2014 UNANZ National Conference

Now that I have given a small taste of information on the United Nations and UNANZ, and introduced some ideas of what it's all about, I can get on to the main topic of why I initially created this blog.

On May 9/May 10, a conference is being held in Wellington, New Zealand to address four critical sets of questions that relate to the above title. The conference is being collaboratively organised by the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies, Victoria University's Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, and the United Nations Association of New Zealand. It is the national conference of 2014 for UNANZ.

The questions that the conference will be focusing on are as follows:

1. Global Commons - What is within the "global commons" today? Does it include, for instance, outer space? Is the concept of "planetary boundaries" useful in defining the global commons in a territorial sense?

2. Global Law - Who bears rights an obligations for global commons? what is the current law of the global commons? Is it situated within "the law of nations" or is it situated separate to the law of nation? Are conventions that seek the agreement of an endorsement of some 190 nation-states the best way to govern the global commons into the future?

3. Global Governance - Are current structures adequately governing the global commons? Are their negotiation and decision-making structures appropriate? At what point do the legitimate policies and actions of individual states become the concerns of all?

4. Global Public Goods - Is there need for other forms of global executive action?

Here is the current promotions posters for the Friday and Saturday conference: