Accountability in Global Governance by Gisela Hirschmann

How can international organizations like the United Nations (UN) and their implementing partners be held accountable if their actions and policies violate fundamental human rights? This roundtable discusses the findings and implications of the book Accountability in Global Governance. We discuss the concept of pluralist accountability, whereby third parties hold international organizations (IOs) and their implementing partners accountable for human rights violations. Based on a study of UN-mandated operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kosovo, the EU Troika’s austerity policy and Global Public-Private Health Partnerships in India, we explore the conditions for pluralist accountability in response to diverse human rights violations, such as human trafficking, the violation of the rights of detainees, economic rights and the right to consent in clinical trials. While highlighting the importance of studying alternative accountability mechanisms, we further discuss why pluralist accountability should not be regarded as a panacea for IOs’ legitimacy problems, as it is often less legalized and might cause multiple accountability disorder.