In recent years, as mistrust and discontent towards global governance have pushed some countries to turn their back on multilateral settings, questions of effectiveness and legitimacy in global governance have become ever more prominent. These concern especially the sprawling rule-making activities of international organizations which range from recommendations and guidelines to obligatory law-making but come in so many shapes and forms that common threads are difficult to discern and transparency is often elusive.  

The effectiveness and legitimacy of international rule-making were at the centre of a brainstorming session on 13th April, co-organized by the Graduate Institute’s Global Governance Centre and the OECD. During this session, more than 35 participants from academia and international organisations discussed diversity and effectiveness of international normative instruments and their needs for improvement. Discussions focused, among other themes, on stakeholder participation, the impact of binding and non-binding instruments, and the compliance with existing rules.

Prof Nico Krisch, co-Director of the Global Governance Centre at the Graduate Institute warmly praised the dynamic exchanges during this session: “The meeting was a great example of how discussions between practitioners and academics can generate stimulating insights for all involved.”

This brainstorming session is part of the OECD-driven “Partnership for Effective Rule-Making”. Since 2014, some 50 IOs have worked together to strengthen the quality, effectiveness and impact of international rules. Their work has already led to a much more systematic understanding of rule-making practices and their contemporary challenges. Ultimately, the partnership seeks to help build greater confidence of domestic regulators and legislators in international rules and support greater uptake of good quality international instruments in national legislation.

The Global Governance Centre at the Graduate Institute fosters interdisciplinary exchange through public seminars, roundtable discussions, academic workshops, think tank summits and conferences. The Centre also provides a forum for students, faculty, and policy practitioners to discuss and critically examine recent theoretical and empirical research on international governance across issue domains. Interdisciplinary in its approach, the Centre’s core activities include research; a visitor’s programme; and events.