Cooperation in Global Governance among East Asia, North America, and Europe: A European Perspective

A functioning and encompassing system of global governance has remained humanity's unfulfilled goal, although such governance already works to a degree in certain sectors. At the same time, a multitude of forces oriented toward that goal are caught in a never-ending process of progress and setbacks. Regionalism is one of the developments that have contributed to better governance in restricted geographical areas, and in doing so-for example, by advancing peace in a region-it has improved the chances for better global governance. Similarly, cooperation among regions can potentially contribute to global governance. The cooperation between North America and Europe was a decisive factor in the international politics of the second half of the last century and significantly affected global governance. Given the rise of Asia in recent decades, its increasing weight in world politics, as well as its growing regionalism and successful cooperation with North America and Europe, the question arises as to how these developments have affected the prospects for and evolution of global governance. Starting from the assumption that successful regionalism and cooperation among regions contribute to global governance, the paper examines regionalism within and cooperation among East Asia, North America, and Europe as well as their respective problems in improving governance.