Bachelor
2025/2026
Global Governance and International Law
Type:
Elective course (Law)
Delivered by:
School of Theory of Law and Comparative Law
Where:
Faculty of Law
When:
4 year, 1, 2 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Olga Krasnyak
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
48
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course is designed to provide an overview on global governance and to understand its conceptualisation through the interdisciplinary perspective of international law, international relations, and international organisations. Through the multidimensional lens, global governance is conceived as a framework of analysis to study the complexity of global processes involving multiple actors that interact at different levels of interest aggregation. We look at the origins, definitions, and characteristics of global governance; analyse the establishment of different international regimes and examine different thematic areas of governance practices and interactions on the global area; discuss the different conceptual inquiries and innovations; examine the specific of problem-solving arrangements and mechanisms of hard rules of international law and treaties, and soft law of communiqués and declarations.
Learning Objectives
- The aim of this course is to explain the multidimensionality of global governance which is conceived as a framework of analysis for studying global processes of forming international regimes involving a number of actors, including state authorities, intergovernmental organisations, nongovernmental organisations, private sector entities, and other civil society actors. The course answers the question how global governance and international law become core instruments for nation-states to achieve national goals and to solve common problems. The course also poses questions: how nation-states can create international regimes by using international law, treaties, conventions, and other juridical tools? and how do nation-states accommodate divergent interests in areas such as climate change, world trade, international crime, or human rights?
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Provide an overview of global governance and international law, considering historical and contemporary viewpoints. Describe a variety of theoretical perspectives, concepts and empirical applications relating to international relations and the international legal order. Explain the relationship between global governance and international law.
Course Contents
- Topic 1. Introduction to the course. Global security governance. The UN and the creation of the global security regime: The UN Charter
- Topic 2. Global economic governance
- Topic 3. Global human rights regime
- Topic 4. Humanitarian global governance: The Law of War
- Topic 5. Global environmental governance
- Topic 6. Global marine governance: The Law of the Sea
- Topic 7. Global health governance: WHO Constitution
- Topic 8. Internet and AI emerging global governance
Assessment Elements
- Attendance of lectures
- Active participation in seminar discussions
- Final exam in a form of discussion
Interim Assessment
- 2025/2026 2nd module0.3 * Active participation in seminar discussions + 0.2 * Attendance of lectures + 0.5 * Final exam in a form of discussion
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Zürn, M. (2018). A Theory of Global Governance : Authority, Legitimacy, and Contestation (Vol. First edition). Oxford, United Kingdom: OUP Oxford. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1724974
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Dingwerth, K., & Pattberg, P. (2006). Global Governance as a Perspective on World Politics. Global Governance, 12(2), 185–203. https://doi.org/10.1163/19426720-01202006
- Levy, D. L., & Prakash, A. (2003). Bargains Old and New: Multinational Corporations in Global Governance. Business and Politics, 2, 131.