Climate Change and International Order: An Analytical-Normative Perspective

This paper develops an analytical framework for understanding what particular climate regime will lead to a better transformation of the international society and why. It argues that a positive transformation of the international order takes place when it creates conditions for strategic restraint of the use of force, maximizes incentives for equitable sharing of the economic burden and benefits of the system, and strengthens the moral and legal basis for raising legitimate claims to status recognition. Drawing on the state of play in climate change negotiations, the paper concludes that an enhanced version of the Copenhagen Accord offers the most encouraging prospects for the security, economic stability and moral constitution of the international society

MOVING THE SIGNPOST: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION

In both economic and political terms, Romania lags behind most of the CEE developing countries. This situation deteriorates on a constant basis and is largely accounted for by very poor governance practices. The solution proposed by this study consists of recommending the implementation of a reformist agenda of e-governance based on two pillars: robust development of public sector information and large-scale application of Information and Communication Technologies. In conceptual terms, this strategy is assumed to produce a gradual shift from the citizen-as-customer to the more participative citizen-as-shareholder model of governance. In concrete terms, the medium-term benefits of this policy are political (enhancing the democratization process, increasing political accountability, and improving the tattered government-citizen relationship), economic (combating corruption, creating a transparent and competitive economic environment, and speeding up standard administrative processes for citizens and business), and social (restoring public trust, rebuilding social capital, and increasing the transparency, quality and efficiency of public services)

The power of the public sphere: (anti)diplomacy and crisis management within security communities

In Corneliu Bjola and Markus Kornprobst (eds) Arguing Global Governance: Agency, Lifeworld and Shared Reasons. London: Routledge This book chapter develops an analytical framework for understanding how political tensions undermine the viability of the transatlantic security community. I argue the legitimacy of the security communities is primarily shaped by its public sphere through two critical status functions, will- and opinion-formation. Deficient performance of these two components erodes members’ confidence in the identity and institutions of the community. The empirical validity of the theoretical framework is confirmed by the analysis of the diplomatic crisis involving the European Union and the United States over the latter’s intervention in Iraq in 2003.</p

Legitimating the use of force in international politics: Kosovo, Iraq and the ethics of intervention

This research monograph provides a provocative answer to the intensely contested question regarding the conditions under which the decision to use force can be reckoned as legitimate in international relations. The book argues the concept of 'deliberative legitimacy', understood as the non-coerced commitment of an actor to abide by a decision reached through a process of communicative action, offers the most appropriate framework for addressing this question. The theoretical originality and empirical value of the concept of deliberative legitimacy comes fully into force with the examination of two of the most severe international crises from the post Cold War period: the 1999 NATO intervention in Kosovo and the 2003 US military action against Iraq