Gorbachev
In
January 2009, Gorbachev used the world economic crisis as the basis for
another call for a new world order: “We need a new vision of global
political leadership, a new willingness to work together in this
globalized world. … Throughout the world, there is a clamor for change.
That desire was evident in November, in an event that could become both
a symbol of this need for change and a real catalyst for that change.
Given the special role the United States continues to play in the
world, the election of Barack Obama could have consequences that go far
beyond that country. The American people have had their say; now all
will depend on whether the new president and his team measure up to the
challenge. … If current ideas for reforming the world's financial and
economic institutions are consistently implemented, that would suggest
we are finally beginning to understand the importance of global
governance. Such governance would render the economy more rational and
more humane.”[1]
In
June 2009, Gorbachev called for global perestroika (restructuring). He
denied making “ready-made prescriptions,” but called to a more
government-centered economy worldwide. Gorbachev said that the economic
“model that
emerged during the final decades of the 20th century has turned out to
be unsustainable. It was based on a drive for super-profits and
hyper-consumption for a few, on unrestrained exploitation of resources
and on social and environmental irresponsibility. … The current model
does not need adjusting; it needs replacing. I have no ready-made
prescriptions. But I am convinced that a new model will emerge, one
that will emphasize public needs and public goods, such as a cleaner
environment, well-functioning infrastructure and public transportation,
sound education and health systems and affordable housing. … We will cope with the new global challenges
as well, but only if everyone understands the need for real, cardinal
change – for a global perestroika.”[2]
In
November 2009, Gorbachev said, "Only in cooperation with Russia and the
United States can Europe play its role in the global process of
creating a new world order;" the former Soviet premier added that this
“had been a dream of his ‘good acquaintance’” John Paul II.[3]
Merkel
In
a speech given on November 9, the 20th anniversary of the
fall of the Berlin Wall, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “This
world will not be a peaceful one if we do not work for more global
order and more multilateral cooperation.” When discussing the December
2009 UN climate summit meeting in Copenhagen, she said that nations
must be ready to put “the greater good” above their “narrow interests;”
she asked, “Are the nation states ready and willing to give
competencies over to multilateral organizations, no matter what it
costs?”[4]
Ban
Ki-Moon
UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon agrees on the need for global governance
as a response to climate change. In a New York Times
essay published in October 2009, the UN leader said that a global deal
on climate change “must include an equitable global governance
structure. All countries must have a voice in how resources are
deployed and managed.”[5]
Van
Rompuy
The
newly appointed President of the Council of the European Union, Herman
Van Rompuy, is a conservative Catholic.[6]
Nevertheless, he too is enthusiastic for “the global management of our
planet.” In November 2009, when accepting his new post, Van Rompuy
said, “We are living through exceptionally difficult times: the
financial crisis and its dramatic impact on employment and budgets, the
climate crisis which threatens our very survival. … Yet these problems
can be overcome by common efforts in and between our countries. 2009 is
also the first year of global governance, with the establishment of the
G20 in the middle of the financial crisis. The climate conference in
Copenhagen is another step towards the global management of our planet.
Our mission is one of hope, supported by acts and action.”[7]
Kissinger
In
January 2009, just before the inauguration of President Obama, Henry
Kissinger said, “The nadir of the existing international financial
system coincides with simultaneous political crises around the globe.
Never have so many transformations occurred at the same time in so many
different parts of the world and been made globally accessible via
instantaneous communication. The alternative to a new international
order is chaos. … The extraordinary impact of the president-elect on
the imagination of humanity is an important element in shaping a new
world order. But it defines an opportunity, not a policy. The ultimate
challenge is to shape the common concern of most countries and all
major ones regarding the economic crisis, together with a common fear
of jihadist terrorism, into a common strategy reinforced by the
realization that the new issues like proliferation, energy and climate
change permit no national or regional solution. The new administration
could make no worse mistake than to rest on its initial popularity. The
cooperative mood of the moment needs to be channeled into a grand
strategy going beyond the controversies of the recent past. … An
international order can be permanent only if its participants have a
share not only in building but also in securing it. In this manner,
America and its potential partners have a unique opportunity to
transform a moment of crisis into a vision of hope.[8]
[1] Mikhail Gorbachev, “A new
international agenda,” The New York Times, January 1,
2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/opinion/01iht-edgorby.1.19029339.html?_r=1,
viewed 12/05/09.
[2] Mikhail Gorbachev, “We Had
Our Perestroika. It’s High Time for Yours,” The Washington
Post, June 7, 2009, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060501966_pf.html,
viewed 11/23/09.
[3] Alexander Osipovich,
“Gorbachev 'proud' of role in fall of Berlin Wall,” AFP, November 3,
2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwWTO_BvBYEAKmMbwniNbCksuj5g,
viewed 11/20/09.
[4] Earth Times,
“Merkel: No world peace without multilateral cooperation,” November 9,
2009, http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293869,extra-merkel-no-world-peace-without-multilateral-cooperation.html,
viewed 11/20/09.
[5] Ban Ki-moon, “We Can Do
It,” The New York Times, October 25, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/opinion/26iht-edban.html?_r=1,
viewed 11/21/09.
[6] Paul Belien, “Meet the
President of Europe,” The Brussels Journal, November
20, 2009, http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/4181,
viewed 11/26/09; Jeroen van der Kris, “Who is Van Rompuy,” Spiegel
Online, November 20, 2009, http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,662517,00.html,
viewed 11/26/09.
[7] European Union @United
Nations, “Intervention of H.E. Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, New President of
EU Council,” November 19, 2009, http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_9245_en.htm,
viewed 11/26/09.
[8] Henry A. Kissinger, “The chance for a new world order,” The New York Times, January 12, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/opinion/12iht-edkissinger.1.19281915.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all, viewed 12/02/09.
