A Political Early Warning - Response System to Address Global and Regional Threats

Author(s): 
Pages: 
45
Item Reference: 
W-2007/1
Publication Date: 
2007
Publication Place: 
Bruges
Publication Language: 
EN
Publisher: 
UNU Insitute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies
Series Title: 
UNU-CRIS Working Papers
Working Paper Type: 
Abstract: 

In this essay I discuss how the international community could conceptualise, understand and react to global and regional threats. The recent United Nations’ (UN) High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, and other world commissions, have outlined the increased threats to humanity in the 21st century, as also discussed briefly in this article. In relation to that I first present a simple framework to assess the trends of the future with illustrative examples of its application. Secondly, I discuss how this framework could be more systematic, or quantified, based on the history of similar efforts in economic, social, environmental and political fields. Finally, I present a tentative global response system, based on the framework, to react to emerging threats to the international community in the years and decades to come.