The year 2020 will mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, providing an opportunity to modernize the UN for the 21st century, and perhaps move a step closer to fully federated global governance. To take advantage of this opportunity, Global Voice and Partner Organizations (www.globalvoice.solutions/about) have launched “The Road to 2020,” a series of Global Town Halls where people from diverse arenas can gather and discuss UN renewal recommendations. The Inaugural Global Town Hall was held in Boulder, Colorado, July 21-23, 2018, on the campus of the University of Colorado Boulder. Dialogue was focused on UN reform recommendations made by the Commission on Global Security, Justice and Governance (stimson.org/content/report-commission-global-security-justice-governance).
Key presenters included European Union Ambassador to the US, David O’Sullivan and Stimson Center President Emeritus Ellen Laipson, among many other subject matter experts. (Detailed report at globalvoice.solutions/global-town-halls-1.html.) The potential for UN reform to take place in 2020 was greatly enhanced this year when UNGA President Maria Espinosa appointed co-facilitators to develop a “modalities resolution” establishing the formal process for Member States to negotiate a political declaration for the 2020 Summit. With the global climate-extinction threat gaining force almost daily, Global Voice has formed an alliance with a promising new initiative called “The Common Home of Humanity” (commonhomeofhumanity.org). Since the climate extinction threat is — and will continue to be — the strongest driver of global change for some time to come, two critical aspects of the Common Home of Humanity proposals make it a very promising initiative: 1) The biophysical boundaries of the planet should form the baseline for reforming international environmental law; and 2) Its legal framework could become the first step toward full world federation: “The Earth System is an intangible, global commons which spans across the national territories of states.
Only by recognizing it in its indivisible entirety, is it possible to achieve effective environmental laws and management systems.” Fine, you may say. But how is the climate threat a more powerful motivator toward global governance than threats such as nuclear war have been? Climate disaster and potential human extinction is underway now; nuclear war — while still a threat — is just that, not a current reality that we must stop or our species, among many others, will perish. To further explore this initiative’s potential, Global Voice and Partner Organizations are planning several Global Town Halls this year and in 2020.
But how is the climate threat a more powerful motivator toward global governance than threats such as nuclear war have been?
To date, there are two Global Town Halls confirmed and another being discussed:
- Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 15-18, 2019 (tentative) Theme: Global Environmental Governance and the Common Home of Humanity
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 19-20, 2019 (confirmed) Theme: “Paving the Road to Reform: Climate Change and Sustainable Development.” The European Studies Center (ucis.pitt.edu/esc/) of the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with Global Voice and the Workable World Trust, will host this GTH.
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, Date TBD early 2020 (confirmed) To be hosted by Global Minnesota (globalminnesota.org) and the Workable World Trust (workableworld.org)
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