Contesting Global Governance: Multilateral Economic Institutions and Global Social Movements

by Robert O'Brien , Anne Marie Goetz , Jan Aart Scholte , Marc Williams

• ISBN13: 9780521774406
• ISBN10: 0521774403
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-04-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book argues that increasing engagement between international institutions and sectors of civil society is producing a new form of global governance. The authors investigate 'complex multilateralism' by studying the relationship between three multilateral economic institutions (the IMF, World Bank, and World Trade Organization), and three global social movements (environmental, labour and women's movements). They provide a rich comparative analysis of the institutional response to social movement pressure, tracing institutional change, policy modification and social movement tactics as they struggle to influence the rules and practices governing trade, finance and development regimes. The contest to shape global governance is increasingly being conducted upon a number of levels and amongst a diverse set of actors. Analysing a unique breadth of institutions and movements, this book charts an important part of that contest.

Author Biography

Robert O'Brien is Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Institute for Globalization and the Human Condition, McMaster University.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
List of abbreviations	xii
Contesting global governance: multilateralism and global social movements	1	(23)
The World Bank and women's movements	24	(43)
The World Trade Organization and labour	67	(42)
The World Bank, the World Trade Organization and the environmental social movement	109	(50)
The International Monetary Fund and social movements	159	(47)
Complex multilateralism: MEIs and GSMs	206	(29)
References	235	(21)
Index	256