ABSTRACT
The optimistic environment of the 1990s, with the end of the bipolar era and the rise of “globalization to benefit all”, strongly affected International Relations theory. The concept of “global governance”, first coined in the 1980s, gained prominence throughout the following decade primarily within international organizations and civil society. This concept is often vague, but generally makes reference to good administration, both private (corporate governance in the case of business) and public (fight against corruption and budgetary rigor) according to the standards set by international lenders (IMF and World Bank); it has gradually appeared in the discourse of nearly all private and public economic actors against the backdrop of contemporary globalization, including the European Union.
