Global Governance

The leading role of multilateral organisations in the maintenance of international peace and security must be recognised and respected.

Principles

The Australian Greens believe that:

  1. Global governance processes must be reinvigorated to advance global peace and security, justice, human rights, poverty alleviation, health and environmental sustainability. Because there is no one system of global governance.
  2. Major structural reform is needed to provide stronger, more effective and more representative multilateral institutions.
  3. The leading role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security must be recognised and respected by all countries.
  4. The international financial institutions that govern aid, development, trade and transnational financial movements must contribute to global economic justice. 

Aims

The Australian Greens want:

  1. A renewed commitment by Australia to multilateralism as the means of addressing global challenges.
  2. Support for the United Nations Charter and meeting financial obligations to the organisation.
  3. The democratisation of the UN, including reform of the Security Council and the abolition of the veto power, and the implementation of greater transparency.
  4. Full support for, and adequate resourcing of, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
  5. The development and upholding of international law on the accountability of all perpetrators, including political and military leaders, for human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.
  6. Remedies and reparations for victims of violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law.
  7. Support for the establishment, by the United Nations, of an international crisis prevention and response centre to address threats from conflicts, to provide rapid response peacekeeping forces, and to rapidly respond to humanitarian crises.
  8. Early parliamentary engagement in Australia's negotiations of treaties, with agreements being reviewable by parliament.
  9. Support for more women at every level of governance, and for women and gender issues to be included in all aspects of peacemaking and peace-keeping.
  10. Support for giving young people a voice at every level of governance, through educating, encouraging and assisting youth participation.
  11. Global regulation of international finance including a global agreement on corporate tax rates and the elimination of tax havens.
  12. Australia and all nations to give effect to their human rights treaty obligations in domestic law and to cooperate in good faith with the United Nations’ human rights machinery.

(Policy endorsed: May 2018)