Understanding global social policy (3rd edn)
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Box 2.1: Multilevel governance This concept originally emerged within studies of the EU, where supranational institutions were built that stand ‘above’ EU member states and operate quasi-independently of them. Importantly, scholars noted that sub-national governments within member states were able to form relationships with and influence EU-level institutions, without necessarily being directly represented by their national governments (Hooghe and Marks, 2003). However, the concept has since been extended beyond the EU to incorporate the ways that global or international institutions can be multitiered in a number of ways. For example, an additional ‘layer’ of governance now exists between EU member states and global governance structures, wherein the European Commission (EC) often represents EU states within IGOs and in multilateral negotiations on trade, labour and health.
While these different ‘levels’ of governance may appear to be clearly delineated, the ‘competences’ of the different layers can overlap. With so many arenas of authority, it is not always clear who has the ultimate decision-making authority or responsibility for different areas of policy. Consequently, the boundaries between decision-making bodies become blurred. Multilevel governance is also not as hierarchical as the clean delineation of ‘levels’ suggests. Sub-national bodies can interact and further their own interests through taking their claims directly to worldregional and global-level institutions. Different territories may be incorporated into geographically overlapping governance structures. For example, South Africa is at once a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as international networks such as the BRICS group of ‘emerging economies’ (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). This shows that national governments see no contradiction between national, world-regional and global development strategies. Global governance is therefore in practice a complex structure of governance arrangements, comprising multiple institutions and actors, and multiple and interacting levels of decision-making. We can see, therefore, that the concept of global governance goes beyond the idea of simple interactions between states within IGOs. IGOs are nevertheless particularly important to the global governance system. The following section looks in more detail at their roles and forms of organisation.
Introduction to intergovernmental organisations Most IGOs have their origins in the political settlement hammered out by the victorious powers at the end of the Second World War. In 1944, representatives
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