governance and The New Era of Diplomacy" to diplomats and foreign relations representatives at the Institute of Foreign Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), here, on Wednesday. Raja Nazrin, who is also the royal patron of IDFR, said, though independent, the Commission would benefit from the support of the United Nations Secretary- General. "If launched, this Commission will shoulder a heavy responsibility and it will have to execute its tasks without fear or favour, thus it must serve no diktat save the one entrusted upon it," he said. "The Commission must conduct an honest and objective appraisal of the governance architecture as it exists today, its strengths and its weaknesses, where it is working and where it is not, and how far it is relevant to the needs of the times. "It must then come up with proposals to make global governance in the 21st century perceptibly better. "No doubt we can expect these proposals to be bold and forward-looking, yet made with feet firmly planted on the ground," he added. According to him, the exercise could not be anything less than thorough whereby it must address, and address squarely, the central challenges confronting global governance not only now but in the foreseeable future as well. He said such an important enquiry could not avoid but delve into four critical areas namely, first, the nature of the evolving strategic environment. "Understanding of this environment, how it is changing and what demands it is making upon global governance will perforce predicate the study," he said. Second, Raja Nazrin said, was structural and procedural reform of the multilateral institutions of global governance such as the United Nations. "This central pillar of the international governance architecture, has already been the subject of much study and debate. "Corresponding reviews will also be necessary for other key institutions, namely the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation." The third area, he said, should be more effective engagement of non-state actors in the governance process at all levels such as the International Committee for the Red Cross and Red Crescent. He opined that closer coordination and better engagement of civil society organisations and other non-state actors in the decision-making and consultation processes could elevate global governance to an altogether new level. "And fourth, a strong advocacy for demilitarising the global security culture and reducing military expenditure is an urgent priority for promoting sound global governance and international peace," Raja Nazrin said. -- BERNAMA