Center on International Cooperation

Managing Global Order

Power & Responsibility: Building International Order in an Era of Transnational Threats

Bruce Jones, Carlos Pascual, and Stephen John Stedman

The twenty-first century will be defined by security threats unconstrained by borders—from economic instability, climate change, and nuclear proliferation to conflict, poverty, terrorism and disease. The greatest test of global leadership will be building partnerships and institutions for cooperation that can meet the challenge.

Power and Responsibility describes how American leadership can rebuild international order to promote global security and prosperity for today's transnational world. Power and Responsibility establishes a new foundation for international security: "responsible sovereignty," or the notion that sovereignty entails obligations and duties toward other states as well as one's own citizens. Governments must cooperate across borders to safeguard common resources and tackle common threats.

Power and Responsibility argues that in order to advance its own interests, the United States must learn to govern in an interdependent world, exercise leadership through cooperation, and create new institutions with today's traditional and emerging powers. The product of a collaborative project on Managing Global Order, the book also reflects the MGO project's global dialogue—extensive consultations around the world as well as discussions with the MGO Advisory Group, composed of prominent U.S. and international figures in world affairs.

ForeWord Reviews has awarded Power and Responsibility its 2009 Gold Award for best book in the political science field.

Purchase a copy of Power and Responsibility here.

The Authors

Bruce Jones is director of the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and formerly served with NGOs and the United Nations in Rwanda, Kosovo, the Middle East, and New York.

Carlos Pascual served as vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution from 2006 to 2009, when he became U.S. ambassador to Mexico under President Barack Obama.

Stephen John Stedman is senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University and a former assistant secretary general and special adviser to the secretary general of the United Nations.

Reviews

"The aim of the Managing Global [Order] project is to launch a reform effort of the global security system in 2009. That task is both ambitious and urgent. . . . The time to act is now." Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

"Power & Responsibility analyzes the threats that surround us, but does not yield to the temptation to despair. It rightly points out that in a world of problems without passports, our security and prosperity depend on unprecedented international cooperation, and that such cooperation is in our reach. By accepting that sovereignty incurs responsibilities and by strengthening international institutions, governments can create an international order in which all can be safe and thrive. This book makes a compelling argument for such an approach." Kofi Annan, Former Secretary General of the United Nations

"The vision, ideas, and solutions the authors put forward in this book have the potential to redeem American foreign policy." From the foreword by Brent Scowcroft, Former U.S. National Security Adviser

"I salute Power & Responsibility for undertaking the challenging endeavor of strengthening and improving our current means of international cooperation. This book sets a platform from which to take forward the vital agenda of restoring American leadership and creating a more effective international system." Madeleine K. Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State

"Offers timely, relevant, and responsible advice on America's future foreign policy. The authors address our need to strengthen our alliances and forge relationships based on common interests." Chuck Hagel, Former U.S. Senator (R.-Neb.)

Brookings launch of Power & Responsibility
Stanford University launch of Power & Responsibility
International launch of Power & Responsibility
Brookings Plan for Action Launch

Plan for Action: A New Era of International Cooperation for a Changed World: 2009, 2010, and Beyond

Power & Responsibility on Huffington Post, March 16, 2009. "Changing how we address global and national security" By Bruce Jones, Carlos Pascual and Stephen Stedman

Power & Responsibility on Huffington Post, March 30, 2009. "Barack Obama Joins the Group of 20" By Scott Malcomson

Power & Responsibility on Charlie Rose, April 23, 2009. "U.S. Foreign Policy and Barack Obama" Charlie Rose, Carlos Pascual and Brent Scowcroft

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Media & Events

The U.S., the Emerging Powers and Transnational Threats

The Center on International Cooperation at NYU along with New York University's Abu Dhabi Institute and The Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program hosted a conference entitled: 'The U.S., the Emerging Powers and Transnational Threats' on 24-26 February. The conference took place at the Le Royal Méridien Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Building on last year's inaugural special colloquium, this year's conference on 'The U.S., the Emerging Powers and Transnational Threats' brought together a diverse group of high-level policymakers, academics and other top foreign policy experts from the United States, the emerging economies and Europe. They discussed how the U.S. and the emerging powers in particular can develop arrangements to handle immediate security threats to key international institutions—including terrorism, energy security and non-proliferation—while also addressing the prospects for longer-term reform. Conference participants considered the factors that have shaped the state of international cooperation among the major powers, and debated what political bargains are needed among those powers to underpin an effective multilateral system. In particular, they outlined what specific options exist for the G20, the UN Security Council and other key multilateral forums in order to make them more effective.

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