Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019.

From climate change to tax evasion, humanity’s biggest challenges are increasingly global. Many of those frustrated by our lack of progress on these issues argue for some form of world government. If the United Nations, or some similar body, had real power over national governments, global agreements could be made and enforced. But others argue that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for seven billion people to hold a world government to account. Indeed, many find the idea of a world government sinister. Nevertheless, can we really solve our global problems without global political institutions?

Speakers include:

ANDREAS BUMMEL

executive director, Democracy without Borders; co-author,

IAN CRAWFORD

professor of planetary science and astrobiology, Birkbeck College, University of London

MARY KALDOR

emeritus professor of global governance, LSE; director, Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit, LSE; author, Global Security Cultures, Global Civil Society

DR TARA MCCORMACK

lecturer, international politics, University of Leicester

CHAIR: ROB LYONS

Produced by Ian Crawford and Rob Lyons