This system worked, and made it possible for globalization to emerge. As a result we now live in a global world. Responding to this shift is a central challenge for world leaders today. In this new world, groups and individuals more and more often interact directly across frontiers, without involving the State. This has its dangers.
People feel threatened by events far away.
They are also more aware of injustice and brutality in distant countries, and expect States to do something about them. But new technologies also create opportunities for mutual understanding and common action. If we are to get the best out of globalization and avoid the worst, we must learn to govern better, and how to govern better together. That does not mean world government or the eclipse of nation states. On the contrary, States need to be strengthened.