GPPi Associate Director addresses conference on G8 and G20

On 8 June 2006 GPPi Associate Director Thorsten Benner discussed the future architecture of multilateralism at the SEF Summer Dialogue in Dresden. The conference was organized by the Stiftung Entwicklung und Frieden (SEF) in cooperation with the German Society for the United Nations and the Hertie School of Governance. It brought together about 80 policymakers and scholars from across the world with a strong participation from emerging economies.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin contributed the keynote speech in which he stressed the need for moving from the current G‑8 to the G‑20. Benner contributed the opening remarks to a panel on ​“Governance Through Networks — Myth or Reality?” The panel was moderated by Michael Zürn, Dean of the Hertie School of Governance. Thorsten Benner stressed that issue-specific networks are clearly a reality of the present system of global governance. The question is how much they contribute to problem-solving, how accountable they are and how the G‑8 or a G‑20 can provide overall direction and coherence. He argued that the present flaws of the G8 go well beyond the question of who should sit at the table. Benner criticized the ​“initiavitis” prevalent at G‑8 meetings in which the chair tends to present a laundry list of initiatives on the issues du jour without a clear strategic direction. Rarely ever are effective accountability mechanisms in place to follow through on the commitments and initiatives. Benner also stressed the importance of moving from a purely ​“executive multilateralism” to a ​“societally embedded multilateralism.”