Background

In a globalized world of interdependence, the pressure to cope with global challenges has increased immensely. Unfortunetly, the present, existing international framework conditions are far from being future-oriented solutions. It is true that in scientific discussions, some criteria of the concept “global contract” are being taken into consideration. In the long run, however, a sensible international framework condition has to meet each criterium of a global contract. Measures which limit themselves to select criteria are not successful. For example, sustainable development as an abstract political aim has been on everyone’s lips ever since the World Summit in Rio (1992). Its implementation, on the other hand, has been most unsatisfactory, as the follow-up conference in Johannesburg revealed a decade later. Simply committing to sustainability is not sufficient when at the same time, there are shortcomings in the formal requirements (binding character according to international law, effective sanction mechanism, financing of the implementation, etc.). Rather, what is needed is the gradual implementation of a coherent global order system which can sufficiently guarantee the implementation of sustainable policy objectives. The concept of a global contract could be a valuable tool to this end.

It is true that there are already a great number of existing international framework conditions: at the end of 2003, there were 571 multilateral treaties within the framework of the United Nations, as well as further international framework conditions. These can be considered as the first elements of a global framework and as the first attempt to shape globalization. However, the number of international framework conditions which may be considered global contracts is still rather low: in the Federal Republic of Germany, for example, there were 3,128 executive order laws and 2,102 laws in November 2004. At the EU level, there were 1,859 directives and 6,428 regulations during the time. These figures alone illustrate that we are far from coping with global challenges.