Shaping France and Europe's Foreign Policy in a New Globalized World

The global governance of collective issues or “global public goods” has currently reached a crossroads. On the one hand, indisputable elements of crisis testify to the difficulty in governing globalization by means of concerted standards and rules. On the other hand, the “objectivization” of specific global problems ensures that these problems develop an unprecedented consensus of knowledge and interest, which confirms their importance. This is particularly so for the climate issue, for the Millennium Development Goals (especially poverty and health), and for security issues (nuclear proliferation, nuclear terrorism…).

Against this background, the EU finds itself in an unprecedented situation. Relentless supporter of multilateralism and of a rule-based approach of global issues mirrored by the very functioning of its internal political system, EU’s voice and propositions are expected to bring significant contribution to the governance of global issues. But the possibility for the EU to export its internal political system as a possible reference to craft a rule-based global deal is challenged both because of EU’s changing internal factors and because of factors specific to the changing difficulties to govern global issues.

What are the available options for the EU to shape the future of global governance then?
This text presents the main answers to this question and many others raised during the conference held in Paris on January 18 and 19, 2008, with the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.

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