Valdai Club

One of the dominant global trends today is the widening gap between foreign policy driven by state’s pragmatic interests and the increasing global interdependence that entails problems which are impossible to solve on the nation-state level. On the one hand, there are so-called ‘Global Commons’, which importance is not disputed. It consists of some basic aspects, such as air, water, and biodiversity, but also encompasses global access to the social benefits gained by the humankind. On the other hand, the concept of Global Commons often contradicts the principle of state sovereignty. Supranational solutions, which were considered to be a remedy for all problems before, are not so commonly acceptable anymore as they are not shared in many parts of the world. That is why, the lack of new approaches to this question leads to growing conflicts over water resources, international migration, and environmental issues. Moreover, the maintenance of the Global Commons frequently runs contrary to the right of the poorest countries to develop since it cements the global North-South divide. Is it possible to reconcile these paradigms to ensure global peace and prosperity?