opinion

The term governance has enjoyed great acceptance since it became part of the social sciences jargon during the eighties, as it provided a new approach to the issue of the State. Given the crisis of the model of the intervening State, greater importance started being placed on the relationship between government and society, with the understanding that they had to mutually recognize each other as the actors involved in main political action.

In the vision of Antonio Camou,1 the study of political relations from the perspective of governance, is a question that alludes to the quality of governments, taking into account aspects associated with efficacy/efficiency; legitimacy and the obligation to provide better living conditions for citizens, guaranteeing a balance between state and society and lastly, the writer underscores the obligation ��õto guarantee stability, bearing in mind social demands and avoiding social conflicts.

In that respect, the notion of shared responsibility is necessary as a civic practice, which frees citizens from their status as subjects, who assume their responsibility to no longer serve as objects of governments; through which, subjecting to governmental action out of fear has been left in the past and political pluralism is restored as the basis of the democratic agreement of nations.

Those aspects presented in such a general manner are the points of reference for evaluating what would be understood by good government. This new vision that prevails today teaches us that governmental exercise is not a justification for force but rather a process of building consensus.

Furthermore, this new wave of politics has highlighted the importance of managing a system of ethical values associated with respect for social and economic rights, transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption.

It is interesting for us to point out that such notions are put forward in an international arena, whose organizations have turned into a significant source of legitimation for local governments. So-called summit politics (or summiteering) is a mechanism that compels independent states to bind themselves to the values and principles agreed upon in international organizations or in regional integration schemes, so as to ensure the functioning of democracy.

The importance of international politics goes hand in hand with globalization as it fosters awareness that, as local problems have a global range, the solution must be found from the perspective of globalization. In turn, the advancements of that global process have incorporated the issue of security, since world governance requires clear rules that to guarantee a safe world.

In order to incorporate the issue of security into the new context of globalization, it has been necessary to question the old doctrine of national security, with its aggressive, expansionist vocation, which was based essentially on the use of force and subject to the interest of states.

Globalization and the notion of governance described above, have served as the context for defining a new notion of security, "focused on persons not on states."2 Up until the eighties, the idea prevailed that military expenditure was key to ensuring security, despite the fact that the twentieth century was a period of great insecurity within the region and around the world.

"According to the definition of the Commission on Human Security, human security consists in protecting the vital essence of all lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment...."

It is thus that globalization brings governance, integration and security. To incorporate ourselves into globalization we will have to do so through an integration scheme and in order to integrate ourselves we will need a notion of security that is "focused on persons."

1. "Los Desafios de la Gobernabilidad" (The Challenges of Governance), Mexico, 2001

2. Commission on Human Security: "Human security now." 2003

Dr. Rubén Silié Valdez is the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. The views expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Feedback can be sent to mail@acs-aec.org